The OGANESSON Prize was created at the suggestion and expense of Scientific Leader of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at JINR, RAS Academician Yuri T. Oganessian and established at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in 2023. Yuri Oganessian and JINR founded the Prize.
In 2022, Yuri Oganessian received the Sber Scientific Prize for his fundamental work on the synthesis of superheavy elements. He decided to direct the 20 million rubles that he received to support young scientists and popularisers of science, as well as cultivate talents in the field irrespective of their age.
The name of the prize is associated with the chemical element of the Mendeleev’s Periodic Table with atomic number 118, oganesson (Og). The element was named after Yuri Oganessian on the IUPAC’s recommendation on 8 June 2016 for the scientist’s contribution to studying transactinoid elements. At the moment, oganesson is the heaviest known synthesised superheavy element.
The Prize is awarded annually for significant achievements in theoretical and experimental research in physics, chemistry, biology, and applied problems, as well as for creative endeavours that popularise science by means of educational and scientific activities. Individual scientific, engineering, and technical specialists or teams of authors (no more than three people), whose contribution was decisive in solving research problems and implementing science communication projects, can participate in the competition.
The winners of the Prize are awarded diplomas, badges, and prize money, the amount of which is determined by the Institute’s order. If a team receives the prize, the money is divided equally among all members. Diplomas and badges are awarded to each member individually.
Nominees for the Prize are the authors of scientific papers, published lecture courses, articles, as well as popular science and art works aimed at popularising science.
Parties with the right to propose nominees:
- Scientific research organizations of any country in the world,
- Scientists with the rank of academicians from any country in the world,
- Specialised institutes and faculties of universities of any country in the world,
- Heads of creative unions of any country in the world.
The decision is made by the Committee of International Experts of the OGANESSON Prize and approved by the Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna).
Alexander Sergeev
Chair of the Prize Committee
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Past President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Leader of the National Centre for Physics and Mathematics
Grigory Trubnikov
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research
At the autumn session of the Committee of Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the JINR Member States, the laureates of the 2026 international OGANESSON Prize were announced.
Evgeny Adamov
Scientific Leader of the Dollezhal Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering (NIKIET), Honoured Worker of Science and Technology of the Russian Federation
Andrey Butenko
Acting Director of the Veksler and Baldin Laboratory of High Energy Physics at JINR
Emanuele Vardaci
Professor of Physics at the University of Naples Federico II
Yulia Gorbunova
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Doctor of Chemistry, Skoltech President, Chief Researcher at the RAS Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry and the RAS Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry
At the 138th session of the JINR Scientific Council, the laureates of the international OGANESSON Prize for 2025 were announced.
Michel Spiro
Paris-Saclay University, President of The Earth-Humanity Coalition, France
Natalia Tarasova
Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Director of the Institute of Chemistry and Sustainable Development Problems at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia
Arutyun Avetisyan
RAS Academician, Director of the RAS Institute for System Programming
Alexey Semikhatov
Chief Researcher at the Division of Theoretical Physics at the RAS Lebedev Physical Institute, lecturer, and author of popular science films
At the 136th session of the JINR Scientific Council, the laureates of the international OGANESSON Prize for 2024 were announced.
The award ceremony of OGANESSON-2024 took place on 14 February 2025 at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.
Aliya Nurmukhanbetova
Head of NURIS, Nazarbayev University Research and Innovation System, Kazakhstan
Galina Knyazheva
Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at JINR
Tatyana Chernigovskaya
Director of the Institute of Cognitive Research of Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
Yuri Zolotov
Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chief Researcher at the Department of Analytical Chemistry of Moscow State University, Chief Researcher at the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russia
Zeblon Zenzele Vilakazi
Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
On 22 September 2023, at the 134th session of the JINR Scientific Council, the laureates of the international OGANESSON Prize for 2023 were announced.
The award ceremony of OGANESSON-2023 took place on 16 February 2024 in Moscow. The event was held at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
Ana María Cetto Kramis
Physics professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, JINR Scientific Council member
Mikhail Shvydkoy
Doctor of Arts. Art director of the Moscow Musical Theatre. Cultural, public, and state figure
Valeria Pershina
Chemistry professor at GSI, Darmstadt, Germany
Vasily Semin
Head of the Scientific and Experimental Department of the Accelerator Complex of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions
The OGANESSON Prize was organized with Sberbank’s support in 2023.
