Not every medical breakthrough happens in a big international lab. Many come from hospitals, universities, and clinics across Colombia. The National Academy of Medicine wants to shine a light on that work with its 2025 Scientific Research Awards.
This year’s call combines prestige and a serious cash incentive, COP 80 million in prizes, about US$21,320, spread across five categories that touch everything from women’s health to intensive care and transplants.
National Academy of Medicine 2025 Awards: over $21,000 for Colombia’s best medical research
The National Academy of Medicine launched the 2025 edition of its Scientific Research Awards to recognize excellence in medical and health research. The call is aimed at Colombian researchers and clinical teams.
The main goal is to reward projects that add real value to diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or health systems, and that show rigorous methods, clear results, and potential impact on patients’ lives.
For the Academy, these awards are also a way to encourage young researchers, specialists, and postgraduate students to keep publishing and to see research as part of everyday medical practice, not as something distant.
Five categories, one focus on better care
The 2025 edition groups submissions into five categories. The first is best published research work, which covers articles already printed in scientific journals.
The second is best unpublished postgraduate work, which highlights theses and projects from master’s or specialization programs that still have not gone to print but show high quality.
There are also three thematic categories, best research in women’s health, best research in intensive care medicine, and best research on transplants. These focus on areas with high clinical and ethical relevance.
Together, the categories invite proposals that range from basic science and epidemiology to clinical trials, health services research, and innovation in medical education.
Who can apply and which projects are eligible
According to the call, the awards are open to Colombian researchers whose work was completed between Jan. 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025. That period applies both to published papers and to postgraduate theses.
Entries must follow the detailed rules in the official PDF, including formats, length limits, and how to prove that the work meets ethical and scientific standards.
Projects can be submitted directly by authors or through universities, hospitals, research centers, or scientific societies that support the work and certify its quality.
This structure helps ensure that the awards receive serious, peer‑reviewed proposals rather than early drafts or incomplete studies.
A strong prize pool and a delayed, but richer, ceremony
The Academy confirmed that the total prize pool for 2025 is roughly US$21,320 at today’s rate, distributed across the five categories in cash plus diplomas and recognition.
Because of the large number of submissions in this edition, the evaluation process needed extra time. The Academy therefore moved the awards ceremony from Nov. 20 to Dec. 10, 2025.
The event will take place in the Cesar Augusto Pantoja auditorium, at the Academy’s headquarters in Bogota, with researchers, academics, and guests from different health institutions in attendance.
For many teams, receiving this award means more than money. It often brings visibility, helps future funding applications, and strengthens the reputation of their institutions.
The academy’s role in Colombia’s medical science ecosystem
The National Academy of Medicine is an independent body that advises the Colombian state on health and medical education. Through these awards, it also acts as a curator of high‑level research done in the country.
Past editions have celebrated work on mental health, cancer, rheumatologic diseases, and innovative diagnostic algorithms, showing the range of topics that Colombian researchers handle.
By keeping this tradition, the Academy sends a message to the next generation of doctors and scientists, research is a core part of good medicine, not just a line on a CV.
A year to celebrate Colombian medical research
With the 2025 Scientific Research Awards, the National Academy of Medicine is preparing a December evening where data, patients’ stories, and long hours in labs and hospitals get public recognition.
If the strong response to this call is any sign, Colombian medical research is very much alive. The winners announced on Dec. 10 will represent just a fraction of the talent that keeps pushing for better health in the country.