The $150,000 Michelson Prizes are awarded annually to support early-career investigators working to advance human immunology, vaccine discovery, and immunotherapy research for major global diseases. Applications for the 2025 Michelson Prizes will be accepted from 1 April – 22 June 2025. Please visit the Michelson Medical Research Foundation or the application portal to learn more.
Michelson Prizes Awardees
Learn more about the 2023 winners’ groundbreaking research:
Want more? Click here to explore the research of all the winners.
Across Sectors, Across Diseases
A rigorous and competitive international search will identify the most innovative projects from young scientists working across a broad range of scientific fields. Proposals will be reviewed by a distinguished committee of internationally-recognized scientists. The review committee will be looking for research that challenges dogma, from researchers who clearly articulate a vision that demonstrates an ability to look beyond convention to make a lasting impact on vaccine and immunotherapy research. Applications from the full spectrum of scientific disciplines related to immunology, vaccine, and immunotherapy research are encouraged, including but not limited to:
- Clinical Research
- Molecular Biology
- Computer science
- Biophysics
- Bioengineering
- Environmental Health
- Biochemistry
- Protein Engineering
- AI/Machine Learning
- Nanotechnology
- Microbiome
- Vector Biology
Ansuman Satpathy, MD, PhD, Stanford University:
The Michelson Prize was instrumental in my early career. It allowed me to pursue high-risk, high-impact ideas, which would not have been possible without the funding and scientific collaborations developed through the Human Immunome Project.
About the Donors
Dr. Gary K. Michelson is a Board Certified Orthopedic Spinal Surgeon with more than 900 issued patents worldwide. His work has revolutionized the practice of spinal surgery, making such procedures less invasive, less traumatic, safer, faster, and more effective. Alya Michelson is an accomplished journalist, who has written in, and been published in four different languages.
Together, the Michelsons support a broad array of philanthropic endeavors and operate three foundations that they founded and fund, including the Michelson Medical Research Foundation, 20MM, and Michelson Found Animals.
In addition to the Next Generation Grants, the Michelson Medical Research Foundation also sponsors the Michelson Philanthropies & Science Prize for Immunology: a $25,000 award for research that will have a significant development on vaccine and immunotherapy development.