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Microsoft European Science Award

This prestigious award, sponsored by Microsoft Research*, is designed to recognise and reward scientists working in Europe who have made a major contribution to the advancement of science through the use of computational methods. The 2008 award is open to any research scientist who has made a significant contribution at the intersection of computing and the biological sciences.

The award comprises a trophy and a monetary amount of 250,000 EUR, of which 7,500 EUR will constitute prize money with the rest earmarked for further research.

The award will be presented in the autumn of the year of the award.

Eligibility

The award is open to research scientists and engineers of any nationality who have been resident in Europe for at least 12 months prior to the announcement of the award.

Current members of the Royal Society Council or Académie des sciences, Microsoft employees and employees of other company research laboratories are not eligible for the award.

For more detail on eligibility and the award please see the terms and conditions.

Previous winners

The 2007 award for research at the intersection of computing and the physical sciences was presented to Professor Giorgio Parisi from University of Rome "La Sapienza", for his outstanding contribution in the fields of quantum chromodynamics and spin glasses.

Click here for more information about previous winners.

Selection

The nominations for the Microsoft Award will be assessed by a committee comprising representatives of the Royal Society and Académie des Sciences. This Committee will recommend to the respective Councils the recipient of the Award.

Selection will be based on past achievement in the field, rather than the proposed research albeit that where two candidates are deemed to be equal, the strength of their proposed research programme will be used to determine the winner.

Making a nomination

The online nomination process for the Award comprises two parts:

• Form A, completed by the nominator, outlines the nominees scientific record and suitability for the award. The nominator is also asked to give contact details for two referees who will be approached by the Royal Society for a reference to support the nomination.
• Form B, completed by the candidate outlines the proposed research programme and how they intend to spend the grant earmarked for further research.

Nominations for the 2009 Microsoft European Science Award will be accepted from December 2008.

• Royal Society and Académie des sciences Microsoft European Science Award - Form A (Microsoft Word)
• Royal Society and Académie des sciences Microsoft European Science Award - Form B (Microsoft Word)