Shaw Prize

Shaw Prize
A gold circular medal with a depiction of an elderly man with glasses wearing a jacket buttoned to the neck; the English words "The Shaw Prize" and Chinese characters "邵逸夫獎" engraved on it
The obverse of the Shaw Prize medal
Awarded for Outstanding contributions in astronomy, life science and medicine, and mathematical sciences.
Presented by The Shaw Prize Foundation
Country  Hong Kong
First awarded 2004
Official website http://www.shawprize.org
A white man wearing a shirt looking left, with an observatory on the left side of the picture
Geoffrey Marcy, one of the 2005 astronomy prize winners
Three white men wearing suits and ties stand in front of a podium, each holding up a medal
Saul Perlmutter, Adam Riess and Brian P. Schmidt (from left to right) jointly won the 2006 astronomy prize
A white elderly man wearing suit and tie stands before a brick house
Richard Doll, one of the 2004 life science and medicine prize winners
A man wearing a shirt and trousers looks towards the right, with both hands inside his pockets
Shiing-Shen Chern, the 2004 mathematical sciences prize winner
A white man wearing glasses and a shirt looking upward
Andrew John Wiles, the 2005 mathematical sciences prize winner
A man with dark hair holds his head with his right hand
Vladimir Arnold, one of the 2008 mathematical sciences prize winners

The Shaw Prize is an annual award first presented by the Shaw Prize Foundation in 2004. Established in 2002 in Hong Kong, it honours living "individuals, regardless of race, nationality and religious belief, who have achieved significant breakthrough in academic and scientific research or application, and whose work has resulted in a positive and profound impact on mankind."[1][2] The prize, widely regarded as the "Nobel of the East",[2][3][4][5] is named after Sir Run Run Shaw (邵逸夫), a leader in the Hong Kong media industry and a long-time philanthropist.

The prize is for recent achievements in the fields of astronomy, life science and medicine, and mathematical sciences; it is not awarded posthumously.[1] Nominations are submitted by invited individuals beginning each year in September. The award winners are then announced in the summer, and receive the prize at the ceremony in early autumn. The winners receive a medal and a certificate. The front of the medal bears a portrait of Shaw as well as the English and the Chinese name of the prize; the back bears the year, the category, the name of the winner and a Chinese quotation of philosopher Xun Zi (制天命而用之, which means "Grasp the law of nature and make use of it").[6] In addition, the winner receives a sum of money, which is worth US$1 million as of 2009.[1][7]

As of 2010, 22 prizes have been awarded to 36 individuals. The inaugural winner for the Astronomy award was Canadian P. James E. Peebles; he was honoured for his contributions to cosmology. Two inaugural prizes were awarded for the Life Science and Medicine category: Americans Stanley N. Cohen, Herbert W. Boyer and Yuet-Wai Kan jointly won one of the prizes for their works pertaining to DNA while British physiologist Richard Doll won the other for his contribution to cancer epidemiology. Shiing-Shen Chern of China won the inaugural Mathematical Sciences award for his work on differential geometry. There have been no female recipients.

Contents

Shaw Prize laureates

Astronomy

Year Laureate[a] Nationality[b] Rationale[c] Refs.
2004 Peebles, P. James E.P. James E. Peebles  Canada for his contributions to cosmology [8][9]
2005 Marcy, GeoffreyGeoffrey Marcy  United States for their contributions that led to the discovery of planetary systems [10][11]
Mayor, MichelMichel Mayor  Switzerland
2006 Perlmutter, SaulSaul Perlmutter  United States for finding the expansion rate of the accelerating universe and the energy density of space [12][13]
Riess, AdamAdam Riess  United States
Schmidt, BrianBrian Schmidt  Australia
2007 Goldreich, PeterPeter Goldreich  United States for his achievements in theoretical astrophysics and planetary sciences [14][15]
2008 Genzel, ReinhardReinhard Genzel  Germany for demonstrating that the Milky Way's centre contains a supermassive black hole [16][17]
2009 Shu, Frank H.Frank H. Shu (徐遐生)  United States for his life-long contributions to theoretical astronomy [18][19]
2010 Bennett, Charles L.Charles L. Bennett  United States for their contributions to the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe experiment, which helps to determine the geometry, age and composition of the universe [20]
Page Jr., Lyman A.Lyman A. Page Jr.  United States
Spergel, David N.David N. Spergel  United States

