by InTrieste
A new international photography award will use visual storytelling to highlight scientific achievements and challenges across the Global South.
The prize, titled Through Southern Lenses: Science in Focus, was launched through a partnership between the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), a UNESCO program unit based in Trieste, and the Conrado Wessel Foundation (FCW), a Brazilian institution known for promoting art, culture and science.
The initiative seeks to draw attention to the work of scientists in developing countries by pairing research with the power of photography. “This initiative recognizes photography as a powerful tool to spark public interest in science while strengthening the relationship between science and society,” said Marcelo Knobel, executive director of TWAS.
Carlos Vogt, chief executive of the FCW, framed the prize as a bridge between disciplines. “This award is not just about capturing images,” he said. “It reveals the soul of science in the Global South — its beauty, its urgency and its transformative potential.”
A New Approach to Science Communication
Unlike a traditional competition, organizers describe the award as a platform for storytelling that transcends language and cultural barriers. The inaugural theme, Glaciers and Deserts, invites photographers to explore the visible impacts of climate change — from melting ice sheets to expanding deserts — as well as the resilience of ecosystems and communities in developing nations.
The prize will award $20,000 annually to the best photographic reportage, a set of 10 original images. Entries must come from individuals or groups in the Global South, and artificial intelligence–generated content will not be accepted.
About the Partners
Founded in 1983 in Trieste, TWAS has spent more than four decades supporting scientific capacity in developing countries. Working with its partners, the academy has helped fund over 1,200 Ph.D.s, 2,300 postdoctoral fellowships, 1,200 prizes, and nearly 3,000 research grants. It has also supported training in science diplomacy and facilitated thousands of research exchanges.
The Conrado Wessel Foundation, established in Brazil, is best known for its national prizes in science, art and culture. Since 2002, its photography award has recognized leading Brazilian photographers. With the new partnership, the foundation is extending its mission to an international audience.
By combining art and science, the new prize aims to give visibility to the stories of researchers and communities in the Global South, presenting them to a wider international public through the lens of photography.
