UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Conservation 2026 ($100,000 award)

Deadline: June 15, 2026

Applications are open for the UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Conservation 2026. The UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Conservation recognizes outstanding contributions to the protection and management of the environment worldwide.

Established through the generous support of the Sultanate of Oman, the prize commemorates the enduring legacy of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, whose commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable development continues to inspire global action. The prize honours individuals, groups, institutes or organizations that have made significant contributions to environmental conservation in line with UNESCO’s mission.

Award

• Awarded every two years, the prize includes a certificate and a financial award of US$100,000 and will be presented during the World Science Forum in November 2026.

Eligibility

• Nominations for the Prize can only be made by UNESCO Members States in consultation with their National Commissions, and by Non-Governmental Organizations maintaining official partnerships with UNESCO, and active in relevant fields covered by the Prize. Each Member State or NGO may only nominate one candidate.
• Other interested NGOs, research institutions, universities and individuals, are not eligible to make nominations directly to UNESCO. Therefore, such bodies and individuals are invited to propose their candidate to their country National Commission for UNESCO, which may or may not select it as its formal candidature.
• Self-nominations cannot be considered.

Application

Nominations must be submitted by governments or non-governmental organizations maintaining official relations with UNESCO; self-nominations are not accepted.

Each submission should include:

• a completed nomination form
• a written recommendation, and
• the names of three independent referees familiar with the candidate’s work.

The deadline for nominations is 15 June 2026, and submissions should be sent to the Secretariat of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme ([email protected]).

Click here to nominate

For more information, visit UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize.