Since 2022, the Collège de France Award for Young Researchers has recognized a young scientist for the excellence of their career and the innovative nature of their contributions to public research.
The prize includes a cash award of 20,000 euros and an opportunity to present their research to the Collège de France audience.
In keeping with the multidisciplinary spirit of the Collège de France, this award alternates annually between a laureate in the fields of mathematical, computer, experimental, and natural sciences, and a laureate in the fields of literature, the humanities, and the social sciences. Candidates must have defended their dissertation within the past seven years and be employed at a public research laboratory in France.
In 2026, the Collège de France Award was awarded to Christophe Botella , a researcher in statistical ecology, on the theme “Mathematical Sciences for the Planet” (Mathematics and Computer Science).
The 2026 jury consisted of Nalini Anantharaman (co-chair, Collège de France); Xavier Leroy (co-chair, Collège de France); Edouard Bard (Collège de France); Laure Saint-Raymond (Collège de France); and Nigel Gilles Yoccoz (Arctic University of Norway).
