Acceptance of applications for the VII All-Russian Prize "For Loyalty to Science" has begun. The prize is awarded annually for outstanding achievements in the field of scientific communication, popularization of science and support of the prestige of the activities of scientists and engineers.

On April 19, the first meeting of the Expert Council of the Prize was held, where the participants discussed the rules for the competitive selection of applications. As noted by Elena Druzhinina, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, in 2021 the main topic of the award will be the Year of Science and Technology. The list of nominations and special prizes was compiled taking into account the program of events of the Year, as well as the ambitious task of popularizing the achievements of Russian science and technology which had been set by the organizers. The Presidium of the Organizing Committee decided to choose two key nominations, namely the Special prize for contribution to the popularization of science and technology among scientists, journalists, teachers and public figures, and another Special prize for the popularization among young scientists.

The Expert Council included scientists, journalists, widely presenting scientific topics, representatives of state authorities, private foundations, companies, non-profit organizations, universities, and research institutes. Among the members of the Expert Council, there is the head of the scientific communications group of the Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science SB RAS", Candidate of Biological Sciences, Yegor Zadereev.

“Since the foundation of the Federal Research Center, we have set ourselves the task of increasing our awareness, telling about the activities of Krasnoyarsk scientists, educating schoolchildren, and residents of the city and the country. This year, in the Year of Science and Technology, it is extremely important to use all the opportunities to enhance the prestige of science, to spread information about our skills and achievements among colleagues, officials, and the public. As the research results show, the popularization of science affects the people's trust in scientists, and a lot depends on it, even the state funding for research and development, ” says Yegor Zadereev.

Lyubov’ Dukhanina, Co-Chairperson of the Expert Council, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation for Education and Science, notes that the nominations for the award are formed in such a way that they cover all the participants in educational activities in the Russian Federation, and also allows covering a variety of formats: from traditional lectures and publishing material to completely modern trends such as Science Slam and others.

Acceptance of applications for the VII All-Russian Prize "For Loyalty to Science" will last until September 3. To participate in the Prize award, both individual applications, for example, from journalists, scientific communicators, scientists, public figures, and those from organizations can be submitted.

This year, there are 11 nominations:

- the best science program on the radio;

- the best science program on TV;

- the best science periodical;

- the best electronic media about science;

- the best scientific and educational project of the year;

- special prize for contribution to the popularization of science and technology among scientists, journalists, teachers and public figures;

- special prize for contribution to the popularization of science and technology among young scientists;

- the best online science project;

- special nomination for the Strategy of Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation;

- special nomination for the best project aimed at protecting the historical truth;

- special nomination for the best project to present the achievements of the Year of Science and Technology in the Russian Federation.

Additionally, special prizes will be awarded:

- for the popularization of the national project "Science and Universities" (prize provided by ANO "National Priorities");

- for the popularization of the nuclear industry (prize provided by the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom");

- for the popularization of the space industry (prize provided by the State Corporation "Roscosmos”).

The award ceremony for the winners is scheduled for November 2021.

This event is included in the plan of the main events of the Year of Science and Technology in the Russian Federation. The organizer of the award is the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, and partners of the event are the Russian Academy of Sciences, NRC "Kurchatov Institute" and M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University.