Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On December 15, the winners of the 2025 national award for future technologies, "Challenge," were announced at Cyberdom in Moscow.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko welcomed the participants.
"Science drives progress forward, serves as the main impetus for development, and helps us achieve technological leadership—a national goal defined by our President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Today, research and development is a top priority in Russia. Extensive work is being carried out within the framework of the national project 'Youth and Children' and the Decade of Science and Technology, declared by the head of state. National technological leadership projects have been launched. Particular attention is being paid to training personnel, popularizing scientific knowledge, and enhancing the prestige of the scientific profession," noted Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Vyzov Foundation for the Development of Scientific and Cultural Relations.
He emphasized that the government isn't the only one supporting science and technology today. Business and the non-profit sector are actively involved in this process. This award is a shining example of this synergy.
"The Challenge Prize recognizes talented researchers and their projects that have great potential and truly change the scientific landscape. The prize is becoming increasingly popular—the number of applications has tripled in three years. This season, there are already more than 630, and the number of participating countries has increased to 40 in 2025," said Dmitry Chernyshenko.
He expressed confidence that this prestigious award will motivate new discoveries and scientific breakthroughs: "We will continue to attract world-class scientists to work in Russia, develop scientific cooperation, and do everything possible to ensure that our science remains open, in demand, and interesting."
Vera Vil, Head of the Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry at the N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was awarded the "Perspective" prize for developing methods for forming new chemical bonds using electric current and organic peroxides.
The winner in the Engineering Solution category was Mikhail Skupov, Deputy Director General of the A.A. Bochvar High-Tech Research Institute of Inorganic Materials (VNIINM). The co-laureate was Alexey Glushenkov, VNIINM's chief expert. They received the award for developing a technology for the industrial production of nitride nuclear fuel.
Ilya Yampolsky, chief researcher at the Laboratory of Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways at the M.M. Shemyakin and Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was named the Breakthrough Prize laureate. He received the Challenge Prize for deciphering the molecular mechanisms of bioluminescence and creating luminescent plants.
The winner of the "Scientist of the Year" award is Stepan Kalmykov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Head of the Department of Radiochemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry at Lomonosov Moscow State University. He received the prize for fundamental and applied research in radiochemistry and radiochemical technologies.
University of Southern California professor Valery Fokin received the title of laureate in the international Discovery category for his invention of the reaction that defined click chemistry and transformed molecular science and the chemistry of living systems.
The Challenge Prize is awarded for science-intensive developments that have significant potential to improve people's lives and have a practical implementation horizon of up to 10 years. Winners are recognized in five categories: "Prospect," "Engineering Solution," "Breakthrough," "Scientist of the Year," and "Discovery."
The event was also attended by Natalia Tretyak, CEO of the Vyzov Foundation for the Development of Scientific and Cultural Relations; Artem Oganov, Chair of the Vyzov Prize Scientific Committee, Distinguished Professor at Skoltech, Professor at the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Member of the European Academy; Dmitry Zauers, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprombank and Member of the Vyzov Foundation Council; Andrey Timonov, Director of the Communications Department of the Rosatom State Corporation; and Konstantin Bogomolov, Director and Artistic Director of the Bronnaya Theatre and the Melnikov Theatre-Stage.
The organizer and founder of the national award in the field of future technologies "Challenge" is the "Challenge" Foundation for the Development of Scientific and Cultural Relations. Gazprombank is the award's co-founder. Partners include the state corporation Rosatom, the Roscongress Foundation, and the Government of Moscow. The communications partner is the media holding MAER.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.