The Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST) and Lyda Hill Philanthropies have announced the seven winners of the 2026 Hill Prizes.
The statewide awards recognize top researchers working in the fields of AI, technology, biological and physical science, engineering, medicine, and public health and provide seed funding to advance groundbreaking innovations that “highlight Texas as a premier destination for world-class research.” Each recipient—through their university or organization—is awarded $500,000 in direct funding. This year’s recipients include Kristen Grauman (University of Texas at Austin—artificial intelligence); Susan M. Rosenberg (Baylor College of Medicine—biological science); Naomi J. Halas (Rice University—engineering); Raghu Kalluri (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center—medicine); Karen L. Wooley (Texas A&M University—physical science); Elizabeth C. Matsui (UT Austin—public health); and Kurt W. Swogger (co-founder of Molecular Rebar Design—technology).
In addition to the announced prizes, Hill Philanthropies—founded by Giving Pledge signatory Lyda Hill—has committed at least $1 million for discretionary funding to support the work of highly ranked applicants who were not selected as recipients.
For a complete description of the 2026 prize recipients, see the TAMEST website.
(Photo credit: Getty Images/xavierarnau)
