Introducing the Coller Dolittle Challenge
The Jeremy Coller Foundation in partnership with Tel Aviv University is pleased to announce the Coller Dolittle Challenge for Two-way Interspecies Communication.
OVERVIEW
Inspired by the Turing test, the Coller Dolittle Challenge rewards scientific research on interspecies communication algorithms.
It offers an annual $100,000 prize and a major award of either a $10 million equity investment or $500,000 in cash for a breakthrough in the field.
Criteria
The first annual challenge in 2025 will honour recent scientific work meeting these criteria:
01 – NON-INVASIVENESS
Using a non-invasive approach to communicate with or decipher an organism’s communication.
02 – VERSATILITY
Demonstration of communication in more than one context (e.g., alarm, mating, foraging) using the organism’s endogenous communication signals preferably in an interactive and autonomous way.
03 – RESPONSIVENESS
Demonstrating a measurable response of the organism to the signals broadcasted to it.
The Finalists
NIGHTINGALES
Can We Talk to the Animals? Scientists Decode Nightingale’s Complex Songs.
A project by Daniela Vallentin and Jan Clemens, from Germany.
MARMOSET
“Naming” Behaviour in Marmoset Monkeys, Offering Clues to Human Language Evolution.
A project by David Omer, from Israel.
DOLPHINS
First evidence of widespread sharing of stereotyped non-signature whistles in wild dolphins.
A project by Laela Sayigh, from USA.
CUTTLEFISH
Cuttlefish interaction “arm wave signs”.
A project by Sophie Cohen-Bodénès
and Peter Neri, from France.
Submission Guidelines
Applications should be written in the format of a scientific publication with a supporting video.
SPECIFICATIONS
Applications should be up to 5 pages long (font 11, 1.5 line spacing) including all parts except for references. The data used in the study must be made available in a public repository.
VIDEO
Include a short – up to 2-minute video that may be shared publicly in social media.
PROPOSALS AND QUESTIONS
Proposals and questions should be sent here:
CollerDolittleAward@gmail.com
DEADLINE
Submissions for this round are closed.
Return to this page for the next call for submissions for 2025/26.
Prize Money & Equity Investment
ANNUAL PRIZE
$100K
EQUITY INVESTMENT
$10m
15 MAY 2025 | ONLINE
2025 Coller Dolittle Challenge
Join us for the inaugural event to explore the proposals from this year’s competition entries.
