Falling Walls Call for Nominations 2022

Global Call for Nominations Extended Until 31 May

Breakthrough research was and is the key to understanding and solving the greatest challenges of our time. We look forward to, once again, honouring the people who are finding solutions to these challenges at the Falling Walls Science Summit 2022.

To help make the Falling Walls Science Summit 2022 the celebration that excellent science deserves, we are asking leading academics and academic institutions, universities, research organizations, companies, private and public research centers, academies, research funders, foundations, and individuals to nominate the bright minds behind the latest breakthroughs and outstanding science projects  in our 10 categories:

1) Life Sciences
2) Physical Sciences
3) Engineering and Technology
4) Social Sciences and Humanities
5) Art and Science
6) Future Learning (formerly Digital Education)
7) Science and Innovation Management
8) Emerging Talents (Falling Walls Lab)
9) Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture)
10) Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage)

How to Participate – The Four Steps

Step 1 Nomination
Submit your nominations for Breakthrough of the Year via our form no later than 31 May 2022 (extended). To nominate someone or yourself, you will be asked to register, and then fill out some basic information about the person or project you wish to nominate. We advise you to submit your nomination as early as possible, so the nominee is able to accept the nomination and submit further information about their research or project before the deadline. Once your submission is made, the nominee will be contacted automatically with next steps regarding their nomination as Breakthrough of the Year in their respective category.

Step 2 Finalists
If your Nominee is selected, they will then become a Falling Walls Finalist. The Finalists in the categories 1–7, 9, and 10 will be officially announced on our website.

Step 3 Winners
Our distinguished juries, chaired by Helga Nowotny, President Emerita of the European Research Council, will select 10 Winners each for categories 1-7. Through the respective pre-selection processes, up to 100 Winners for category 8, 25 Winners for category 9, and 20 Winners for category 10 will be invited to the Falling Walls Pitches on 7 November, where they will have the opportunity to pitch their work live in front of our distinguished juries. Winners of the categories 1–7 will have the opportunity to feature their work in a short video in our content library.

Step 4 The Science BreakthroughsOf The Year
The juries will select the Science Breakthroughs of the Year from the Winners of each category. On 9 November, the Breakthroughs of the Year will receive the opportunity to present their work to a global audience on the Breakthrough Stage at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin.We encourage you to distribute this Call for Nominations within your networks, and highly appreciate your support.

See You Again in Berlin – Save The Date 7–9 Nov 2022

We look forward to welcoming the people who are finding solutions to the greatest challenges of our time, and thus contributing to a better world, back to Berlin on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Please save the date: 7 – 9 November 2022.

7 November: Falling Walls Pitches
A day of live pitches in the following categories: Emerging Talents (Falling Walls Lab) for the next generation of outstanding innovators. Science Start-Ups (Falling Walls Venture) for the science start-up community. Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage) for inspiring science engagers.

8 November: Falling Walls Circle – Challenges and Foresight
Our format to connect science and society. Researchers, policymakers, business leaders, and society discuss the biggest challenges we face and the foresight that scientific breakthroughs can offer.

9 November: Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of The Year
On the anniversary of the historic fall of the Berlin Wall, the Breakthrough Day provides a stage for outstanding research presented in inspiring presentations. For the 14th time, “the brightest minds on the planet“ (BBC) will showcase their work.

The Falling Walls Science Summit is part of the Berlin Science Week from 1–10 Nov 2022. Since its first annual meeting on 9 November 2009, the 20th anniversary of the peaceful fall of the Berlin Wall, the Falling Walls Science Summit has continuously developed into a world forum for science. Some of the most important researchers and thinkers of our time gather at Falling Walls to discuss breakthroughs with global leaders in science, politics, business, and the media, answering the core question of the Falling Walls Science Summit: “Which are the next walls to fall in science and society?“