The Francqui Prize is a Belgian scholarly prize awarded by the Francqui Foundation for significant contributions to science or scholarship. Established in 1933 and named after Émile Francqui, the award is made in recognition of the achievements of a scholar who at the start of the year who at the start of the award is under 50. The prize is awarded in a rotation of the exact sciences, social sciences or humanities, and biological or medical sciences. The prize amount is currently 250,000 euros, of which 80% is directed to the support of the recipient's research program, and the remainder goes to the individual.

Candidates must be associated with a Belgian academic institution, and foreign candidates must have been associated with such an institution for at least ten years. The laureate is selected by an international jury whose members may not be affiliated with a Belgian scientific institution or university at the time of nomination or award.

Laureates

The laureates listed by the Francqui Foundation include:

YearLaureateInstitutionField or area
2026Patrice CaniUCLouvainFrancqui-Collen biomedical sciences; gut microbiota and metabolism
Diether LambrechtsKU LeuvenFrancqui-Collen biomedical sciences; cancer genomics
2025Ine Van HoyweghenKU LeuvenHumanities; social sciences of biomedical innovation
2024Veronique Van SpeybroeckGhent UniversityExact sciences; applied physics
2023Sarah-Maria FendtKU LeuvenFrancqui-Collen biomedical sciences; fundamental biomedical research
Philippe LemeyKU Leuven; Rega InstituteFrancqui-Collen biomedical sciences; clinical and translational research
2022Veerle RotsUniversity of LiègeHumanities; prehistory
2021Michaël GillonUniversity of LiègeExact sciences; astrobiology
2020Cédric BlanpainUniversité libre de BruxellesFrancqui-Collen biomedical sciences; fundamental biomedical research
Bart LoeysUniversity of AntwerpFrancqui-Collen biomedical sciences; clinical and translational research
2019Laurens CherchyeKU Leuven KulakHumanities; business and economics
Bram De RockUniversité libre de Bruxelles; KU Leuven KulakHumanities; economics and business
Frederic VermeulenKU LeuvenHumanities; economics
2018Frank VerstraeteGhent University; University of ViennaExact sciences; mathematical physics and astronomy
2017Steven LaureysUniversity of Liège; Liège University HospitalBiological and medical sciences; coma
2016Barbara BaertKU LeuvenHumanities; medieval art and history of Christian art
2015Stefaan VaesKU LeuvenExact sciences; mathematics
2014Bart LambrechtGhent UniversityBiological and medical sciences; immunology and pulmonary disease
2013Olivier De SchutterUCLouvainHumanities; governance theory and human-rights law
2012Conny AertsKU Leuven; Radboud University; Hasselt UniversityExact sciences; astronomy and astrophysics
2011Pierre VanderhaegenUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; neuroscience
2010François ManiquetUCLouvainHumanities; economics
2009Eric LambinUCLouvainExact sciences; geography
2008Michel A. J. GeorgesUniversity of LiègeBiological and medical sciences; animal genomics
2007François de CallataÿRoyal Library of BelgiumHumanities; history
2006Pierre GaspardUniversité libre de BruxellesExact sciences; statistical mechanics
2005Dirk InzéGhent UniversityBiological and medical sciences; plant systems biology
2004Marie-Claire FobletsKU LeuvenHumanities; anthropology
2003Michel Van den BerghHasselt University; Vrije Universiteit BrusselExact sciences; algebra and geometry
2002Peter CarmelietKU LeuvenBiological and medical sciences; transgenic technology and gene therapy
2001Philippe Van ParijsUCLouvainHumanities; social justice philosophy
2000Marc HenneauxUniversité libre de BruxellesExact sciences; theoretical physics
1999Marc ParmentierUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; molecular biology
1998Mathias DewatripontUniversité libre de BruxellesHumanities; economics
1997Jean-Luc BrédasUniversity of Mons-HainautExact sciences; materials chemistry
1996Etienne PaysUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; molecular biology
1995Claude d'Aspremont LyndenUCLouvainHumanities; economics
1994Eric G. DerouaneUCLouvainExact sciences; chemistry and catalysis
1993Gilbert VassartUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; pathological biochemistry
1992Géry van Outryve d'YdewalleKU LeuvenHumanities; experimental psychology
1991Jean-Marie AndréUniversity of NamurExact sciences; applied theoretical chemistry
1990Thierry BoonUCLouvainBiological and medical sciences; immunotherapy
1989Pierre PestieauUniversity of LiègeHumanities; economics and mathematical economics
1988Pierre van MoerbekeUCLouvainExact sciences; algebraic geometry