Life science and medicine

Year Laureate[a] Nationality[b] Rationale[c] Refs.
2004[d] Cohen, Stanley N.Stanley N. Cohen  United States for their contributions to DNA cloning and genetic engineering [9][21]
Boyer, Herbert W.Herbert W. Boyer  United States
Kan, Yuet-WaiYuet-Wai Kan (簡悅威)  United States for his works on DNA polymorphism [9][22]
2004[d] Doll, RichardRichard Doll  United Kingdom for his contributions to the epidemiology of cancer [9][23]
2005 Berridge, MichaelMichael Berridge  United Kingdom for his works on calcium signalling, a process that regulate the activity of cells [24][25]
2006 Wang, XiaodongXiaodong Wang (王曉東)  United States for his works on programmed cell death [26][27]
2007 Lefkowitz, RobertRobert Lefkowitz  United States for his works on G protein-coupled receptor [28][29]
2008[e] Campbell, Keith H. S.Keith H. S. Campbell  United Kingdom for their works on the cell differentiation in mammals, a process that advances our knowledge of developmental biology [17][30]
Wilmut, IanIan Wilmut  United Kingdom
Yamanaka, ShinyaShinya Yamanaka (山中伸弥)  Japan
2009 Coleman, Douglas L.Douglas L. Coleman  United States for their discovery of leptin [19][31]
Friedman, Jeffrey M.Jeffrey M. Friedman  United States
2010 Julius, DavidDavid Julius  United States for his discovery of molecular mechanisms by which the skin senses painful stimuli [20]

Mathematical sciences

Year Laureate[a] Nationality[b] Rationale[c] Refs.
2004 Chern, Shiing-ShenShiing-Shen Chern (陳省身)  China for his initiation and pioneering of global differential geometry [32][33]
2005 Wiles, Andrew JohnAndrew John Wiles  United States for his proof of Fermat's Last Theorem [34][35]
2006 Mumford, DavidDavid Mumford  United States for his contributions to pattern theory and vision research [36][37]
Wu, WentsunWentsun Wu (吳文俊)  China for his contributions to mathematics mechanisation [36][37]
2007 Langlands, RobertRobert Langlands  Canada for the development of the Langlands program, a program that connects prime numbers with symmetry [38][39]
Taylor, RichardRichard Taylor  United Kingdom
2008 Arnold, VladimirVladimir Arnold  Russia for their contributions to mathematical physics [17][40]
Faddeev, LudwigLudwig Faddeev  Russia
2009 Donaldson, Simon K.Simon K. Donaldson  United Kingdom for their contributions to the geometry of 3 and 4 dimensions [19][41]
Taubes, Clifford H.Clifford H. Taubes  United States
2010 Bourgain, JeanJean Bourgain  Belgium for his work in mathematical analysis and its application to fields ranging from partial differential equations to theoretical computer science [20]

