Announcements

MDPI is honored to announce the recipients of the 2025 Best Paper Awards, celebrating exceptional research for its scientific merit and broad impact. After a rigorous evaluation process conducted by Academic Editors, this year’s awards showcase papers that stand out for their innovation, relevance, and high-quality presentation.

Out of a highly competitive pool, 396 winning papers have been recognized for their exceptional contributions. We congratulate these authors for pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines.

At MDPI, we are dedicated to broadening the reach of innovative science. To learn more about the award-winning papers and explore research projects in your field of study, please visit the following links:

• Biology and Life Sciences;
• Business and Economics;
• Chemistry and Materials Sciences;
• Computer Sciences and Mathematics;
• Engineering;
• Environmental and Earth Sciences;
• Medicine and Pharmacology;
• Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities;
• Physical Sciences;
• Public Health and Healthcare.

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the global research community and enhance academic dialogue, MDPI journals regularly host award programs across diverse scientific disciplines. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and whose work drives the advancement of their fields.

Explore the Best Paper Awards open for participation, please click here.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Religions 2025 Young Investigator Award, established to acknowledge the achievements of young investigators in the field of religion.

After a rigorous evaluation process, including two rounds of evaluation and voting from a committee, two winners have been selected for their exceptional contributions to religion research and their potential for future leadership.

Please join us in congratulating the following winners:

• Dr. W. Y. Alice Chan, The Centre for Civic Religious Literacy, Canada;
• Dr. Davide Tramarin, University of Padua, Italy.

As the awardees, they will each receive an honorarium of CHF 1500, an electronic certificate, and a voucher to waive the article processing charges (APCs) for one submission to the Religions—valid for one year.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the nominators for their participation and the Award Committee Members for their careful evaluation of the many outstanding nominees. On behalf of the assessment committee, we congratulate the winners on their accomplishments.

Our portfolio of journals available for publishing up-to-date research in immediate open access format has been further expanded. In the first quarter of 2026, nine new journals released their inaugural issues and three transferred journals released their first issue as part of MDPI, covering the subjects of clinical medicine, chemistry, computer science & mathematics, engineering, environment & ecology, and social sciences & psychology.

We extend our gratitude to the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members who will shape the future course of these brand-new journals. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you would like to create a new journal, you are welcome to send an application here or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com).

We are pleased to present the MDPI Academic Publishing Workshop, organized in collaboration with Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. This joint initiative underscores a shared vision for fostering interdisciplinary research that addresses pressing global sustainability issues through creative methodologies, cross-sector partnerships, and impactful solutions.

Rooted in a shared dedication to researcher development, this workshop is designed to support the academic community at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. Attendees will gain insights into current trends in sustainability, open access publishing, and direct interaction with journal editors and publishing experts. With a special focus on early-career researchers and innovators, the session aims to equip participants with practical skills to elevate the reach of their research and cultivate lasting international collaborations.

Date: 12 May 2026
Time: 9:00–12:00 p.m.
Location: Lecture 3, Faculty of Liberal Arts
Language: Thai
Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TG88QNG

Chair

Supit Boonlab is an Assistant Professor and serves as the Vice Dean for research development, and academic services at the Faculty of Liberal Arts. She earned her PhD degree in public administration. She specializes in public administration, leadership, and public policy, focusing on local governance, education management, and digital citizenship. Her significant contributions include developing structural equation models for policy and education systems, advancing digital-era learning frameworks, and promoting sustainable community and governance innovations in Thailand.

