1 March 2017

Nominations Open for 2018 Breakthrough Prizes

The following is adapted from a Breakthrough Prize press release.

The public nomination period for the 2018 Breakthrough Prizes in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences, and Mathematics is now open. Prizes will be awarded in early December 2017 during a live, globally televised gala awards ceremony in Silicon Valley.

Nominations can be submitted online through 31 May 2017. While self-nominations are prohibited, anyone may make a nomination for another person. The nomination form and rules are available at breakthroughprize.org.

For the sixth year, the Breakthrough Prize, recognized as the world’s largest science prize, will honor top scientists, handing out up to five prizes in Life Sciences, one in Fundamental Physics, and one in Mathematics. Each prize comes with a $3 million award. In addition, up to six New Horizons Prizes, each for $100,000, will be presented to promising early-career researchers in the fields of Fundamental Physics and Mathematics.

The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Yuri and Julia Milner. Selection Committees are composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates, who choose the winners from the list of candidates obtained during the nomination period.

The Prizes

One 2018 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics ($3 million) will recognize an individual(s) who has 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 fields.

Up to five 2018 Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences ($3 million each) will be awarded to individuals who have made transformative advances in understanding living systems and extending human life.

One 2018 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics ($3 million) will be awarded to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of mathematics. In addition, up to three $100,000 New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes will be presented to early career mathematicians who have already produced important work in their fields.

For more information, visit the Breakthrough Prize website.