Deadline: February 22, 2026
Applications are open for the Royal Society Athena Prize 2026. The Royal Society Athena Prize is awarded biennially (in even years) for teams working in UK academic and research communities, who have contributed most to the advancement of diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) within their communities. The Royal Society Athena Prize was established in 2016 and is provided by a gift to the Society.
The Athena Prize aims to:
- Recognise the efforts of teams who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in advancing diversity in STEM, making a substantial and lasting impact at a national (or widely regional) level
- Champion initiatives that have demonstrable benefit across a broad STEM community.
- Inspire others through innovative, ambitious, and scalable work, encouraging leadership in diversity and inclusion throughout the STEM landscape.
Prize
- The recipients of the prize receive a medal and a gift of £5,000.
Eligibility
- The Athena Prize 2026 will be awarded to a team for significantly contributing to good practice and the advancement of diversity and inclusion in STEM.
- To be eligible to apply, teams must be working in an academic or research community in the UK.
- Teams must be clearly defined, and the names of all team members must be specified on the application. There is no limit on the size of the team that can apply.
- For the purposes of the Athena Prize, “team” includes University STEM departments and faculties. It also includes teams who have founded or are leading a network but does not include all members of a particular network.
- Previous individual or team Athena Prize winners may not reapply. Individuals who had formerly been part of a winning Athena Prize team may be included if they are now part of a different team.
- Previously unsuccessful Athena Prize applicants may apply again.
Application
For more information, visit Royal Society Athena Prize.
