The National Science Foundation (NSF) organized the NSF Awards Ceremony on Science Popularization 2026, on 18th September 2026 at the Main Hall, BMICH, under the theme “AI for Safety and Resilience.” The annual ceremony which has served as an important national platform for recognizing achievements in science popularization since 2002.
The event was graced by the Hon. Prime Minister, Dr Harini Amarasuriya as the Chief Guest and Hon. Minister of Science and Technology (MoST), Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena as the Guest of Honour. The Secretary to the MoST, Dr. Roshani Dissanayake and Mrs. Udara Dikkubura, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Education, also participated as special Guests. The ceremony was attended by 1,250 participants comprising special invitees, students, teachers, principals, parents, scientists and media personnel.
The welcome address was delivered by the Director General of the NSF, Prof Shiromi Perera while Dr Sudath Samaraweera, Chairman of the NSF introduced the Keynote speaker. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Saman Halgamuge, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne. He is an internationally recognized expert in Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing and has been recognized among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists in the relevant field.
The ceremony felicitated 193 students and teachers who performed best in the NSF annual School Competitions namely Science Research Projects Competition (SRPC) 2025, Kids Naturalist Programme 2025, Science Competitions 2026, and Best Performing School Science Societies (5-Star to 3-Star categories). The Commendation and appreciation certificates were also awarded to teachers who were engaged in science popularization and promotion of science education among school community.
A special highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the Lifetime Award under category of ‘Scientist’ which was conferred to Dr Ruchira Wijesena, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to science popularization. The Lifetime Award under ‘Media Personnel’ category was won by Mr Asoka Dias for his sustained contribution to communicating science and promoting public awareness and interest in scientific knowledge through the media.
The ceremony stood as a celebration of scientific excellence, a recognition of those who have dedicated themselves to bringing science closer to society, and an inspiring reflection of the enduring vision of the NSF for building a scientifically literate nation and nurturing the scientists and science communicators of tomorrow.