Academy of Science award 2020: 65 prizes for 68 laureates

The prizes and medals awarded every year by the Academy of Science “honour experienced scientists or support young researchers starting their career”. In 2020, despite everything that has happened, 65 prizes totalling more than 850,000 euros were awarded.

Rigorous Selection

Thanks to the generosity of donors and many public and private partners, government entities or companies, the Academy of Sciences is able to fund its prizes to foster scientific activities every year. Indeed, the Academy of Sciences prizes cover “all scientific fields, whether fundamental or applied”. As the Academy underlines, many candidates of excellence are considered for the prizes, so the choice is rigorous. The selection is done by various juries, depending on the categories, as part of a strict regulation “excluding the possibility of a conflict of interest”.

Laureates often have an international career

Although the Academy of Sciences recompenses French research in priority, many researchers awarded often have an international career or are even foreign nationals.

Stanley Durrleman, head of research at the Inria and team leader at the Institute of the brain, won the “prix Jeune chercheur” (Young Researcher Prize) from the Academy of Sciences, and did part of his studies in France and the US. This was also the case of Jorge Mondéjar-Fernández, who won the “Bourse Louis Gentil – Jacques Bourcart” (Louis Gentil – Jacques Bourcart Grant) and studied in Madrid and Paris. Rinaldo Poloi, a professor in Toulouse, received the “Prix Jaffé – Fondation de l’Institut de France” (Jaffé Prize – Foundation for the Institute of France) for his research on molecular chemistry, and he attended trainings in Italy and France. Last but not least, Ruxandra Gref, head of research at the CNRS, won the Seqens prize from the Academy of Sciences in chemistry and also had a study career in France and the US.

Among the prizes awarded, the “Prix de la Fondation scientifique franco-taiwanaise” (Prize of the Franco-Taiwanese Foundation) was also awarded to Sami Souissi and Jiang-Shiou Hwang for their work on the biology of the zooplankton and their close collaboration that led to the creation of an international lab they co-direct.

Other foreign researchers such as the physicist Juan Maldacena, born in Argentina and student in the US, won the “Prix Cécile de Witt-Morette”, a prize designed to award “a scientist of any nationality, under 55, who achieved remarkable work in the field of physics”.

Call for applications

The Academy of Sciences is always looking for new talents. It has launched a call for applications in all fields. If you are a scientist, the Academy encourages you to follow its news section on its website and on social networks.  In short, feel free to submit your file or spread the word to your coworkers! 

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