Siddharth Sareen receives the Fridtjof Nansen Prize for Young Researchers
Research Professor Siddharth Sareen at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute has been awarded the Fridtjof Nansen Prize for Young Researchers 2026 in the category of humanities and social sciences. The prize is awarded by the Nansen Fund and is widely regarded as one of Norway’s most prestigious distinctions for early-career researchers.
The prize consists of NOK 75,000 (around €6,500) and a diploma and is intended to encourage further research. It is awarded annually alongside the Fridtjof Nansen Prize for Outstanding Research.
‘In a world marked by uncertainty, this recognition of my social science research on just energy transitions is deeply encouraging,’ says Sareen.
Sareen’s research focuses on the politics and governance of energy transitions, with particular attention to questions of justice, infrastructure and sustainable development. His work examines how societies can move towards low-carbon energy systems in ways that are both effective and socially fair.
In its statement, the prize committee highlights Sareen as a broadly oriented scholar with a strong international profile. He combines leading research with active engagement in public debate, education and knowledge dissemination. The committee also emphasises his ability to communicate research-based knowledge to a wide audience.
Sareen has delivered more than 120 invited and peer-reviewed presentations, seminars and conference papers in over 20 countries.
'In a world marked by uncertainty, this recognition of my social science research on just energy transitions is deeply encouraging. It is important that we maintain a society where we can continue to collaborate globally, lift our gaze and strengthen the knowledge base for decision-making, even, and especially, when times seem dark,' says Sareen.
Receiving a prize named after Fridtjof Nansen also carries special meaning for him:
‘It’s an honour to receive an award named after a scientist whose influence still resonates more than a century later. I feel very fortunate to work at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, based in Nansen’s old villa at Polhøgda,’ he says.
The Director of the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Iver B. Neumann, received the Fridtjof Nansen Prize for Outstanding Research in 2020.
'I warmly welcome Siddharth to the club,' says Neumann.
The prize will be awarded at the annual meeting of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters at the Grand Hotel in Oslo on 4 May.