Notes

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Introduction". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/organization/introduction.html. Retrieved October 25, 2009. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Jackson Laboratory scientist wins Shaw Prize, "Nobel of the East"". The Jackson Laboratory. June 16, 2009. http://www.jax.org/news/archives/2009/coleman_shaw_prize.html. Retrieved October 26, 2009. 
  3. ↑ "Berkeley Lab’s Saul Perlmutter Wins Shaw Prize in Astronomy". Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. June 21, 2006. http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-releases/2006/06/21/berkeley-labs-saul-perlmutter-wins-shaw-prize-in-astronomy/. Retrieved November 20, 2009. 
  4. ↑ "$1 million ‘Nobel of the East’ awarded to Sir Michael Berridge, Emeritus Fellow at the Babraham Institute". Babraham Institute. July 18, 2005. http://www.babraham.org/news2005/july-19.html. Retrieved November 20, 2009. 
  5. ↑ "Solana Beach: Astronomy researcher gets $1 million Shaw Prize". North County Times. June 17, 2009. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/solana-beach/article_3b3d1a4d-261f-5ed0-9277-6d84554b28d9.html. Retrieved November 20, 2009. 
  6. ↑ "Medal". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/prize/medal.html. Retrieved November 21, 2009. 
  7. ↑ "Rules of Procedures" (PDF). shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/common/pdf/Rules_of_Procedures.pdf. Retrieved November 19, 2009. 
  8. ↑ "P. James E. Peebles". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2004/astronomy/Peebles/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Shaw Prize awarded to six scientists". Government of Hong Kong. September 7, 2004. http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/brandhk/070904e2.htm. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  10. ↑ "Geoffrey Marcy and Michel Mayor". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2005/astronomy/Marcy_Mayor/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  11. ↑ Sanders, Robert (September 1, 2005). "Planet hunter Geoffrey Marcy shares $1 million Shaw Prize in astronomy". UC Berkeley. http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/09/01_shaw.shtml. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  12. ↑ "Saul Perlmutter, Adam Riess and Brian Schmidt". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2006/astronomy/Perlmutter_Riess_Schmidt/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  13. ↑ "Berkeley physicist Perlmutter wins Shaw Prize for work on expansion of universe". UC Berkeley. June 22, 2006. http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2006/06/22_shaw.shtml. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  14. ↑ "Peter Goldreich". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2007/astronomy/Goldreich/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  15. ↑ "Caltech Astrophysicist Peter Goldreich Wins $1 Million International Shaw Prize". California Institute of Technology. June 12, 2007. http://media.caltech.edu/press_releases/13004. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  16. ↑ "Reinhard Genzel". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2008/astronomy/Genzel/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Viñas, Maria José (June 10, 2008). "6 Professors to Share $1-Million Shaw Prizes". The Chronicle of Higher Education. http://chronicle.com/article/6-Professors-to-Share-1-Mi/41121/. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  18. ↑ "Frank H Shu". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2009/astronomy/Shu/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Beja, Marc (June 16, 2009). "$1-Million Shaw Prizes Go to 5 Researchers". The Chronicle of Higher Education. http://chronicle.com/article/1-Million-Shaw-Prizes-Go-to-5/47750. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "Shaw Prize Announcement 2010". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/shawprize2010/announcement/announcement.html. Retrieved May 27, 2010. 
  21. ↑ "Stanley N. Cohen and Herbert W. Boyer". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2004/life/Boyer_Cohen/citation.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  22. ↑ "Yuet-Wai Kan". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2004/life/Kan/citation.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  23. ↑ "Sir Richard Doll". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2004/life/Doll/citation.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  24. ↑ "Sir Michael Berridge". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2005/life/Berridge/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  25. ↑ "$1 million ‘Nobel of the East’ awarded to Sir Michael Berridge, Emeritus Fellow at the Babraham Institute". Babraham Institute. July 18, 2005. http://www.babraham.org/news2005/july-19.html. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  26. ↑ "Xiaodong Wang". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2006/life/Wang/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  27. ↑ "Xiaodong Wang Wins $1 Million Shaw Prize". Howard Hughes Medical Institute. June 22, 2006. http://www.hhmi.org/news/wang20060622.html. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  28. ↑ "Robert Lefkowitz". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2007/life/Lefkowitz/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  29. ↑ "Robert J. Lefkowitz Wins $1 Million Shaw Prize". Howard Hughes Medical Institute. June 12, 2007. http://www.hhmi.org/news/lefkowitz20070612.html. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  30. ↑ "Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and Shinya Yamanaka". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2008/life/Wilmut_Campbell_Yamanaka/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  31. ↑ "Douglas L Coleman and Jeffrey M Friedman". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2009/life/Coleman_Friedman/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  32. ↑ "Shiing-Shen Chern". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2004/mathematical/Chern/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  33. ↑ Sanders, Robert (December 6, 2004). "Renowned mathematician Shiing-Shen Chern, who revitalized the study of geometry, has died at 93 in Tianjin, China". UC Berkeley. http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/12/06_chern.shtml. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  34. ↑ "Andrew John Wiles". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2005/mathematical/Wiles/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  35. ↑ "Institute For Advanced Study Congratulates 2005 Shaw Prize Laureate Andrew Wiles". Institute for Advanced Study. June 7, 2005. http://www.ias.edu/news/press-releases/wiles_shaw_prize_6-7-05. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "David Mumford and Wu Wentsun". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2006/mathematical/Mumford_Wu/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "UT Southwestern biochemist wins $1 million research prize for cell death, cancer insights". UT Southwestern Medical Center. June 21, 2006. http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept37389/files/300086.html. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  38. ↑ "Robert Langlands and Richard Taylor". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2007/mathematical/Langlands_Taylor/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  39. ↑ "Two Faculty Members Named 2007 Shaw Prize Laureates". Institute for Advanced Study. June 13, 2007. http://www.ias.edu/news/press-releases/1181760259. Retrieved October 31, 2009. 
  40. ↑ "Vladimir Arnold and Ludwig Faddeev". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2008/mathematical/Faddeev_Arnold/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  41. ↑ "Simon K Donaldson and Clifford H Taubes". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/laureates/2009/mathematical/Donaldson_Taubes/announcement.html. Retrieved October 27, 2009. 
  42. ↑ "The Shaw Laureates (2004 – 2009)" (PDF). shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/common/pdf/laureates/laureate_chart_2009_en.pdf. Retrieved October 29, 2009. 
  43. ↑ "Press release of the 2004 Shaw Prize announcement". shawprize.org. http://www.shawprize.org/en/shawprize/2004/announcement/release.html. Retrieved October 29, 2009. 
Shaw Prize laureates
Astronomy

Jim Peebles (2004) · Geoffrey Marcy / Michel Mayor (2005) · Saul Perlmutter / Adam Riess / Brian P. Schmidt (2006) · Peter Goldreich (2007) · Reinhard Genzel (2008) · Frank Shu (2009) · Charles L. Bennett / Lyman Page / David Spergel (2010)
Life science and medicine

Stanley Norman Cohen / Herbert Boyer / Kan Yuet-wai / Richard Doll (2004) · Michael Berridge (2005) · Wang Xiaodong (2006) · Robert Lefkowitz (2007) · Ian Wilmut / Keith Campbell / Shinya Yamanaka (2008) · Douglas L. Coleman / Jeffrey M. Friedman (2009) · David Julius (2010)
Mathematical science

Shiing-Shen Chern (2004) · Andrew Wiles (2005) · David Mumford / Wu Wenjun (2006) · Robert Langlands / Richard Taylor (2007) · Vladimir Arnold / Ludvig Faddeev (2008) · Simon Donaldson / Clifford Taubes (2009) · Jean Bourgain (2010)