Prizes of the French Académie des sciences

Academic activities > Prizes of the French Académie des sciences

Each year, the French Académie des sciences awards approximately 80 Prizes. Thanks to the generosity and numbers of those who contribute financially, the fields in which prizes may be given are very wide-spread and include both basic and applied research. The most prestigious of these annual awards is the "Grande Médaille".
The Prizes are handed over officially to the laureates in a Ceremony under the Dome of the Institut de France.

Cf. for lists of laureates and further reading in the French Website

The "Grande Médaille"

The "Grande Médaille" 2014 is awarded to Joel LEBOWITZ

Joel LEBOWITZ, a man of science and peace, the award-winner of the 2014 Grande Médaille of the French Académie des sciences.

See the Press Release

The "Grande Médaille" 2013 is awarded to Joan A. STEITZ.

The "Grande Médaille" 2012 is awarded to Adi SHAMIR.

The main area of research of Adi Shamir is cryptography.

For further reading on the Adi Shamir's Website

The "Grande Médaille" was created in 1977 and is a group award involving 143 Foundations of the Academy of Sciences and the Institut de France Cf. list of Foundations.

Each year, the "Grande Médaille" is awarded for work in a field that comes alternately under the heading of one the two Divisions of the Academy; the Prize may go to a French national or to a foreign scientist who has contributed in some remarkable and decisive way to progress in his/her field, either through personal research accomplished by the laureate or through the international echo and stimulating influence that work has had, sometimes leading to new schools of research. The work involves some important area of basic research and throws new light and enables better understanding in the field.

Cf. for lists of laureates and further reading in the French Website

International Prizes of the Académie des sciences

GENERALE DE SANTE FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2015 FOR RESEARCH IN CELL THERAPY AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

The Générale de Santé Foundation awards the International Prize 2015 for Research in Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine. This prize rewards scientific excellence in the field of tissue regeneration.
See the call for applications

DESCARTES-HUYGENS Prize

This is an annual prize, created in 1955 by the Governments of France and the Netherlands, awarded to international class research scientists, from one or other nationality, in recognition of the quality of their research and for their contribution to Franco-Dutch co-operation.
The Prize is awarded after deliberation of juries chaired by each of the following academies (the Royal Academy of Sciences of the Netherlands, the French Academies of Sciences and Moral and Political Sciences of the Institut de France) by rota in the following fields: material sciences, life sciences, human and social sciences).
Cf. for lists of laureates and further reading in the French Website

Descartes-Huygens Prize for 2012 awarded to cell biologists Graça RAPOSO and Harry HEIJNEN
Cf. further reading in the Press Release of The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Website

RICHARD LOUNSBERY Prize

This prize was created by Vera Lounsbery in memory of her husband Richard LOUNSBERY, with the aim to stimulate scientific research and exchanges between the USA and France; the prize is awarded alternately each year to a young French scientist then an American, for high level research in biology and medicine. The Prize also carries a financial package to cover expenses of visits in French institutions and laboratories for the American laureate and the reciprocal for arrangements for the French scientist. Laureates are invited to give a lecture in session of the Academy that made the award.
Cf. for lists of laureates and further reading in the French Website

FRANCE-TAIWAN SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION PRIZE 2015

The Academie des sciences - Institut de France and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan award a Franco-Taiwanese Scientific Grand Prize every year to a team of French and Taiwanese researchers for their contribution to scientific research of interest to both regions. The laureates are expected to foster scientific exchange between the two regions, for example, by organizing conferences and symposia.
Cf. for lists of laureates and further reading in the French Website
See the call for applications

GAY-LUSSAC HUMBOLDT Prize

The Gay-Lussac Humboldt Prize was created in 1981 by the French and German Governments and is awarded each year in recognition of high quality work by 5 very high level scientists from one or other nationality and of their contribution to reinforcing co-operation between France and Germany.
The Prize is awarded by the Ministry for Higher Education and Research (France) for German scientists candidates to the Prize, accepting to represent French universities, research institutions, laboratories, and reciprocally by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The Prize can be awarded in any scientific field.
Cf. for lists of laureates and further reading in the French Website

Each year, the French Académie distributes about 80 prizes.

Cf. further reading in the French Website

French Académie des sciences website