Medals, Prizes, Scholarships

Estonian Academy of Sciences issues:

  • Medal of the Estonian Academy of Sciences,
  • Memorial medals (disciplinary) of the Estonian Academy of Sciences,
  • Memorial prizes of the Estonian Academy of Sciences,
  • Certificate of appreciation of the Estonian Academy of Sciences,
  • Anto Raukas scholarship (initiated and funded by Fermi Energia),
  • Mihhail Bronštein Awards (initiated and funded by the family of Academician Mihhail Bronštein).

Estonian Academy of Sciences is a partner in awarding:

  • Estonian Science Communication Award

Estonian Academy of Sciences awards special prizes and awards at:

  • National Contest for University Students
  • National Contest for Young Scientists

Medal of the Estonian Academy of Sciences is the highest prize of the Academy awarded to individuals for outstanding services in development of Estonian science or in helping forward its development, as well as for services in performance of tasks of the Estonian Academy of Sciences.

The Academy Member Mihhail Bronštein Awards in Economics have been initiated to recognize theoretical developments and their successful applications by Estonian economists.

In 2025 two awards will be presented:

  • award of up to 10 000 (ten thousand) euros will be presented for significant and, as a rule, already applied achievements in economics.
  • award of up to 5000 (five thousand) euros will be presented for outstanding innovative applications in economics to an applicant who has not yet reached to PhD or the defending of the doctoral thesis has been no more than 5 years ago.

Nomination for the awards is open to all researchers and experts working in Estonian research institutions, as well as to researchers and experts who hold Estonian citizenship, an Estonian long-term residence permit or a right of permanent residence but are working outside Estonia.

Research or research cycles submitted for the awards must have been published in international peer-reviewed journals or published by recognized scientific publishers or by Estonian universities and research and development institutions as a monography or as a chapter in a collection in 2022–2024.

The statute of the Academician Mihhail Bronštein Awards in Economics is available here (in Estonian only). The initiator and the funder of the award is the family of Academy Member Mihhail Bronštein.

To nominate a candidate or candidates for the award, the following information must be submitted electronically at https://ta-konkursid.ee at the latest by 18 December 2024:

  • application (up to 3 pages) with the explanation why the achievements of the candidate(s) are significant from the perspectives of Estonia and the whole world, and for which award the candidate or candidates are nominated;
  • the research or the research cycle submitted for the award;
  • curriculum vitae of the candidate(s) (up to 3 pages);
  • contact details of the submitter of the application;
  • if needed, any other documents or materials considered relevant to support the application.

The awards will be handed in January 2025.

Additional information: Ülle Sirk, ylle.sirk@akadeemia.ee

Endel Lippmaa memorial lecture and memorial medal have been instituted with a view to fostering transdisciplinary and cross boundary communication of scientific discoveries and pioneering ideas, as well as highlighting the mission of the scientist in and for the society.

Academician Endel Lippmaa (15.09.1930–30.07.2015) was one of the great men of Estonian science and politics, and to this day he is one of the most well-known Estonian scientists in the world. As a capable personality with exceptionally sharp mind and wide grasp, he made a significant contribution to restoring the independence of Estonia and rebuilding a free society, influencing and shaping the development of our country for a long time.

By establishing the tradition of the Endel Lippmaa Memorial Medal and the related Memorial Lectures, The Estonian Academy of Sciences wishes to promote the spread of scientific excellence and innovation, as well as to recognise and value the mission of outstanding personalities in the history of Estonia. With this objective in mind, the person to be selected as a recipient of the Endel Lippmaa Medal is a prominent figure in the field of science or society, whose activity has had a substantial impact on the development of science or society and in whose work top-level science is combined with serving the society.

On the 90th anniversary (2020) of the birth of Endel Lippmaa, his Memorial Medal is granted as a token of recognition to an outstanding Danish politician, a good friend of Estonia and an ardent supporter of our aspirations for freedom Uffe Ellemann-Jensen.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (1982–1993), Uffe Ellemann-Jensen was instrumental in the recognition process of the Baltic States at the time of the restoration of independence of the Republic of Estonia. Thanks to his efforts, Denmark became the first state to restore diplomatic relations with all the three Baltic countries. Together with his German colleague Hans-Dietrich Genscher he convened the Council of the Baltic Sea States in 1992, the central objective of which was to ensure a balanced development within the Baltic Sea region after the end of the Cold War. For twenty years (1998–2018) Ellemann-Jensen contributed vigorously to the activity of the Baltic Development Forum, which brought together top performers in the domains of business, politics, media, and science within the region.

Kurt Wüthrich (born in 1938; Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2002). On September 12, 2017 he gave the first Endel Lippmaa Memorial Lecture at the Academy. Afterwards he was given the Endel Lippmaa Memorial Medal.

Nikolai Alumäe Medal 

in informatics and engineering.

Paul Ariste Medal 

in social sciences and the humanities.

Jaak Kangilaski – 2020
Arvo Krikmann – 2014
Huno Rätsep – 2010
Tiit-Rein Viitso – 2005

Karl Ernst von Baer Medal 

in life and earth sciences.

Richard Villems – 2015
Ülo Mander – 2011
Loit Reintam – 2007

Edgar Kant Medal

in social sciences.

Urmas Varblane – 2022

Harald Keres Medal

in astronomy, physics and mathematics.

Ülo Lepik – 2013
Jaan Einasto – 2019

Endel Lippmaa Memorial Lecture and Memorial Medal

Kurt Wüthrich – 2017
Uffe Ellemann-Jensen – 2020

Wilhelm Ostwald Medal

in chemistry and related areas.

Mati Karelson – 2014
Ilmar Koppel – 2010
Viktor Palm – 2006

Karl Schlossmann Medal  

in medicine and related areas.

Eero Vasar – 2016
Ain-Elmar Kaasik – 2012
Lembit Allikmets – 2008
Mart Saarma – 2004

Bernhard Schmidt Prize 

to recognise young scientists and engineers working in Estonia for their achievements in research and development activities and practical application of research findings.

Jaan Raik – 2007
Arne Asper, Kristo Heero, Sven Heiberg – 2005
Rünno Lõhmus – 2001

Alma Tomingas Medal

for interdisciplinary research.

Mari Moora – 2023

Scholarships of the Academy have been originated to support completion of monographic research works and popular science books, their layout and editing.

Estonian Science Communication Award  is granted by way of competition jointly by the Estonian Academy of Sciences, the Estonian Research Council and the Ministry of Education and Research. Its purpose is to acknowledge the merits of science popularization and to recognize for their outstanding effort individual as well as groups of researchers, who have succeeded in communicating research, science achievements and researchers' activities in a generally fascinating form as well as rendering research understandable to a wider public, or who have achieved to attract the interest of young people in science and the researcher profession. See more.

Students' Research Prizes are monetary prizes instituted by the Estonian Academy of Sciences for the purpose of according recognition to students who have attained outstanding results in scholarly work, and encouraging talented students to pursue independent research projects. Additional information about the National Contest for University Students.