Published: 05-04-2024 10:25 | Updated: 05-04-2024 10:25

KI researcher Emma Frans receives award from Natur & Kultur

Portrait of the researcher Emma Frans in front of a photo wall of water.
Emma Frans. Photo: Magnus Bergström/Natur och Kultur.

KI researcher, author and science writer Emma Frans has been awarded the 2024 Popular Science Prize from Natur & Kultur. She receives the award for her broad and lively communication of research and science. The prize money is SEK 250,000.

"I am very happy and honoured. The award inspires me to continue my work to make science accessible to the public. I don't want to tell people what to think, but to act as a guide in a jungle of scientific studies that are sometimes very credible and sometimes just junk research," says Emma Frans, senior research specialist at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet. "My hope is to spread knowledge about scientific method and draw attention to the risks of blind faith in scientific authorities."

Research for the general public

With the popular science prize, Natur & Kultur wants to draw attention to people who successfully reach out with research to a broad public.

"With her multifaceted and knowledgeable participation in the public debate, Emma Frans has contributed to deepening the understanding of research and the role of the researcher. Her work helps us all to think critically and understand how we can use science to make fact-based decisions," says Per Almgren, CEO of Natur & Kultur, in a press release.

Natur & Kultur's popular science prize has been awarded since 2017. The award ceremony will take place at Södra teatern on Tuesday 14 May. It is part of the event An Evening on Science (En kväll om vetenskap) arranged by Forskning & Framsteg in collaboration with Natur & Kultur.

Motivation of the jury

"Emma Frans is awarded Natur & Kultur's popular science prize 2024 for her broad and lively communication of research and science. Through books, articles in the daily press, podcasts and social media, she reaches a very large and diverse audience. 

Emma Frans has moved beyond her own field of research, medical epidemiology, with a desire and critical commitment to make science understandable. By discussing the role of experts and their limits, she has also contributed to a deeper understanding of the role of researchers and experts in society."