French Development Research Institute Returns with Innovation Trophies Focused on Women and Girls

Applications open on 12 May for a competition that rewards young researchers developing concrete solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Key points

• The IRD Innovation Trophies 2026 open for applications on 12 May, with a deadline of 29 June
• This edition’s theme: « Changing Everyday Life, Building the Future — Committed Research for Women and Girls »
• Two laureates will each receive €10,000 and up to 12 months of incubation support

The Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) has launched the fourth edition of its Innovation Trophies. This international competition identifies and supports young researchers and doctoral students working on interdisciplinary solutions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Applications open on 12 May 2026 and submissions are accepted until 29 June.

A Theme Rooted in Transformation

This year’s edition is built around the theme « Changing Everyday Life, Building the Future–Committed Research for Women and Girls. » The competition is open to doctoral students and early-career researchers–less than five years post-doctorate–developing innovative solutions that improve the lives of women and girls, whether at the local or global scale. Projects may span any field, from health and education to food systems, economic inclusion, culture, and governance, and may take social, technological, organisational, or cultural forms.

Two Prizes, Two Ambitions

Six projects will be nominated, from which a jury will select two laureates, each awarded one of two distinct prizes:

The Act Now Prize rewards concrete, field-ready innovations that deliver tangible improvements to the daily lives of women and girls, with priority to solutions that can be deployed quickly and build effectively on existing practices.

The Transform Tomorrow Prize distinguishes visionary, structural projects that redesign systems and reshape existing models to build a more just and equitable future; innovations with the potential to change the rules of the game.

Each laureate receives €10,000 toward project development, up to 12 months of incubation support from a specialist partner, four hours of communications coaching, and opportunities to present their work at major events, including the following year’s ChangeNow summit. All six nominees receive structured training in project development and entrepreneurship, pitch coaching, and a place at a flagship international event where they present before a jury.

A Track Record of Impact

Now in its fourth year, the IRD Innovation Trophies have recognised 21 nominees and seven laureates across three previous editions, with past projects spanning coastal monitoring in Senegal, biofertilisers from household waste in Burkina Faso, coral reef restoration in New Caledonia, and plant-based mosquito repellents in West Africa.

Researchers interested in applying can submit their candidacy at the IRD Innovation Trophies platform.

The Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) is a French public research organisation specialising in the study of development challenges in the Global South. Founded in 1944 and headquartered in Marseille since 2008, it operates across more than 50 countries under the joint authority of the French Ministries of Higher Education and Research and Foreign Affairs. Its work spans environment, health, and society, with a mandate explicitly oriented toward sustainable development and equitable scientific partnership with emerging and developing nations.