Evotec Prize for Excellence in Molecular Design

  • Evotec, in partnership with the French Medicinal Chemistry Society SCT, is delighted to invite submissions for the “Prize for Excellence in Molecular Design” to be awarded for the second time to an exceptional young to mid-career scientific research talent from academia or industry. The successful candidate will be selected based on outstanding innovation and applied state-of-the-art molecular design skills that have contributed to a demonstrated advance to drug discovery boundaries. In particular, the assessment panel are keen to recognise “drug hunter” who have demonstrated excellence in drug design resulting in highly informative novel molecules significantly impacting the drug discovery project. Submissions preferably should be the subject of a published (or accepted) scientific article, will cover a “break-through” discovery or innovative technology/method, and may include the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).
  • Evotec is a life science company with a unique business model focused on delivering highly effective new therapeutics to the patients. The Company leverages its multimodality platform, the “Data-driven R&D Autobahn to Cures”, for proprietary projects and within a network of partners including Pharma, Biotech, academics, and other healthcare stakeholders. With more than 4,500 highly qualified people at 17 sites, Evotec aims to create the world-leading co-owned pipeline for innovative therapeutics.

2023 Awardee

  • Congratulations to Pr. Steven Ballet from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, who received the Evotec Award for Excellence in Molecular Design. Steven is Head of the Research Group of Organic Chemistry (ORGC) within the Departments of Chemistry and Bioengineering Sciences of the VUB.
  • He was awarded for his work on the development of generic G protein peptidomimetics able to stabilize active state Gs and Gq protein-coupled receptors for application in drug discovery.
  • Pr. Steven Ballet (VUB) receives the  Award from Christophe Bolron (VP, Head of Molecular Architects, Evotec) and Jean-Yves Ortholand (Président, SCT) during the 57th RICT in Lille (left).

History and Scope

 

  • Created in 2022 to award Excellence in Molecular Design.
  • Evotec and the SCT deliver this prize annually to a young to mid-career scientific research talent from academia or industry. 
  • The amount to be awarded is 3,000€ (three thousand euros).

 

Eligibility

The candidate:

  • will be a “drug hunter” (medicinal chemist, computational chemist, molecular architect, …) who has demonstrated adventurous and creative qualities to push the boundaries of the industry’s current thinking in drug design and data analysis.
  • should clearly demonstrate that they have significantly contributed to aspects relevant to excellence in molecular design within discovery research projects.
  •  must have published a key article illustrating innovation in molecular design or should demonstrate that such publication is likely to be accepted.
  • should be an “early to mid-career researcher” and have a valid membership to the EFMC throughout their national EFMC-adhering organisation (NAO).

Nomination process

  •  The candidacy report (5 pages max.) with a full description of the innovation, including the state-of-art-design, the context and the exceptional added value of the innovation and potential downstream value, any references/publications/patents, and a short CV of the candidate.
  • Sent as a single file to sct@sct-asso.fr and president@sct-asso.fr before the stated deadline, and named EVOTECPrize_NAME_FirstName.pdf.

Award Holder obligation

On top of the mandatory affiliation to one of the EFMC adhering societies for the year of application, the Award Holder should respect ethical criteria:

  • To promote SCT and EFMC among their network, and to be an EFMC-adhering society member at least one additional year after receiving their prize.
  • To promote the sponsor along his network, according to some pre-rules established with them.
  • To give a lecture at one of the SCT scientific events decided between SCT and Evotec.

Jury

  • The Jury is balanced between Evotec and SCT: 3 representatives from Evotec , 3 representatives from SCT (president, or his/her delegate + 2 other SCT representatives)
  • The laureate is selected by voting, based on the majority of the votes
  • Each member has one vote, except the SCT president who has 2 votes, but the 2 votes cannot be dissociated on 2 applicants.

Evotec Prize for Excelence in Molecular Design Recipients

  • 2023: Pr. Steven Ballet (VUB, BE).
  • 2022: Andreas Luttens (University of Uppsala, SV).