The shortlist for the second edition of the Rasul Medal was recently released, revealing four finalists selected in Engineering Sciences, four in Mathematics, four in Computer Science, eight in Life and Medical Science and Technology, two in Chemistry, and two in Physics. The winners are to be announced in November and honored at a ceremony in December.
According to the Scientific Committee of the Rasul Medal, previously known as the Young Scientist Medal, the initial list of nominees included more than 100,000 candidates across seven categories: 55,878 candidates in Life and Medical Science and Technology; 4,675 in Physics; 7,897 in Chemistry; 1,965 in Mathematics; 5,589 in Computer Science; and 26,377 in Engineering Sciences. The special category of Nanotechnology also involved 14,000 eligible candidates in the initial list.
After holding several meetings, the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize Scientific Committee finalized the shortlist, which consists of four finalists in Engineering, four in Basic Sciences, four in Mathematics, four in Computer Science, and eight in Life and Medical Sciences and Technology.
The winners of the Medal are expected to be announced in late October, with the award ceremony scheduled to take place in November-December 2026.
Hossein Naderi-Manesh, the head of the scientific committee of the Rasul Medal, also stated that, given the international nature of the event, it would be desirable for the award ceremony to be held in various Islamic countries, emphasizing the need to harness the immense capacities available across the Islamic world to host the event.
The Medal’s secretariat released a call last December for scientists under the age of 40 residing in Islamic countries. Scientific organisations or individuals were invited to nominate candidates by January 20, 2026.
The Rasul Medal was established through the endowments of several Mustafa(pbuh) Prize laureates. Professors Ugur Sahin, Omid Farrokhzad, and Dr. VahabMirrokni dedicated their cash prize to this cause upon receiving their Mustafa(pbuh) Prize in 2019, 2023, and 2025, respectively. The first edition of the Medal was held concurrently with the 6th edition of the Mustafa (pbuh) Prize in 2025.
Rasul Medal Nomination
The Medal is awarded to impactful works in the fields of Life and Medical Science and Technology, Basic and Engineering Sciences, and Computer Science by young scientists of the Islamic countries. The candidates must be nominated by a third-party scientific or technological body, such as universities and research centers, reputable scientific and technological associations and institutions, academies of sciences, or science and technology parks.
The candidates for the Rasul Medal must be under 40 years old at the end of the year in which the medal is awarded. This means that candidates for the 2026 Young Scientist Medal must be born in 1987 or later.
The winners are bestowed a medal, a certificate, and a $10,000 cash prize in each category.
The Rasul Medal promotes scientific and technological breakthroughs by young scientists in the Islamic world and recognizes their influential achievements. Established as a symbol of excellence and scientific merit, the medal honors the contributions of the young generation of scientific talent.