MDPI Speakers:
	Dr. Krit Inthajak obtained his PhD in engineering and technology from Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat University. He joined MDPI in March 2020 as an Assistant Editor for Molecules. He was appointed as a Section Managing Editor in 2021 and worked as a Group Leader from 2021 to 2024. He is now one of MDPI’s Regional Journal Relations Specialists for the Asia–Pacific region.
	Dr. Juthathip Poofery holds a PhD in biochemistry from the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. She began working at MDPI in 2021 as an Assistant Editor for Medicina and advanced to the position of Section Managing Editor in 2022. Since 2023, Dr. Poofery has been serving as the Group Leader of the “Medical Science” Section, where she oversees editorial operations and contributes to the advancement of research in the field.
	Ms. Hathaipat Kittirojana obtained her master’s degree in food science and biotechnology from Teesside University. She joined MDPI in December 2020 as an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Imaging. She was appointed as a Section Managing Editor in March 2023 and a Regional Journal Relations Specialist for the Asia–Pacific region in July 2024.
	Dr. Siriporn Tantiwatcharothai obtained her PhD in applied chemistry from the Faculty of Science, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. She joined MDPI in December 2022 as an Assistant Editor for Catalysts. In 2024, she was promoted to Section Managing Editor, and as of April 2025, she has been serving as the Chief Section Managing Editor. And she is currently one of MDPI’s Regional Journal Relations Specialists for the Asia–Pacific region.

We are delighted to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 Tu Youyou Award. Named after Nobel Laureate Tu Youyou, whose discovery of artemisinin has saved millions of lives, this award recognizes researchers whose work advances the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry, while also contributing to human health.

Prize

– CHF 100,000;
– A medal;
– A certificate.

The monetary prize will be shared equally should there be multiple recipients.

Who May Be Nominated?

– Scientists with outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Nominees must be individuals; team or group nominations are not permitted. Nominations are valid only for the current award cycle.

Who May Submit a Nomination?

– The director of the nominee’s host research institution or recognized scientists within the field.

Self-nominations will not be considered.

Nomination Materials

– A biographical sketch;
– A detailed description of the nominee’s contributions;
– 5–10 representative academic publications;
– A list of academic honors, awards, and funded projects;
– A nomination letter signed by two nominators.

How to Submit?

Submit nominations online via the following link: https://tuyouyouprize.org/nomination

Important Dates

– Nomination Deadline: 31 October 2026
– Winner Announcement: March 2027

For further information, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website (https://tuyouyouprize.org/). For any inquiries, please contact the Tu Youyou Award Team at tuyouyouaward@mdpi.com.

1. Congratulations on winning the Religions Travel Award! What does this recognition mean to you, and how has it impacted your research and professional development? Can you share with us your feelings about winning the award?
Receiving the Religions Travel Award gave me the tremendous opportunity to attend an important international conference, gain valuable feedback on my current research, and interact with other experts in the field. I was thrilled with this opportunity and remain grateful for the experience that I gained.

2. Where did you learn about how to apply for this journal award? Can you briefly introduce which conference or conferences you plan to attend with this award?
I was informed about the possibility of applying for this travel award through an email from my academic institution. I felt that it was a perfect opportunity for me to participate in and attend the annual World Christianity Conference that was held in Recife, Brazil, in March 2026. This conference regularly features a vast array of international scholars who conduct research on Christianity beyond the narrow scope of a European or North American context. The theme of this year’s conference allowed me to join a panel that discussed aspects of interreligious and ecumenical relations in the realm of Asian Christianity.

3. Do you have any suggestions for improving the visibility of these awards?
I was fortunate to receive the email from my institution. I hope that this is advertised to students at universities throughout the world. I am sure that many of my colleagues in my native country of Vietnam had not heard of this opportunity.

4. Attending international conferences is an essential part of scientific collaboration and growth. How did the Religions Travel Award support your participation, and how do you plan to promote the journal at the conference? Do you have any thoughts on how the promotion of the journal at conferences could be more effective?
I would not have been able to participate in this conference because of the travel costs, but this travel award allowed me to participate as an in-person attendee in Brazil. I ensured that the slides in my presentation clearly identified that my travel costs and participation were enabled through the journal’s Religions Travel Award. While the people who attended my panel presentation were able to learn about this, the other conference attendees were not aware. I think that promoting the journal could be more effectively done with representatives who could also attend the conference and show examples of what the journal has to offer.

