The Dr H.P. Heineken Prize for Natural Sciences honours pioneering work and research excellence in the basic natural sciences. The prize encompasses (astro)physics, chemistry, biology and related fields, including basic life sciences that are not primarily biomedical, such as ecology and non-medical biology. Biochemistry and biophysics fall within this domain when situated within the basic natural sciences rather than biomedical research.
Every two years, the prize is awarded to a renowned researcher who has made groundbreaking discoveries in the field. The prize consists of an unrestricted cash prize of EUR 300,000 and a trophy, funded by the Alfred Heineken Fondsen Foundation.
History of the prize
The prize was established by Alfred Heineken in 1964 as the Dr H.P. Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics, in homage to his father, chemist Henry Pierre Heineken.
In 2026, the Alfred Heineken Fondsen Foundation renamed the prize the Dr H.P. Heineken Prize for Natural Sciences, broadening its scope to reflect increasing convergence across the basic natural sciences.
Notable laureates
Laureates of the prize include some of the world’s leading scientists. Several went on to receive the Nobel Prize. Among them are Sir Paul Nurse, whose research forms the basis of our current knowledge of the regulation of the division of eukaryotic cells; Jennifer Doudna, whose work laid the foundations for revolutions in modern biochemistry; and Carolyn Bertozzi, whose research provided the basis for revolutionary cancer treatments.