The Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW), an organization committed to improving the quantity and quality of science news reaching the public, has announced nominations for the 2026 Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting. The award recognises outstanding medical science journalism and honours a journalist whose body of work within the past five years has significantly advanced public understanding of medical science and its impact on human health and well-being, with the winner receiving a $5,000 prize and a certificate.
Established in 2000 and now supported by Michelson Philanthropies since 2023, the award is named after Victor Cohn, an influential science and medical reporter known for his clear, fair, and impactful coverage of major medical breakthroughs, such as the Salk polio vaccine, cancer chemotherapy, smallpox eradication, and advances in genetics, and who also co-founded CASW and helped shape modern science journalism.
Nominations can be submitted by editors, colleagues, scientists, or others familiar with the candidate’s work, including self-nominations. Applicants are encouraged to include at least one supporting letter from a knowledgeable colleague.
Applicants should submit up to five examples of work published or broadcast since January 2021 in English-language media aimed at a U.S. audience, including digital media. Books are not eligible, and only submitted materials are considered, with judges preferring strong examples of sustained reporting in medical science.
Current CASW board members, staff and contractors, as well as members of their households, are ineligible to apply for or receive CASW awards or fellowships. However, board members who leave the board, or staff members who leave their employment by CASW, can become eligible after a one-year waiting period. Former contractors can become eligible after a period of time equivalent to the length of their longest contract, capped at one year. Judges for a specific award cannot apply for that same award in the same year, while former judges can apply in subsequent years. Applicants are not allowed to submit work funded fully or partly by CASW.
Prospective applicants are to note that judges prefer single-byline stories and may choose not to consider multiple-byline submissions, and individuals from groups historically underrepresented in science and media are encouraged to apply.
Nominations may be submitted by editors, colleagues, scientists, or others familiar with a candidate’s work, including self-nominations. For self-nominations, at least one supporting letter from a knowledgeable colleague is encouraged. Nominators should submit up to five examples of the candidate’s work published or aired since January 2021, provided the work appeared in English-language media that reach a U.S. audience, including digital platforms, while books are not eligible. Nomination letters must also include an evaluation of the nominee’s body of work along with a brief biographical profile.
Nominations for the 2026 prize close on June 30, 2026, and are evaluated based on clarity, accuracy, breadth, originality, insight, narrative strength, and contribution to public understanding of critical advances in medical science and their impact on human health and well-being.
To access the rules and eligibility page, click here. For more information on the award, visit: https://casw.org/awards-fellowships/victor-cohn-prize/.
