| The Kavli Prize | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Awarded for outstanding contributions in Astrophysics, Nanoscience and Neuroscience. |
| Presented by | Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters The Kavli Foundation Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research |
| Country | Norway |
| First awarded | 2008 |
| Official website | http://www.kavliprize.no |
The Kavli Prize was established in 2005 through a joint venture between the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and The Kavli Foundation. The main objective for the Prize is to honor, support and recognize scientists for outstanding scientific work in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience and award three international prizes every second year. The Kavli Prize was awarded the first time in Oslo, 9 September 2008. The Prizes were presented by His Royal Highness Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway. Each of the three Kavli Prizes consists of a gold medal, a scroll, and a cash award of US $1,000,000.
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The Kavli Prize in Astrophysics is awarded for outstanding achievement in advancing our knowledge and understanding of the origin, evolution, and properties of the universe, including the fields of cosmology, astrophysics, astronomy, planetary science, solar physics, space science, astrobiology, astronomical and astrophysical instrumentation, and particle astrophysics.
The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience is awarded for outstanding achievement in the science and application of the unique physical, chemical, and biological properties of atomic, molecular, macromolecular, and cellular structures and systems that are manifest in the nanometre scale, including molecular self-assembly, nanomaterials, nanoscale instrumentation, nanobiotechnology, macromolecular synthesis, molecular mechanics, and related topics.
The Kavli Prize in Neuroscience is awarded for outstanding achievement in advancing our knowledge and understanding of the brain and nervous system, including molecular neuroscience, cellular neuroscience, systems neuroscience, neurogenetics, developmental neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, computational neuroscience, and related facets of the brain and nervous system.
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters appoints the three Prize Committees consisting of leading international scientists after receiving recommendations made by the following international academies and equivalent scientific organisations:
These distinguished panels of international scientist’s reviews and recommend the prize winners on basis of a nomination process. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters administer the selection process and announce the prize winners.
| Year | Laureate | Institution/Country | Rationale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Maarten Schmidt | California Institute of Technology, USA | “for their seminal contributions to understanding the nature of quasars” | |
| Donald Lynden-Bell | Cambridge University, UK | |||
| 2010 | Jerry E. Nelson | University of California, Santa Cruz and Lick Observatory, US | “for their contributions to the development of giant telescopes” | |
| Raymond N. Wilson | European Southern Observatory, Garching, Germany | |||
| James Roger Angel | Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, US | |||
| Year | Laureate | Institution/Country | Rationale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Louis Brus | Columbia University, USA | “for their large impact in the development of the nanoscience field of the zero and one dimensional nanostructures in physics, chemistry and biology” | |
| Sumio Iijima | Meijo University, Japan | |||
| 2010 | Donald Eigler | IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, US | “for their development of unprecedented methods to control matter on the nanoscale” | |
| Nadrian C. Seeman | New York University, US | |||
| Year | Laureate | Institution/Country | Rationale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Sten Grillner | Karolinska Institute, Sweden | “for discoveries on the developmental and functional logic of neuronal circuits” | |
| Thomas Jessell | Columbia University, USA | |||
| Pasko Rakic | Yale University School of Medicine, USA | |||
| 2010 | Richard H. Scheller | Genentech, US | “for discovering the molecular basis of neurotransmitter release” | |
| Thomas C. Südhof | Stanford University School of Medicine, US | |||
| James E. Rothman | Department of Chemistry Yale University, US | |||