Prizes

The Vilcek Foundation champions diversity for the advancement of the arts and sciences. We celebrate and invest in immigrant artists and scientists at every stage of their careers. The Vilcek Foundation Prizes were established in 2006. Since then, we have awarded over $7 million to immigrants from 65 countries.

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161

Total prizewinners

Countries represented

$7M

Awarded

Prizewinners from Around the World

Explore the map below to learn more about the reach of the foundation and our prizewinners.

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Prizewinners from Around the World

Learn more about the reach of the foundation and our prizewinners, who are recognized for career achievements and creative promise in the sciences, arts, and humanities.

Explore the list of prizewinners

Vilcek Prizes

The Vilcek Prizes are awarded to immigrants with a legacy of major accomplishment in the biomedical sciences and the arts and humanities, including: literature, culinary arts, music, filmmaking, architecture, dance, design, fashion, theatre, and visual arts. The Vilcek Prize includes a $100,000 cash award.

Learn about the Vilcek Prizes

Ramon Tejada standing in front of a wall displaying his typography designs.

Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise are awarded to emerging to mid-career immigrant professionals in the biomedical sciences and the arts and humanities who have demonstrated outstanding achievement early in their careers. The Creative Promise Prize includes a $50,000 cash award.

Learn about the Creative Promise Prizes

Vilcek Prize for Excellence

The Vilcek Prize for Excellence is awarded to immigrants who have had a profound impact on American society and world culture, or to individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to immigrant causes. The Vilcek Prize for Excellence includes a $100,000 cash award.

Learn about the Prize for Excellence

Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History

Inspired by Marica Vilcek’s career in art history and her legacy in the arts, the Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History honors art historians, curators, and fine arts professionals whose work has a profound impact on their institutions, in their scholarship, and on arts and culture in general.

Learn more about Marica's legacy

Pierre Terjanian standing next to horses in the arms and armor exhibition of The Met.

Grants for Organizations

The Vilcek Foundation supports the work of a small number of 501(c)(3) cultural and educational institutions in the United States for programs and initiatives that complement the foundation’s mission.

Learn about Grants for Organizations

Hawaii International Film Festival is a Vilcek Foundation grantee.

2024 Vilcek Foundation Prizewinners

Luciano Marraffini receives the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for uncovering the molecular mechanisms by which CRISPR-Cas systems provide bacteria with adaptive immunity against viral infections, and for his investigations into applications of CRISPR-Cas for genome editing.

A portrait of Luciano Marraffini wearing blue-rimmed glasses.

Ramon Tejada receives the Vilcek Prize in Design for his leadership and commitment to accessibility and decolonization in design practices, and for his pedagogical approach that centers collaboration, inclusion, and radical innovation.

A portrait of Ramon Tejada smiling in a navy and orange sweater.

Gerta Hoxhaj receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for her work on mapping the molecular links between signaling pathways and metabolic networks of cancer cells with a focus on identifying vulnerabilities that could be used to develop targeted therapies.

A portrait of Gerta Hoxhaj smiling and wearing a red shirt.

Tomasz Nowakowski receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for the development of technologies to identify and track the regenerative capacity of neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells in the human brain.

A portrait of Tomasz Nowakowski wearing glasses and a brown sweater.

Takanori Takebe receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science for developing vascularized three-dimensional human organoid tissue from pluripotent stem cells that can be transplanted in humans, paving the way for targeted approaches to intractable liver diseases.

A portrait of Takanori Takebe in a gray blazer.

Wael Morcos receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Design for his approach to typographic and graphic design that incorporates complex cultural and political histories to create socially relevant visual identities and campaigns.

A portrait of Wael Morcos wearing a dark patterned jacket.

Juan Carlos Noguera receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Design for his equitable approach to product design, especially for his work to develop accessible wheelchairs and educational tools that democratize society by promoting social and scientific engagement.

A portrait of Juan Carlos Noguera wearing thick-rimmed red glasses.

Maryam Turkey receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Design for her practice that seeks to bridge cultural and societal divides while simultaneously challenging the status quo; through organic sculptural forms and surfaces, she deconstructs gender norms, revealing a powerful humanity.