In addition to the inspiring presentations from the webinar’s chair, co-chair, and special guest, the VinFuture Prize’s managing director, Dr. Thai-Ha Le, and executive secretariat, Dr. Luan Pham, also participated in the event. Dr. Le provided an informative presentation on the VinFuture Foundation, while Dr. Pham offered helpful guidelines on how to submit nominations for the VinFuture Prize. Through this detailed guidance on the VinFuture Prize nomination process, attendees gained a better appreciation of the Foundation’s mission and the significance of the prestigious prize in advancing science and technology for the betterment of humanity.

This final “Call for Nomination” webinar of the 2023 award season  drawing approximately 150 attendees from around the globe, including esteemed nominees and interested scientists, was a highly participatory event allowing panelists and the audience to interact with one another. After a flurry of questions which demonstrated the increasing interest in the prize, Professor Friend emphasized in his presentation, “We want as many nominations as possible, both within areas that are obviously recognized but also have yet to be recognized. This is to enable the VinFuture Prize to have the largest pool of opportunities where there’s that magic in finding innovations that create meaningful change in the everyday lives of millions of people.”

During the event, questions arose regarding the eligibility of patent-free nominations and whether they were a requirement for submitting an innovation. Professor Schutte addressed these concerns and clarified that while having a patent is preferred, nominations without a patent will still be considered for the VinFuture Prize with the same level of fairness and transparency. This reassurance from Professor Schutte should encourage a wider range of innovators to submit their groundbreaking work for consideration.

Many were curious to learn more about the 2022 Grand Prize Laureate, Dr. Desurvire’s post-prize journey in how the VinFuture Prize has contributed to the advancement and promotion of his research field. He responded by explaining that the prize serves as an inspiration for young people to become involved in science with the intention of positively impacting humanity. “The Prize has the role to entice young people to get involved in science, not only in their career or just curiosity, but also to have in mind the idea of helping humankind. The process is actually helping science directly in that respect and fundamentally, beyond the mere recognition of individuals.”

There were several inquiries about which fields would be featured in the upcoming award season and whether any fields were considered more favorable for winning. Professor Friend addressed these concerns by stating that there are no expectations or preferences for any specific field in the 2023 award season. He emphasized that the VinFuture Prize aims to be inclusive and not prejudge what is important, stating that the prize is designed to connect with the most significant issues facing humanity. “We don’t want to prejudge what is important, we want to be surprised. If we prejudge, that means we’re not making the best use of this huge effort we make to reach out to the nominators. The VinFuture Prize is there to connect to the biggest issues that face humanity.”

As the webinar drew to a close, the VinFuture Foundation issued a final reminder to all respected nominators to submit their potential nominations before the 2023 VinFuture Prize nomination portal closes on May 15th. This announcement serves as a last call for all deserving innovators to be recognized and considered for the prestigious VinFuture Prize. Nominators are encouraged to act promptly and not miss the opportunity to showcase groundbreaking research and innovative solutions that can make a positive impact on humanity.

The VinFuture Prize has quickly become a symbol of progress, hope, and recognition for scientists, innovators, and visionaries all around the world. Since its inception, the Prize has sought to create a platform for individuals to share their life-changing stories while providing an opportunity to be recognized and rewarded for their hard work.

The 2023 VinFuture Prize nomination portal will close at 14:00 (GMT+7) on May 15th, 2023. Nominators can submit their nominations at https://online.vinfutureprize.org/nomination.