The Berkeley Instrumentation Prize

A $200,000 annual prize honoring the people who build the tools that make scientific discovery possible, launching in partnership with UC Berkeley.

At a glance:

$200,000 annual prize award

1 winner (or small team) per year

In partnership with UC Berkeley

Inaugural prize: Spring 2027

The Berkeley Instrumentation Prize is currently in its launch phase. Our inaugural prize cycle will run on a truncated timeline in 2026–27, with winners selected from invited nominations. Full nominations for the 2028 award cycle will open in early 2027.

Why This Prize Exists

Every major leap in science has depended on a leap in tooling. The telescope opened astronomy. The microscope opened cell biology. Cryo-EM transformed structural biology. Yet the people who build these tools are rarely recognized the way the discoveries themselves are. The Berkeley Instrumentation Prize exists to change that.

Learn About the Prize

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