Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise

The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise support emerging to mid-career immigrant professionals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements early in their careers.

Recognizing young immigrant research scientists, visual artists, and curators

Nine $50,000 cash awards

Applications are now closed.

Biomedical Science

Three prizes of $50,000 each
Immigrant research scientists whose work exemplifies outstanding scientific accomplishment and represents a significant contribution to their area of research

Learn more about science prizes

Viviana Gradinaru with student, in white lab coats, conducting experiments at her lab at Caltech

Visual Art and Curatorial Work

Three prizes of $50,000 in visual arts and three prizes of $50,000 in curatorial work
Immigrant artists and curators who demonstrate outstanding early achievement in visual arts or curatorial work

Learn about prizes for visual arts and curatorial work

A person standing in front of a gallery wall with art works hung on it.

Selection Process

An open call for applications is announced annually; eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. Three winners are selected in each category through an application process juried by panels of experts in each field.

Meet the 2024 Creative Promise Prizewinners

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.