Since 2022, the Collège de France has recognized a young scientist with its prize, which includes a 20,000 euro award and a presentation of their research to the public. This initiative aims to celebrate excellence and groundbreaking work in public research.
Reflecting the Collège de France's multidisciplinary spirit, the prize alternates annually between fields such as Mathematical, Computer, Experimental, and Natural Sciences, and Letters, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Candidates must have defended their doctoral thesis within the last seven years and be employed by a public research laboratory in France.
For the 2026 edition, the award went to Christophe Botella, a researcher specializing in statistical ecology, under the theme 'Mathematical Sciences for the Planet' (Mathematics and Computer Science). This honor highlights the significance of interdisciplinary approaches in current scientific endeavors.
The 2026 jury was co-chaired by Nalini Anantharaman and Xavier Leroy, both professors at the Collège de France. Other members included Edouard Bard and Laure Saint-Raymond from the Collège de France, alongside Nigel Gilles Yoccoz from the Arctic University of Norway.
