Apply for the LEO Foundation Awards. A boost to young talents.
With our LEO Foundation Awards, we want to recognise the outstanding young researchers and scientists from around the world, whose work represent an extraordinary contribution to skin research and have the potential to pave the way for new and improved treatments for skin diseases.
The LEO Foundation Award was born out of the aim of advancing the understanding and treatment of skin diseases and strengthening the pipeline of excellent dermatology researchers. It recognises promising young talents and hopefully provides a boost to their future careers.
The award is well aligned with the Foundation’s goal of continually promoting and advancing skin research.
The award is worth USD 100,000.
Since the first LEO Foundation Award in 2008, more than 25 scientists have received the award.

Award application deadlines
The award is applied for in open competition.
It is announced three times a year. Once in each of the regions of Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and Asia-Pacific.
Submission period will open at least four weeks prior to each deadline.
Grant | Opens | Deadline | ||
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LEO Foundation Award – Region Americas |
08 Jan 2021 | 05 Feb 2021 | Apply now | |
The LEO Foundation Award was born out of the aim of advancing the understanding and treatment of skin diseases and strengthening the pipeline of excellent dermatology researchers. It recognises promising young talents and hopefully provides a boost to their future careers. DEADLINE: 5 Feb 2021 (midnight CET) |
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Research grants in open competition – round 1 |
05 Feb 2021 | 05 Mar 2021 | Not open | |
To support the best dermatology research projects worldwide. |
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LEO Foundation Award – Region EMEA |
21 May 2021 | 18 Jun 2021 | Not open | |
The LEO Foundation Award was born out of the aim of advancing the understanding and treatment of skin diseases and strengthening the pipeline of excellent dermatology researchers. It recognises promising young talents and hopefully provides a boost to their future careers. |
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Research grants in open competition – round 2 |
02 Jun 2021 | 30 Jun 2021 | Not open | |
To support the best dermatology research projects worldwide. |
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Research grants in open competition – round 3 |
10 Aug 2021 | 07 Sep 2021 | Not open | |
To support the best dermatology research projects worldwide. |
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LEO Foundation Award – Region Asia-Pacific |
13 Aug 2021 | 10 Sep 2021 | Not open | |
The LEO Foundation Award was born out of the aim of advancing the understanding and treatment of skin diseases and strengthening the pipeline of excellent dermatology researchers. It recognises promising young talents and hopefully provides a boost to their future careers. |
Guidance
The applicant:
- Is an active scientist within skin-related research.
- Is able to demonstrate scientific merits in the form of at least 5 peer-reviewed first author or co-first author publications within skin-related research.
- Has his/her primary workplace within the relevant region at the time of being selected as awardee.
- Is between 30 and 40 years of age at the time of being selected as awardee. Natural and reasonable career breaks such as paternity/maternity leave, military service or the like may be deducted.
Please read the application guide thoroughly and complete your application accordingly.
Applicants can not:
- Have commercial or cosmetic/aesthetic research as his/her primary focus.
- Have personal or financial ties to LEO Pharma, including involvement in e.g. sponsored studies or clinical trials at PI level.
- Be an earlier recipient of a LEO Foundation Award.
- Be an earlier recipient of another prize or award (personal or for research) exceeding a value of USD 50,000. Regular research grants are exempt from this requirement.
Application process
The LEO Foundation will ensure an independent and unbiased evaluation process in which all applications will be evaluated based on the same criteria and towards the same scientific level.
It will normally take approx. three months from application deadline to award decision.
If you are selected as awardee, you become a LEO Foundation Alumni and you will be requested to participate and contribute at two events within three years following your receipt of the award.
The LEO Foundation will agree on events and contributions with all awardees.
Global Review Panel
All panel members have been appointed by their respective society in region Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific.
Appointed by American Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID):
Committee member | Titles |
---|---|
Lisa Beck |
Professor, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY (USA) |
Andrew Kowalczyk |
Professor, Penn State Health Hershey, Pennsylvania (USA) |
Sewon Kang |
Professor, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (USA) |
Appointed by European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR):
Committee member | Titles |
---|---|
Eli Sprecher |
Professor, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv (Israel) |
Edel O'Toole |
Professor, Queen Mary University of London, London (United Kingdom) |
Sabine Eming |
Professor, University of Cologne, Cologne, (Germany) |
Appointed by Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology (JSID):
Committee member | Titles |
---|---|
Tatsuyoshi Kawamura |
Professor, University of Yamanashi, Kofu (Japan) |
Cheng-Che Eric Lan |
Professor, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung (Taiwan) |
Hyunsun Park |
Professor, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Republic of Korea) |
Awardees
2020

Region Americas

Region EMEA

Region Asia-Pacific
2019

Region Americas

Region EMEA

Region Asia-Pacific