The Kavli Prize

Info

Three international prizes for outstanding scientific work in the fields of Astrophysics, Nanoscience and Neuroscience.

The Kavli Prize is awarded every second year by The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters at a Ceremony in Oslo, Norway.

Historie

The Kavli Prize is a partnership between The Norwegian Academy
of Science and Letters, The Kavli Foundation (United States) and The
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. The Kavli Prize was established to:

Recognise outstanding scientific research
Honour highly creative scientists
Promote public understanding of scientists and their work
Foster international cooperation among scientists

The agreement to establish the Kavli Prize was signed in 2005 by the founder of The Kavli Foundation, Fred Kavli; Kristin Clemet, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research; and Jan Fridthjof Bernt, President of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. The Kavli Prize was awarded for the first time in 2008.

The Kavli Prize emphasise the science of the greatest physical dimensions of space and time, the science of the smallest dimensions of systems of atoms and molecules, and the science of the most complex systems, especially living organisms.

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 felds 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, macromo-lecular and cellular structures and systems that are manifest in the nanometre scale, including molecular selfassembly, nanomaterials, nanoscale instrumenta-tion, 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, neu-rogenetics, developmental neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience and related facets of the brain and nervous system.

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters appoints the three prize committees after receiving recommendations from the following international academies and equivalent scientific organizations:

The Chinese Academy of Science
The French Academy of Sciences
The Max Planck Society (Germany)
The National Academy of Sciences (US)
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Royal Society (UK)

The prize committees review the nominated candidates and submit their recommendations to the board of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. The President of the Academy announces the prize winners.