5. How do you view the role of open access journals (such as Religions) in academic communication? Will you consider reviewing or contributing to them in the future?
I think that open access journals are very important because they allow access to a wider audience, especially for those in other countries that are not able to access the paywalls and firewalls that block many of the academic publications that are available in Europe and North America. This is especially important for many of my colleagues in Asia, including those from Africa and Latin America who attend conferences such as the World Christianity Conference. Yes, I would be happy to contribute to an open access journal such as Religions.

1. Congratulations on winning the Religions Travel Award! Can you tell us about your current research interests? What motivated you to pursue this area of study?
My doctoral thesis addresses a topic within the field of biblical exegesis in the sixteenth century. This area brings together two disciplines that greatly fascinate me: New Testament Studies and Church History. The interdisciplinary focus on reception history is recognized and valued in both fields.
The early modern period was a time of profound institutional and political disruption. The Catholic Church, which had long been the only Western church, was challenged by the emergence of Protestant state churches. In the context of these developments, religious identities needed to be redefined: through processes of demarcation from one another, diverse confessional traditions took shape.
These developments unfolded through various discourses at different institutional levels and in different locations. Exegesis represents one such discourse. Within this context, the biblical text occupies a central position, yet it is interpreted and commented upon from a variety of perspectives. What particularly interests me is the diversity of the interpretations and the techniques employed to interpret the texts. In many cases, one can observe a genuine wrestling with the biblical text. The resulting interpretations often do not simply follow confessional lines. Thus, when theological tractates no longer allowed for meaningful discussion, the Bible—sharing as a common reference point—could still establish a space in which scholars read and commented on each other’s work. The common reference to the biblical text guided their discussions and left room for ambiguities.
My research focuses especially on the reception of the letter to the Romans. Nearly one hundred commentaries on this major Pauline work were published during the sixteenth century. Without a doubt, Romans—where the doctrine of justification, natural theology, and predestination were discussed—was the central exegetical battleground of the early modern period. My thesis examines the more practical chapters 12–15, the so-called paraenesis, in order to evaluate the claim often made in contemporary scholarship that Reformation-era exegetes treated Romans 12–15 merely as an appendix to the letter. As I aim to demonstrate, sixteenth-century exegetes did in fact integrate the paraenesis into their interpretation of the letter as a whole. They were well aware both of the historical circumstances of the letter and of its significance for shaping the life of the church.
My motivation for pursuing this area of study lies in an interest in the history of culturally influential texts. The Bible remains a highly debated text, and, as we can observe in several countries today, it is still used to justify forms of governance and practical life. At the same time, early modern interpretative developments continue to shape important aspects of modern society.

2. Attending international conferences is an essential part of scientific collaboration and growth. How do you plan to promote the journal at the conference? What is the significance of attending such conferences in expanding your international cooperation or enhancing your academic influence?
My paper will be given in a panel with colleagues from Zurich and Geneva who are part of an SNSF project targeting the broader topic of “16th-Century Exegesis of Paul”. I will be happy to mention the award at the beginning of my paper and to display the journal’s logo in my presentation.
The Reformation Studies Colloquium offers an excellent opportunity to present my research in an international context. Many distinguished scholars will attend the conference. While most participants come from the United Kingdom, scholars will also be present from the Netherlands, France, Spain, Canada, the United States, Sweden, Romania, Poland, and Iceland. This international environment provides an ideal setting to present the results of my research at the final stage of my doctoral project. It allows me to gain a sense of how my findings might contribute to ongoing international scholarship and to make my work more widely known as it approaches publication.
Our research group has already published an article in Religions, and through our panel, both our research and our published work will gain additional visibility. In addition to the formal presentations, personal encounters and discussions with conference participants will be particularly valuable.

