BREAKTHROUGH PRIZE OPENS PUBLIC NOMINATION PERIOD FOR 2016 PRIZES IN FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS, LIFE SCIENCES & MATHEMATICS

SAN FRANCISCO, March 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Breakthrough Prize has opened the public nomination period for its 2016 prizes in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences and Mathematics. Nominations can be submitted online through May 31, 2015.

For the fourth year, the Breakthrough Prizes will continue to recognize the world's top scientists, granting each a $3 million award; as well as recognizing promising junior researchers in the field of Fundamental Physics, granting each a $100,000 award. Laureates attend a televised award ceremony designed to celebrate their achievements and inspire the next generation of scientists. As part of the ceremony schedule, they also engage in a program of lectures and discussions.

In addition, the Breakthrough Prize is pleased to announce that a new prize category has been created this year – the New Horizons in Mathematics Prize, a $100,000 award for promising junior researchers in the field of mathematics, who have already produced important work. Up to three of these prizes will be given each year. Nominations can now be submitted online.

Anyone may make a nomination, but self-nominations are prohibited. The nomination form and the rules are available at www.breakthroughprize.org.

The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Jack Ma and Cathy Zhang, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Yuri and Julia Milner. Selection Committees composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates choose the winners.

The 2016 prizes are expected to be announced in the fall of 2015.

Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics recognizes individuals who have made profound contributions to human knowledge. It is open to all physicists — theoretical, mathematical and experimental — working on the deepest mysteries of the Universe. The Prize can be shared among any number of scientists. Nominations are also being taken for the New Horizons in Physics Prize, which will include up to three $100,000 awards for junior researchers who have already produced important work in their field.

The Selection Committee for the 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics includes: Nima Arkani-Hamed, Lyn Evans, Fabiola Gianotti, Michael B. Green, Alan Guth, Stephen Hawking, Joseph Incandela, Alexei Kitaev, Maxim Kontsevich, Andrei Linde, Juan Maldacena, Saul Perlmutter, Alexander Polyakov, Adam Riess, John H. Schwarz, Nathan Seiberg, Ashoke Sen and Edward Witten.

Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences are awarded to individuals who have made transformative advances in understanding living systems and extending human life. Each year, one prize in this category will be earmarked for work contributing to the understanding of Parkinson's & Neurodegenerative Disorders.

The Selection Committee for the 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences includes: C. David Allis, James P. Allison, Victor Ambros, Cornelia I. Bargmann, Alim Louis Benabid, David Botstein, Lewis C. Cantley, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Hans Clevers, Titia de Lange, Mahlon R. DeLong, Jennifer A. Doudna, Napoleone Ferrara, Michael N. Hall, Eric S. Lander, Robert Langer, Richard P. Lifton, Gary Ruvkun, Charles L. Sawyers, Alexander Varshavsky, Bert Vogelstein, Robert A. Weinberg and Shinya Yamanaka.

Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics

The Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics is given each year to one individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of mathematics. In addition, this year sees the launch of the New Horizons in Mathematics Prize, which will include up to three $100,000 awards for junior researchers who have already produced important work in their field.

The Selection Committee for the 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics includes: Simon Donaldson, Maxim Kontsevich, Jacob Lurie, Terence Tao and Richard Taylor.

Information on the Breakthrough Prizes is available at www.breakthroughprize.org.
For additional inquiries, contact [email protected].

SOURCE Breakthrough Prize

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