“To recognize and honor exceptional African scientists whose discoveries in medicine and physiology significantly advance human health and deepen the understanding of biological processes crucial to the wellbeing of African populations and the world.”

The Mission is to become the premier African award for biomedical discovery and innovation, fostering a culture of scientific leadership, supporting groundbreaking research, and empowering future generations to shape the global scientific landscape from Africa.

• African citizens anywhere in the world, OR
• Non-citizens who conduct research based in Africa that significantly benefits the continent.

In addition:

• Work must be scientific, not administrative or political
• Publications should be peer-reviewed
• The core discovery or innovation must have occurred within the last 10 years
• No documented ethical violations, plagiarism, data manipulation, or misconduct

The nominee must demonstrate:

• A major scientific breakthrough in medicine or physiology
• Clear evidence of advancing understanding of disease, biology, or human health
• Highly cited, peer-reviewed publications in respected journals
• Strong influence on global or African biomedical science
• Long-term, sustained contributions over several years

The nominee must show exceptional promise and clear trajectory toward major scientific contribution.

Required:

• First-author or senior-author publications
• Clear evidence of scientific independence
• Early discoveries or significant potential
• Participation in developing technologies, diagnostics, or biomedical insights

Recognizes practical medical advances, examples include:

• New diagnostic kits
• Affordable medical devices
• Vaccine innovations
• Digital health tools with clinical impact
• New treatments or therapeutic approaches
• Laboratory methods improving patient care in Africa

Recognizes scientists who make a significant contribution with a focus on fundamental science underlying medicine. Examples of focus areas include:

• Molecular biology
• Genetics & genomics
• Immunology
• Physiology
• Cell biology
• Pharmacology
• Systems biology

The African Scientist of the Year Award (AScOYA) competition is administered through a clear, impartial, and merit-driven evaluation system that upholds global standards of credibility and ethical practice. The program follows a yearly cycle and nominations are opened from January to April.

Application Submission

Candidates apply by completing the official online nomination form. The submission includes:

• Candidate’s Full CV including education backgrounda and positions
• List of Key Publications
  • Highlight 3–5 most impactful papers
  • Provide links and DOIs
• Impact Summary (1–3 pages) Explaining:
  • Key discovery
  • How it advances medical science
  • Evidence supporting the discovery
  • Real-world impact on Africa
• Letters of Support (1–3 letters) from respected scientists or institutions
• Ethics Declaration confirming no misconduct, plagiarism, or fabrication
• A recent professional headshot and, where applicable, images that reflect research activities, innovations, or professional engagement
• Additional evidence(for clinical award): Device prototypes, Regulatory approvals, Clinical trial data and Implementation results

All submitted content must be in English. Applicants are encouraged to assemble all required materials before beginning the online form. Once started, the application cannot be saved for later completion. If certain supporting documents are unavailable at the time of submission, they may be submitted later in line with the stated application procedures.

By submitting an application, candidates attest to the accuracy and authenticity of the information provided. For individuals selected as Winners, the publication of profiles and related content will comply with the AScOYA privacy and publication policies.

Initial Assessment

Every application is reviewed by the AScOYA Review Committee to verify eligibility, completeness, relevance to the competition’s scope, and disciplinary alignment.

Reviews are conducted on a continuous basis. Applicants are informed by email once their submission has either advanced to the next stage of evaluation or has not met the preliminary requirements.

January – May: Nomination Phase

• Public call for nominations
• Outreach to universities, labs, research networks
• Nomination portal open for 90 days

June: Screening & Eligibility Check

• Administrative team verifies all documents
• Removes incomplete submissions
• Ethics officer checks integrity issues
• Creates the “eligible nominees list”

July: First-Round Review

• Committee members receive full nominee packets
• Independent scoring using the standard rubric
• Weighted scores calculated
• Top 15 candidates selected for the longlist

August: Shortlisting

• Committee discussion
• External advisory panel reviews the top 15
• Selection narrowed to 5 finalists

August: Final Review

• Deep-dive analysis of scientific contributions
• Background checks
• Verification of research validity, citations, patents, etc.

September: Final Vote

• Secret ballot
• Ranked-choice voting if no candidate crosses 60%
• Winner confirmed
• All decisions documented for transparency

October – November: Announcement & Ceremony

• Press release
• Public announcement
• High-profile ceremony (rotating host country each year or fixed HQ)
• Winner delivers the “African Scientist of the Year Lecture”

December: Report & Planning

• Publish annual report
• Review process and adjust for next year
• Begin preparing next call for nominations

A committee of independent experts will first check whether the nominee meets criteria such as field, career stage, nationality, or advancement of science and that the achievements are legitimate (publications, patents, citations, verified impact). This step removes incomplete or ineligible nominations.

A panel of respected scientists reviews the nominees. They look at things like:

Scores from multiple reviewers are averaged and normalized. A senior, diverse, continental committee selects the winners. The expert panel will additionaly request a brief external review from international scientists, diaspora experts and medical academies. The highest-scoring candidates become finalists. This shortlist may then be re-evaluated in deeper detail, sent to a higher committee, and or reviewed by external experts for fairness and independence. Some awards will require interviews, public lectures, or additional documents. The final decision is made by a senior committee or board votes. They consider panel scores, expert reviews, broader impact beyond academia, diversity, representation, and balance . The winner is then officially selected and announced through press releases, websites and scientific journals and at award ceremonies at annual conferences or special events.

Portraits, plaques, and profiles of winners will be displayed at our headquarters, and in partner universities and research institutes.
A dedicated webpage will be curated featuring inductee profiles, including photo and short biography, key achievements and research contributions, publications, awards, and recognitions, media coverage, interviews, or recorded lectures and photos, interviews, and links to publications.

Winners of the African Scientist of the Year Award will be automatically inducted. A formal induction ceremony will be included during the AScOYA award event, where a plaque or certificate will signify their Hall of Fame membership. A board of Hall of Fame members will be maintained and this board will mentor young scientists and serve as advisors to the award.
Winners are inducted immediately upon receiving the award. The presentation will include:

Hall of Fame inductees will be featured in newsletters, annual reports, and media campaigns. They will be allowed to give keynote speeches or lectures at events and publicized es on social media, newsletters, and scientific publications. Inductees will also be encouraged to mentor young scientists, and give talks at workshops and conferences.

Over time, the Hall of Fame is envisaged to become a central reference for African scientific excellence, similar to national academies or Nobel laureate listings. The Hall of Fame will establish a living archive of African scientific excellence, inspire future generations to pursue careers in medicine and life sciences, and strengthen partnerships with universities, research foundations, and sponsors by highlighting Hall of Fame members’ achievements.

The Hall of Fame will automatically include all winners of the African Scientist of the Year Award across all categories. Special recognition will also be granted to scientists with long-term contributions to African medicine, even if they have not received the annual award.