1987Jacques UrbainUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; immunology
1986Marc WilmetUniversité libre de BruxellesHumanities; Romance philology and French linguistics
1985Amand LucasUniversity of NamurExact sciences; theoretical physics
1984Désiré CollenKU LeuvenBiological and medical sciences; biochemistry and molecular biochemistry
1983Alexis JacqueminUCLouvainHumanities; political and industrial economics
1982François EnglertUniversité libre de BruxellesExact sciences; theoretical physics
1981André TrouetUCLouvainBiological and medical sciences; cellular and molecular pathology
1980Jozef IJsewijnKU LeuvenHumanities; humanist Latin literature
1979Jozef SchellGhent UniversityExact sciences; genetics
1978Jacques NihoulUniversity of LiègeBiological and medical sciences; applied mathematics and theoretical physics
1977Jacques TaminiauxUCLouvainHumanities; history of philosophy and philosophy of art
1976Walter FiersGhent UniversityExact sciences; molecular biology
1975René ThomasUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; chemistry and molecular genetics
1974Raoul Van CaenegemGhent UniversityHumanities; medieval history and legal history
1973Pierre MacqUCLouvainExact sciences; experimental nuclear physics
1972Jean-Edouard DesmedtUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; human neurophysiology
1971Georges ThinesUCLouvainHumanities; experimental psychology and animal psychology
1970Radu BalescuUniversité libre de BruxellesExact sciences; theoretical and mathematical physics
1969Isidoor LeusenGhent UniversityBiological and medical sciences; human physiology
1968Jules HorrentUniversity of LiègeHumanities; Romance philology
1967José J. FripiatCatholic University of LouvainExact sciences; physical chemistry and surface chemistry
1966Henri G. HersCatholic University of LouvainBiological and medical sciences; biochemistry and physiological chemistry
1965Roland MortierUniversité libre de BruxellesHumanities; French and comparative literature
1964Paul LedouxUniversity of LiègeExact sciences; theoretical astrophysics
1963Hubert ChantrenneUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; molecular biology
1962Chaïm PerelmanUniversité libre de BruxellesHumanities; philosophy
1961Jules DuchesneUniversity of LiègeExact sciences; chemistry and molecular physics
Adolphe Van TiggelenCatholic University of LouvainExact sciences; spectrochemistry and physical chemistry
1960Christian de DuveCatholic University of LouvainBiological and medical sciences; physiological chemistry and biochemistry
1959Gérard GaritteCatholic University of LouvainHumanities; Christian Orientalism and classical philology
1958Léon Van HoveUtrecht UniversityExact sciences; mathematical sciences and theoretical physics
1957Lucien MassartGhent UniversityBiological and medical sciences; organic chemistry
1956Louis RemacleUniversity of LiègeHumanities; Romance philology
1955Ilya PrigogineUniversité libre de BruxellesExact sciences; chemistry and molecular physics
1954Raymond JeenerUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; animal physiology and biology
1953Etienne LamotteCatholic University of LouvainHumanities; classical philosophy and Oriental studies
Claire PréauxUniversité libre de BruxellesHumanities; classical philology
1952Florent BureauUniversity of LiègeExact sciences; mathematics and algebraic geometry
1951Henri KochKU LeuvenBiological and medical sciences; physiology
1950Paul HarsinUniversity of LiègeHumanities; political and social sciences
1949Léon RosenfeldUniversity of LiègeExact sciences; theoretical physics and nuclear sciences
1948Jean BrachetUniversité libre de BruxellesBiological and medical sciences; biology and biophysics
Pol SwingsUniversity of LiègeExact sciences; physics and spectroscopy
Zénon-M. BacqUniversity of LiègeBiological and medical sciences; physiopathology
Marc de HemptinneCatholic University of LouvainExact sciences; physical and chemical sciences
Léon H. DupriezCatholic University of LouvainHumanities; economics and economic philosophy
1946Marcel FlorkinUniversity of LiègeBiological and medical sciences; biochemistry and physiological chemistry
Frans-H. van den DungenUniversité libre de BruxellesExact sciences; applied sciences
François-L. GanshofGhent UniversityHumanities; medieval history
1940Pierre NolfUniversity of LiègeBiological and medical sciences; pathology and biology
1938Jacques ErreraUniversité libre de BruxellesExact sciences; nuclear sciences
1936Franz CumontUniversity of LiègeHumanities; classical philology
1934Georges LemaîtreCatholic University of LouvainExact sciences; astrophysics
1933Henri PirenneGhent UniversityHumanities; philosophy and letters

See also

External links