About the St Andrews Prize
The St Andrews Prize for the Environment is a major international initiative led by the University of St Andrews that recognises innovative solutions to the environmental crisis.
Entries are sought from projects from across the world that have made a tangible impact in solving a major environmental challenge and have ambitions to extend the impact of their work.
The projects should align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and should provide opportunities for learning and inspiration – both by educating those working in the field and by motivating the next generation of environmental leaders.
From 2025, the winner and runners-up will receive a prize package comprising prize money to enable them to take their project to the next stage and a two-week internship visit from a University of St Andrews student, funded by the University.
The winner will receive prize money of $95,000 (US dollars) and the runners-up will receive $20,000 (US dollars).
Entries for the 27th St Andrews Prize are open from Monday 18 August to Monday 15 September 2025. The final will take place at the University of St Andrews on Tuesday 17 March 2026.
Contents
History of the Prize
The St Andrews Prize for the Environment was established in 1998 to recognise significant contributions to environmental conservation. It was originally awarded by the University of St Andrews in conjunction with ConocoPhillips, but since 2020 has been awarded solely by the University.
Since its launch, the Prize has attracted over 6,600 entries from projects that are working to solve issues including human-animal conflict, environmental justice and urban regeneration.
More than $2.8 million (US dollars) has been awarded in prize money to its 26 winners and 52 runners-up.
See all previous winners.
Values
The University of St Andrews stands for research and teaching of the highest quality and the pursuit of knowledge for the common good. The University aims to be a beacon for diversity and social responsibility. These values are articulated in its strategy, which expresses ambitions across five distinct but equally important themes: World-leading, Diverse, Digital, Sustainable, and Entrepreneurial. All entries must be consistent with the values of the University.
Judging
Entries are initially reviewed by a Screening Committee comprising academic and professional staff from across the University, who draw up a shortlist for the judges’ consideration.
The judges select three projects and those who submitted them are invited to travel to St Andrews to participate in an in-person final.
The judging panel for the 27th edition of the Prize is:
Professor Sir Ian Boyd FRS FRSE PRSB
Chair of the St Andrews Prize for the Environment Judges, Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Biology at the University of St Andrews, and President of the Royal Society of Biology
Dr Jesse Ausubel
Director of the Program for the Human Environment and Senior Research Associate at the Rockefeller University
Professor Ineke De Moortel FRAS FRSE
Master of the United College and Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of St Andrews
Dr Axel Moehrenschlager
Chair of the IUCN SSC Conservation Translocation Specialist Group and Director of Small Cat Program and Conservation Translocations for Panthera
Mr Henry Saint Bris
Founder and Managing Partner of Ansa
Professor Camilla Toulmin FRSE
Senior Associate, Climate Change, International Institute for Environment and Development, and Professor in Practice, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University