About the initiative
Putting great science books into young hands.
The Global Cosmos Prize Programme for Science Literacy brings together scientists, teachers, publishers and thousands of high-school students around one simple idea: reading, and debating, the best books on fundamental science.
Why it matters
Scientific literacy has never mattered more
The old divide between the humanities and the sciences, as separate ways of understanding the world, has long been left behind. Today, a basic grasp of what scientific knowledge is, how it is produced and how to interpret it is essential to navigate the issues that shape our daily lives, from climate to vaccines, and from gene editing to artificial intelligence.
Science literacy helps each of us make informed decisions and see through misinformation. It also opens the way to a growing range of skilled careers, on which much of tomorrow’s economy will depend.
Yet a disadvantaged background remains a real obstacle, and often the hardest one to see is about aspiration. Most children and teenagers are fascinated by science, but those from less privileged families rarely picture it as a path open to them: they seldom meet people who work in science, or visit the places where research happens. The Cosmos Prize sets out to change that.
Gianfranco Bertone
Founder · University of Amsterdam
“The great challenges facing humanity, from climate change to pandemics to artificial intelligence, all have science at their heart. Scientific literacy is no longer a luxury: it is what allows us to think critically, to weigh evidence, and to take part in the decisions that shape our future. With the Cosmos Prize, we hope to inspire a new generation to embrace science, and to shape that future themselves.”
Our mission
Two aims, pursued together
01
To promote critical thinking and scientific culture among young people everywhere, through reading and discussing outstanding science books, and to make sure that students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds have the same chance to take part.
02
To recognise and celebrate the scientists and writers who most effectively help the public understand fundamental science.
How it works
Two prizes, every year, in every country
Each participating country awards two prizes for the best popular-science book in fundamental science, especially physics, astronomy and mathematics, broadly defined. The Cosmos Prize is chosen by a committee of internationally renowned scientists, after public debates with the finalists.
The Cosmos Students’ Prize is chosen by hundreds of high-school students. Student juries across the country read the five shortlisted books, interview the authors, debate them with fellow students, and send a representative to a national assembly that proclaims the winner.
Who makes it happen
A shared effort in every country
National committees
Coordinate each edition and report yearly to the international organisers.
Ministries & school networks
Invite secondary schools to take part each year, reaching communities that are often left out.
Student juries
Groups of 10 to 20 students per school, guided by a reference teacher.
Publishers
Submit their books and make copies available to the committee and the schools.
Scientific committees
Leading scientists active in outreach, who shortlist the books and choose the Cosmos Prize.
A UN Decade initiative
Endorsed by the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development
The Global Cosmos Prize Programme for Science Literacy is an endorsed activity of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024–2033), coordinated by UNESCO.
A bit of history
Bringing fundamental science to the wider public
The Cosmos Prize was created by Gianfranco Bertone, a professor of astroparticle physics at the University of Amsterdam with a long commitment to bringing fundamental science to the wider public, and to young people in particular. It began in 2019 as the “Premio Cosmos” in Reggio Calabria, organised with the Planetario Metropolitano Pythagoras and the Città Metropolitana, alongside a festival of science and culture.
The idea caught on. With the support of EuCAPT, the European Consortium for Astroparticle Theory, of which he was the founding director, and of colleagues who took the idea to heart in their own countries, new editions followed in the Netherlands (2022), France (2024) and Spain (2026). Each is run by its own national committee; together they form the Global Cosmos Prize.
With the support of
- EuCAPT · European Consortium for Astroparticle Theory
- Città Metropolitana di Reggio Calabria
- Planetario Metropolitano Pythagoras
- CNRS
- Nationale Wetenschapsagenda
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias