The Crafoord Prize is an annual science prize established in 1980 by
Holger Crafoord, a Swedish industrialist, and his wife Anna-Greta Crafoord. The Prize is awarded in partnership between the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Crafoord Foundation in Lund. The Academy is responsible for selecting the Crafoord Laureates. The prize is awarded in four categories:
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
and
mathematics;
geosciences;
biosciences, with particular emphasis on
ecology
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...
; and
polyarthritis, the disease from which Holger severely suffered in his last years.
According to the Academy, "these disciplines are chosen so as to complement those for which the
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfre ...
s are awarded".
Only one award is given each year, according to a rotating scheme – astronomy and mathematics; then geosciences; then biosciences.
A Crafoord Prize in polyarthritis is only awarded when a special committee decides that substantial progress in the field has been made.
The recipient of the Crafoord Prize is announced each year in mid-January; on Crafoord Days in April or May, the prize is presented by the
King of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the #IOG, Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional monarchy, constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary ...
, who also presents the Nobel Prizes at the ceremony in December.
the prize money is 6,000,000
kr (or
US$700,000).
The inaugural laureates,
Vladimir Arnold and
Louis Nirenberg, were cited by the Academy for their work in the field of non-linear
differential equations. As of 2022, the winners have predominantly been men. The first woman to be awarded the prize was astronomer
Andrea Ghez in 2012.
Laureates
The Crafoord prize has been awarded to the following scientists:
Notes
Nirenberg was born in Canada.
Grothendieck was born in Germany, but spent most of his life in France and was legally stateless. He declined his prize.
Shing-Tung Yau was born in China.
Dziewonski was born in Poland.
Kontsevich was born in Russia.
Eliashberg was born in Russia.
Rudensky was born in Russia.
See also
*
List of general science and technology awards
* The
Kyoto Prize
*
Prizes named after people
References
External links
*
Crafoord Prizeat
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences website
{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2017
Awards established in 1980
Awards of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences