A prize to honor emerging scientific pioneers
Omid Farokhzad, the 2023 Mustafa (pbuh) Prize laureate, in an interview with the Mustafa (pbuh) Science and Technology Foundation, emphasized the importance of the Young Scientist Prize and his endowment to support the advancement of this scientific initiative.
MSTF media reports:
The first round of the Young Scientist Prize, scheduled for September 2025, is made possible through the endowment of Omid Farokhzad, the 2023 Mustafa (pbuh) Prize laureate. In an exclusive interview with the Mustafa (pbuh) science and technology foundation, Farokhzad shared his experience of receiving the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize, his motivation for contributing to the establishment of the Young Scientist Prize, and his message for young scientists.
In 2023, Farokhzad was awarded the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize in the field of Biological and Medical Sciences for "designing, developing, and clinically evaluating novel drug delivery systems based on polymeric nanoparticles." He believes that in science, borders fade away. He believes that the scientific contributions of Muslims, who constitute a quarter of the world's population, can be significantly beneficial and impactful.
This internationally renowned scientist in nanomedicine stated, "I am deeply honored to have been selected as one of the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize laureats in 2023. In my opinion, this prize signifies that collaboration in science and medicine to improve the world must transcend borders. " He hopes that the contributions that he made to science so far, and will continue to make in the future, will help advance humanity.
Farokhzad was born into an Iranian family in Tehran. He recalls that education was highly valued in his family, and his father, in particular, was an avid reader who instilled this habit in his children.
He added, "As an Iranian, I am proud of what is happening in Iran. As a Muslim, I am also deeply proud of the accomplishments within the Muslim community. Our approach to science has always been to work on things that are useful for everyone. This prize encourages us to continue our scientific endeavors to deliver constructive and valuable outcomes to the scientific community and society at large."
The Young Scientist Prize was established within the mission of the Mustafa(pbuh) Science and Technology Foundation, and Omid Farokhzad, a pioneering scientist, contributed by endowing the monetary prize he received for his work on "designing, developing, and clinically evaluating novel drug delivery systems based on polymeric nanoparticles" at the 2023 Mustafa(pbuh) Prize ceremony. This prize will be granted biennially to innovative works at the frontiers of science and technology by young scientists that contribute to improving human life.
Farokhzad expressed his joy at playing a significant role in advancing this new scientific award established by the Mustafa(pbuh) Science and Technology Foundation. "The reason for my involvement was our shared vision of the benefits this award would bring to the scientific community," he said.
He added, "Today, we appreciate athletes, artists, and movie stars. I believe it is important to honor scientists and educators too. These are the individuals who lay the foundation for a better world for all of us. I think the establishment of the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize reflects the extraordinary foresight of this foundation, as recognizing a scientist for their achievements greatly inspires others to follow similar paths."
Regarding the necessity of establishing the Young Scientist Prize, Farokhzad said, "The future of the world lies in the hands of the next generation—those who are young today. In my opinion, creating the Young Scientist prize to honor individuals who are already superstars in their respective fields will be highly fruitful. These individuals may achieve groundbreaking accomplishments in the future, leading to transformative changes in medicine or offering new insights in biology.
Therefore, Identifying them early in their careers could accelerate their work and inspire them further. This, in turn, may inspire the younger generation who aspire to achieve similar feats."
Farokhzad continued, "I believe that using the monetary value of the prize that I received to endow and support the Young Scientist Prize, which will be held biennially alongside the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize and awarded to individuals at the early stages of their professional lives, will have far greater results and impact than if the prize money were simply given to me."
His advice to young scientists and students is: "Identify challenges, aim high and strive for impactful goals, not just small ones. Science is always two steps forward and one step back. Do not let negativity -whether in your own work or in the criticism you receive from others- discourage you. Whenever you aim to do something unconventional, there will be many critics who may tell you that your ideas are not good or feasible. In my opinion, you must have faith and perseverance, and you must push all of them forward with incredible determination. Additionally, science is a team sport, not an individual one. So, collaborate with your colleagues, learn from them, and help them. Most likely, you will draw on the experiences of someone who has been in your position before, and after you make your own innovations and discoveries, someone else will benefit from your experiences."
