Context:
Recently, eight scientists were awarded the 2024 Kavli Prize for their contributions to astrophysics, neuroscience, and nanoscience. All eight scientists awarded the Prize this year are professors at leading American universities.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Dimensions of the Article:
- Kavli Prize
- Kavli Medal
Kavli Prize
- Overview:
- The Kavli Prize is an international award recognizing outstanding achievements in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience.
- It is awarded biennially and was established in 2008 by Norwegian-American businessman and philanthropist Fred Kavli.
- Administered by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, in partnership with the Kavli Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.
- Comparison with Nobel Prize:
- The Kavli Prize is similar to the Nobel Prize in the fields of astrophysics, neuroscience, and nanoscience.
- Unlike the Nobel Prize, which is awarded for achievements made “during the preceding year,” the Kavli Prize recognizes achievements without this restriction.
2024 Winners:
- Astrophysics:
- Winners: David Charbonneau (Harvard University) and Sara Seager (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
- Achievements: Discoveries and characterization of exoplanets and their atmospheres.
- Contributions: Pioneered methods for detecting atomic species in planetary atmospheres and measuring thermal infrared emissions, crucial for identifying molecular fingerprints in planetary atmospheres.
- Nanoscience:
- Winners: Robert Langer (MIT), Armand Paul Alivisatos (University of Chicago), and Chad Mirkin (Northwestern University).
- Contributions:
- Langer: Nano-engineering for controlled drug delivery systems.
- Alivisatos: Development of semiconductor quantum dots for bio-imaging.
- Mirkin: Concept of spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) for applications in gene regulation and immunotherapy.
- Neuroscience:
- Winners: Nancy Kanwisher (MIT), Winrich Freiwald (Rockefeller University), and Doris Tsao (University of California, Berkeley).
- Achievements: Mapping brain functions related to facial recognition using neuroimaging and neuronal recording techniques, identifying brain centres and neural architectures involved in face processing.
Kavli Medal
- Description:
- The Kavli Medal, separate from the Kavli Prize, is awarded annually for excellence in environmental science and engineering.
- Eligibility:
- Open to UK, Commonwealth, or Irish Republic citizens or residents with at least three years of residency.
- Targets early career scientists within 15 years of their PhD, excluding career breaks.
- Selection Process:
- Recipients are chosen by the Royal Society Council based on recommendations from the Joint Physical and Biological Sciences Awards Committee.
- Nominations are valid for five years; candidates must wait a year before being re-nominated after this period.
-Source: Indian Express
