TAMEST and Lyda Hill Philanthropies have announced the seven recipients of the 2026 Hill Prizes. The prizes, funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, advance high-risk, high-reward ideas and innovations that show significant potential for real-world impact and can lead to new, transformational research paths, the organizations said.
The prizes are given in seven categories: artificial intelligence, biological sciences, engineering, medicine, physical sciences, public health, and technology. They recognize and support top Texas innovators, providing seed funding to advance groundbreaking science and highlight Texas as a premier destination for world-class research.
“It is with great pride that I congratulate this year’s Hill Prizes recipients,” Lyda Hill, founder of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, said in a statement. “Their pioneering spirit and unwavering dedication to innovation are addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time—from climate resilience and energy sustainability to medical breakthroughs and the future of artificial intelligence.”
“The work recognized today holds extraordinary promise to improve lives,” she added, “and I’m thrilled to see how this investment in high-risk, high-impact science will accelerate their progress toward real-world impact.”
New AI prize, discretionary award added
This is the first year that the prizes will recognize seven recipients, with the addition of the new Prize in Artificial Intelligence, thanks to an additional commitment from Lyda Hill Philanthropies. The organizations also said it has committed to fund at least $1 million in discretionary research funding on an ad hoc basis for highly-ranked applicants not selected as recipients.
A committee of TAMEST members (Texas-based members of the National Academies) chose the recipients, who were then endorsed by a committee of Texas Nobel and Breakthrough Prize Laureates and approved by the TAMEST Board of Directors, the organizations said.
The projects selected for the 2026 Hill Prizes focus on creative, collaborative approaches to some of the world’s biggest challenges, Lyda Hill Philanthropies said, and feature top-tier, cross-disciplinary teams with leaders and researchers from multiple institutions. Principal Investigators of the winning proposals will be honored on February 2 at the opening reception of the TAMEST 2026 Annual Conference in San Antonio. Each prize recipient’s institution or organization will receive $500,000 in direct funding from Lyda Hill Philanthropies to accelerate their work.
2026 Hill Prize winners
The 2026 Hill Prize principal investigators and co-recipients are:
Kristen Grauman, Ph.D.
Artificial Intelligence: Kristen Grauman, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Computer Science, The University of Texas at Austin.
Honored for her pioneering research on video understanding models that help people acquire physical and procedural skills.
Susan M. Rosenberg, Ph.D.
Biological Sciences: Susan M. Rosenberg, Ph.D., Ben F. Love Chair in Cancer Research and Professor of Molecular & Human Genetics, Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine.
Honored for her groundbreaking strategy to combat antibiotic resistance by targeting the evolutionary process itself.
Top: Naomi J. Halas, Ph.D., D.Sc. (NAE, NAS); middle: Peter J. A. Nordlander, Ph.D.; bottom: Hossein Robatjazi, Ph.D. [Photos: Lyda Hill Philanthropies]
Engineering: Naomi J. Halas, Ph.D., D.Sc. (NAE, NAS), University Professor and Stanley C. Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University and Co-Recipients: Peter J. A. Nordlander, Ph.D., Wiess Professor of Natural Sciences and Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University; Hossein Robatjazi, Ph.D., Vice President of Research, Syzygy Plasmonics Inc.; Adjunct Professor of Chemistry, Rice University.
The team was honored for advancing light-driven technologies for sustainable ammonia synthesis, which is essential for global agriculture and has fuel potential.
Raghu Kalluri, M.D., Ph.D.
Medicine: Raghu Kalluri, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Honored for developing eye drops to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other posterior eye diseases.
Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D. (top) and Matthew Stone [Photos: Lyda Hill Philanthropies]
Physical Sciences: Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D. (NAS), W.T. Doherty-Welch Chair and Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Texas A&M University and Co-Recipient: Matthew Stone, Managing Director, Teysha Technologies.
Honored for innovative research that transforms agricultural waste into safe, degradable plastics and chemicals
Elizabeth C. Matsui, M.D.
Public Health: Elizabeth C. Matsui, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and the Director of Environmental Health in the Center for Human Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine; Professor of Population Health and Pediatrics, Dell Medical School; Director, Center for Health and Environment: Education and Research, UT Austin.
Honored for identifying climate change-related environmental exposures—specifically extreme heat and air pollution—as key contributors to adverse maternal and birth outcomes and associated disparities.
Top: Kurt W. Swogger; middle: Clive Bosnyak, Ph.D.; bottom: August Krupp [Photos: Lyda Hill Philanthropies]
Technology: Kurt W. Swogger, CEO and Co-Founder, Molecular Rebar Design, LLC and Co-Recipients: Clive Bosnyak, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Molecular Rebar Design, LLC; August Krupp, Director-MR Rubber Business, Molecular Rebar Design, LLC; for addressing critical environmental and safety concerns related to tire performance and chemical toxicity.
‘Powerful possibilities for the future’
“On behalf of TAMEST, we’re honored to celebrate the 2026 Hill Prizes recipients. These outstanding innovators exemplify the excellence and ambition of Texas science and research,” said TAMEST President Ganesh Thakur, Ph.D. (NAE), University of Houston.
“Thanks to the visionary support of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the Hill Prizes not only recognize transformative work but provide the resources to move bold ideas from the lab to life-changing solutions,” Thakur added. “We’re proud to support their journeys and spotlight Texas as a global hub for scientific leadership.”
Each recipient is tasked with submitting an annual impact report to TAMEST and Lyda Hill Philanthropies to showcase their progress and highlight how the prize has accelerated their research, the organizations said.
“The Hill Prizes are designed to catalyze extraordinary ideas that, with support from the Prize, have the potential to change the world,” said 2026 Hill Prizes Committee Chair David E. Daniel, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Dallas. “This year’s recipients are advancing ideas that stretch the boundaries of their fields and offer powerful possibilities for the future. It’s been a privilege to serve on the committee and help select such a compelling group of visionaries.”
Applications for the 2027 Hill Prizes will open May 1 and close June 1.
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