3. Do you have any suggestions for improving the visibility of these awards?
I learned about the award through my supervisor. One suggestion for increasing the visibility of the awards would be a stronger physical presence at conferences. If Religions had a dedicated space at conferences—similar to the publisher stands that are often present—it could provide an opportunity to enter into conversations with participants and to make the journal’s various initiatives and opportunities more widely known.

4. Do you have any other suggestions on how our journal could further support young researchers and the academic community?
Publishing peer-reviewed articles in open access format is indispensable for ensuring that research reaches a broad audience. Religions makes this possible in an efficient way. Fee waivers for outstanding research—such as those connected to awards like the Young Investigator Award—could further strengthen the diversity of contributions and enable high-quality research from less privileged scholars to reach a wider audience. In particular, I see the Special Issues of Religions as an excellent opportunity to connect with scholars, authors, and editors working on a specific topic. Building scholarly communities and networks is crucial for the subsequent stages of an academic career. While I do not have specific proposals for how this support might be further developed, I would like to emphasize the importance of fostering international academic networks.

As a pioneer in open access publishing, MDPI maintains rigorous publication standards. This mission relies on the dedication and expertise of our reviewers, who invest their time and knowledge to ensure the quality and integrity of the research we publish.

In 2025, over 209,000 reviewers contributed to the peer-review process at MDPI, providing more than 1.3 million review reports for our journals. To express our gratitude, MDPI’s Reviewer Recognition Program highlights reviewers across over 400 journals, featuring those who have assessed at least one manuscript and agreed to be acknowledged.

In addition, MDPI has identified its Top 1000 Reviewers of 2024 to recognize those whose expertise, dedication, and thoughtful evaluations were particularly outstanding.

Many journals have also established Outstanding Reviewer Awards to honor our reviewers’ commitment to publication excellence. Together with the Exceptional Reviewer List, we showcase the importance of reviewers’ work and their time and dedication.

These initiatives serve to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude towards the whole reviewer community. In recognition of their contributions, we also welcome new researchers to join this community. If you would like to contribute to open access publishing, learn more about the reviewers’ benefits and sign up to join us.

In order to further enhance the international influence of Religions (ISSN: 2077-1444) and support the Editorial Board with additional expertise, the journal is inviting interested and eligible researchers from academia to apply for Editorial Board membership.

Recruitment:
Editorial Board Members will hold the position for two years, with the possibility of renewal for a second term.

Application eligibility:

• Researchers must have completed their doctorate/PhD degree in the past 10 years (considering exceptions for career interruptions, including medical and family leave);
• Researchers must have served as the first author/corresponding author on at least five peer-reviewed and published manuscripts in the last five years;
• Researchers must have published impactful work in the field of religion;
• Researchers must be holding (at the time of application) a senior lecturer, associate professor, or professor title in academia;
• Researchers must be actively engaged in their community (e.g., experienced at presenting at conferences or involved in professional organizations).

Benefits for Editorial Board Members include the following:

• A certificate of appointment as an Editorial Board Member will be provided;
• The Editorial Board Member may publish one paper per year, free of charge, in an open access format;
• The journal will regularly acknowledge those who have participated in the peer-review process on the journal’s website;
• There will be opportunities to participate in, or host annual meetings and online seminars organized by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members.

Responsibilities of Editorial Board Members include the following:

• An Editorial Board Member is asked to review a couple of manuscripts per year and make decisions on whether to accept them for publication;
• An Editorial Board Member may also write papers for the journal or serve as a Guest Editor of a Special Issue relating to their research interests;
• The Editorial Office will seek advice from the Editorial Board whenever necessary or productive.

Applications:
Please send the application form and your resume to religions@mdpi.com with the subject “Religions Editorial Board Application + Name”.

Application deadline: 30 June 2026.

Selection process:
The initial screening of application materials will be followed by selection by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members; an email notification will follow, and, if successful, a certificate of appointment will be issued.