September 9, 2025 – New York – The Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences today announced the Finalists for the 2025 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists. The Awards recognize scientific advances made by researchers in the United States across the following disciplines: Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences & Engineering.

Subra Suresh, ScD, Former Director of the National Science Foundation and current President of the Global Learning Council in Switzerland, will announce the three 2025 Laureates at an October 7th awards ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History.

Each Laureate will receive an unrestricted award of $250,000, the world’s largest unrestricted science prize, available for early-career scientists in the U.S. The remaining 15 Finalists will each receive $15,000.

An independent jury of expert scientists selected this year’s Finalists from a pool of 310 nominees representing 161 academic and research institutions across 42 U.S. states.

For the full list of finalists, click here.

_________

Frank Leibfarth, PhD (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), is a 2025 Blavatnik National Awards finalist in Chemical Sciences. He is recognized for pioneering catalytic and reaction-based approaches that upcycle plastic waste and remove toxic “forever chemicals” from water—innovations that selectively control polymer structure and function to address environmental challenges.