New Annual US$3 Million Fundamental Physics Prize Recognizes Transformative Advances in the Field

News provided by

Milner Foundation

31 Jul, 2012, 12:45 GMT

MOSCOW, July 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Inaugural nine recipients of the Prize receive US$27 million in aggregate, all of whom agree to form a Selection Committee to award future prizes

The Milner Foundation announces today the launch of the Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation ("Foundation") dedicated to advancing our knowledge of the Universe at the deepest level by awarding annual prizes for scientific breakthroughs, as well as communicating the excitement of fundamental physics to the public.

Two categories of prizes will be awarded for past achievements in the field of fundamental physics, with the aim of providing the recipients with more freedom and opportunity to pursue even greater future accomplishments. The Fundamental Physics Prize recognizes transformative advances in the field, while the New Horizons in Physics Prizes are targeted at promising junior researchers.

All prize recipients are invited to present public talks targeted at a broad audience, on subjects ranging from the basics of modern physics to cutting-edge research. These lectures, together with supporting materials, will be made available to the public, allowing them to keep abreast of the latest developments in fundamental physics, guided by contemporary masters of the field.

In its inaugural year, the Milner Foundation has awarded nine Fundamental Physics Prizes and the recipients are:

  • Nima Arkani-Hamed
  • Alan Guth
  • Alexei Kitaev
  • Maxim Kontsevich
  • Andrei Linde
  • Juan Maldacena
  • Nathan Seiberg
  • Ashoke Sen
  • Edward Witten

All the recipients have agreed to serve on the Selection Committee of the Foundation to select recipients of future prizes.

The Foundation announces also that Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics laureate, has agreed to join its Board of Directors. Mr. Weinberg did not participate in the process of selecting prize recipients.

Yuri Milner commented:

"I am delighted to announce the launch of the Fundamental Physics Prize and welcome its first recipients. I hope the new prize will bring long overdue recognition to the greatest minds working in the field of fundamental physics, and if this helps encourage young people to be inspired by science, I will be deeply gratified."

About the Prize

(1) PRINCIPLE

  • The prizes are given annually by the Foundation for accomplishments in fundamental physics broadly defined, including advances in closely related fields with deep connections to physics

(2) PRIZES

  • Fundamental Physics Prize - US$3,000,000
  • New Horizons in Physics Prize - US$100,000

(3) GUIDELINES

  • Should recognize major achievements, with special attention to recent developments
  • No age restrictions
  • Can be shared by any number of people
  • Can be received more than once

(4) NOMINATION

  • Anyone can nominate a candidate online
  • All submissions must be completed by a third party

(5) SELECTION COMMITTEE

  • Past recipients of the Fundamental Physics Prize are invited to serve on the Selection Committee to select recipients of future prizes

(6) SPECIAL PRIZE

  • In exceptional cases a special Fundamental Physics Prize can be awarded at any time, forgoing the nomination process

Information on the Fundamental Physics Prize is available at: http://www.fundamentalphysicsprize.org 

About Yuri Milner

The Milner Foundation, established by Internet investor Yuri Milner, is dedicated to science and technology causes. Yuri graduated from Moscow State University in 1985 with an advanced degree in theoretical physics and subsequently conducted research at the Institute of Physics in the Russian Academy of Sciences.

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