Five U. S. Scientists Share a Million‑Dollar Prize in Science

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has chosen ten researchers for the 2026 Kavli Prizes, which honor work in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience. Five of the winners are Americans, a notable share that highlights the country’s influence in cutting‑edge research. Each group will receive one million dollars, with the ceremony scheduled for September in Oslo. The Kavli Prize began in 2008 as a joint effort by the Kavli Foundation, the Norwegian Academy and Norway’s Ministry of Education. It is funded by a legacy left by Fred Kavli, an entrepreneur who built a major sensor company in Los Angeles. The prize is awarded every other year in each discipline, and the selection panels are drawn from respected scientific societies around the world. In astrophysics, scholars Vasili Belakurov of Cambridge, Amina Helmi from Groningen and Rodrigo Ibata of Strasbourg were honored for reshaping our view of the Milky Way. Their work shows that the galaxy grew through massive collisions with other galaxies, a process now called “galactic cannibalism. ” This new picture turns galaxies into living histories that constantly merge and rebuild.The nanoscience laureates are all from the United States: Eva Andrei of Rutgers, Pablo Jarillo‑Herrero at MIT and Allan MacDonald from Texas. They pioneered “twistronics, ” a technique that layers sheets of graphene and twists them at precise angles. This twist can give the material surprising abilities, such as superconductivity, without changing its basic makeup. Four neuroscientists—Christine Holt of Cambridge, Kelsey Martin (now at the Simons Foundation), Erin Schuman of Germany’s Max Planck Institute and Oswald Steward from California—shared the neuroscience prize. Their collective research uncovered how neurons can produce proteins right at synapses, enabling fast communication in the brain. This insight may lead to new treatments for mental and neurological disorders. The prize not only rewards past achievements but also signals confidence in future scientific progress. By spotlighting work that connects different fields, the Kavli Foundation encourages collaboration and inspires a new generation of researchers.