Last Friday, we hosted the final of the II Young Scientific Excellence Award, an initiative created to recognize and support outstanding students who combine academic excellence with a strong commitment to scientific research.
Following a selection process that brought together 28 applications from across the Valencian Community, five finalists presented the scientific questions they hope to explore and shared how they envision their future careers as researchers.
The first prize was awarded to Pau Ferrando Agost, a student from IES La Plana in Castellón. Pau achieved the highest university entrance score in the province of Castellón and the second highest in the Valencian Community. He will begin a degree in Computational Mathematics with the goal of pursuing a career in scientific research and university teaching. His achievements also include national and regional awards in statistics and data science competitions.
The second prize went to Claudia Yáñez Machí, a student at Colegio Sagrado Corazón Maristas in Valencia. With a university entrance score of 13.754 out of 14, she ranked among the top 100 students in the Valencian Community. This year, she was also selected for the prestigious Acércate al CNIC program, an immersive biomedical research experience reserved for just eight students nationwide. During her presentation, Claudia shared her ambition to study the brain and contribute to the development of new approaches to neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.
The final also featured Jordi Beltrà Alentado (IES Enric Valor, Pego), Carla Conesa Tarín (Institución Cultural Domus, Godella), and Noa Climent García (IES Andreu Sempere, Alcoy), who presented the scientific fields they hope to pursue in the years ahead.
In addition to the cash awards, all five finalists will join the Carlos Simon Foundation Mentorship Program and take part in one of the 2027 Summer School weeks, where they will learn alongside leading national and international researchers.
We would like to congratulate Pau, Claudia, Jordi, Carla, and Noa, and thank every student who submitted an application.
With the support of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology – Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.