The Ctrl-Z Award recognizes and celebrates scientists who discover substantial errors in their published work and take meaningful steps to correct the scientific record — even if doing so risks professional and personal consequences.
Administered by The Center for Scientific Integrity, the parent nonprofit of Retraction Watch, the annual award honors both early-career and senior researchers who exemplify integrity in the face of perceived professional risk. (In fact, researchers who correct their own work rarely face reputation penalties.)
The award’s name, pronounced “control-zee,” is inspired by the universal keyboard shortcut for the “undo” command. By honoring those who have the courage to “hit undo” on flawed research, the award aims to shift the narrative around scientific errors and highlight the importance of transparency.
The award was conceived and funded by Harvey Motulsky and Earl Beutler, both longtime supporters of Retraction Watch.
Award Details and Eligibility
Any scientist or team of scientists — including graduate students, postdocs, technicians, and faculty — working at universities, government agencies, nonprofits, or research-focused companies worldwide are eligible to be nominated.
Candidates for this award are scientists who identified a substantial error or flaw in their own published work, and took meaningful steps to correct the scientific record, such as submitting a correction or requesting a retraction.
The award features two categories:
- Junior Category: For current graduate students or those within five years of completing their Ph.D.
- Senior Category: For researchers who are more than five years post-Ph.D.
Winners will receive $2,500 per individual or team. The number of awards given will vary from year to year.
Nomination Process
The Ctrl-Z Award is nomination-based and self-nominations are not eligible. Nominators should secure the permission of the nominee for consideration for the award.
Entries for the inaugural round of awards are due by May 31, 2026, and must be submitted via the entry form.
Nominators will be asked to provide the nominee’s CV, detail the error the nominee discovered, the corrective actions taken (such as a formal correction or full retraction), any challenges encountered (if applicable), and why the nominee exemplifies the spirit of the award. An additional letter of support for the nominee may also be submitted. Entrants will need to certify the nominee has consented to being nominated for the award.
A panel of expert judges active in research integrity will select the winners.
For questions about the award, please email [email protected].