"My advice is to enjoy the journey because it is a long one. Pursue your passion with perseverance, collaborate with your team, and tackle big problems."
The Young Scientist Prize established to honor young scientists from the Muslim world and celebrate their impactful achievements as symbols of scientific excellence for the younger elite generation. In its initial steps, the Mustafa(pbuh) Science and Technology Foundation, with the support of two laureates of the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize -Omid Farokhzad (2023) and Ugur Sahin (2019)- will hold the Young Scientist prize ceremony during the second decade of its existence, coinciding with the sixth "Mustafa(pbuh) Prize Week" in September 2025.
"I am grateful to the Mustafa(pbuh) Science and Technology Foundation for establishing the Young Scientist Prize, and I am eager to see who the judging panel selects for this award next year. I hope to have the opportunity to be there and celebrate with these young scientists at the ceremony. This is incredibly meaningful to me."
Farokhzad also reflected on the years of teamwork that led to his receiving the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize and how it connects to the Young Scientist Prize: "I am deeply appreciate of the symbolic significance of the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize awarded to me. This prize symbolizes the recognition of our work and its impact. Although I received the award as its laureate, this achievement was the result of nearly 20 years of work by numerous students and postdoctoral researchers who came and went through our laboratories, building something brick by brick that ultimately led to the accomplishment recognized by the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize."
This laureate of the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize added, "So, I believe that the prize truly belongs to all those students and researchers. Using its monetary value to support the establishment of the Young Scientist Prize is a way of giving back and inspiring the next generation to continue innovating and achieving in science. I hope the Young Scientist Prize is just the beginning of recognizing and honoring them, and that as they grow and contribute more deeply to science, they will receive even greater recognition in their professional lives."
As one of the endowers of the Young Scientist Prize, Farokhzad believes that his experience with the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize makes him optimistic about the future of the Young Scientist Prize. "I think the foundation that established the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize has done something exceptional in its approach.
The foundation covers a broad global scope in a highly systematic manner and then narrows it down through a vast network of international judges to gradually reach the selected nominees.
I believe this process is powerful for a prize that is among the top awards in the scientific community, and it should remain so. Thus, I think this process reflects the impact of the award, which the journal *Science* has referred to as the 'Islamic Nobel.' I believe that given such a context, we can rely on its scientific committee for the Young Scientist Prize as well."
He stated, "Given the aforementioned context, I believe in this scientific award and provided some guidance to its founders during its establishment. The guidance I offered was related to areas in which I have expertise and that are of great importance to me. After all, I am a scientist and physician who, both clinically and in research, is deeply committed to improving human health."
Farokhzad, referring to his discussions with the award organizers, noted, "The key point was to select a scientist who is at the beginning of their career. This individual should stand out among their peers based on their contributions to scientific projects. Many people call them superstars. These are individuals who, today, are remarkably different in their thinking, innovation, and contributions and If you follow their careers over the next ten or twenty years, it is highly likely that their impact on an international scale will be significant."
He continued, "The organizers and I were in complete agreement on this. Contributing to the development of this idea is perhaps one of the greatest honors I have received, and I eagerly await the results."
Farokhzad recalls receiving this advice from one of his mentors at the start of his career: "Try to solve big problems." Now, as one of the leading figures in his field, he says, "The advice I give is the same advice Professor Robert Langer gave me early in my career during my postdoctoral work at MIT. My mentor's advice was to try to solve big problems. Dedicate your time and resources to solving big problems because the satisfaction of solving a big problem is immense, and its impact is profound. Generally, solving a big problem requires the same amount of time and resources as solving much smaller ones."
