Breakthrough Prize Opens Public Nomination Period For 2017 Prizes In Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences & Mathematics

World's Largest Science Prizes to Be Awarded in Late Fall of 2016 at Silicon Valley Awards Ceremony

SAN FRANCISCO, March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Breakthrough Prize has opened the public nomination period for its 2017 prizes in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences and Mathematics. Prizes will be presented in the late fall of 2016 at a globally televised, gala awards ceremony in Silicon Valley.

Nominations can be submitted online through May 31, 2016. While self-nominations are prohibited, anyone may make a nomination for another person. The nomination form and rules are available at www.breakthroughprize.org.

For the fifth year, the Breakthrough Prize, the world's largest science prize, will honor top scientists, handing out up to five prizes in Life Sciences, one in Physics and one in Mathematics. One Life Sciences award will be given specifically for work contributing to the understanding of Parkinson's disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Each prize comes with a $3 million award.

In addition, up to six New Horizons Prizes, each for $100,000, will be awarded to promising early career researchers in the fields of Fundamental Physics and Mathematics.

The Breakthrough Prize hosts a gala awards ceremony to celebrate the laureates' achievements and to foster broad popular support for scientific endeavors and inspire the next generation of scientists. As part of the schedule, the prize-winners also engage in a program of lectures and discussions at a daylong symposium the day after the ceremony.

The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Jack Ma and Cathy Zhang, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Yuri and Julia Milner. Selection Committees composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates choose the winners.

Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

One 2017 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.

The Selection Committee for the 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics includes: Nima Arkani-Hamed, Lyn Evans, Michael B. Green, Alan Guth, Stephen Hawking, Joseph Incandela, Takaaki Kajita, Alexei Kitaev, Maxim Kontsevich, Andrei Linde, Arthur McDonald, Juan Maldacena, Saul Perlmutter, Alexander Polyakov, Adam Riess, John H. Schwarz, Nathan Seiberg, Ashoke Sen, Yifang Wang and Edward Witten.

Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Up to five 2017 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 prize in this category is designated for work contributing to the understanding of Parkinson's and neurodegenerative disorders.

The Selection Committee for the 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences includes: C. David Allis, James P. Allison, Victor Ambros, Cornelia I. Bargmann, Alim Louis Benabid, David Botstein, Edward S. Boyden, Lewis C. Cantley, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Hans Clevers, Karl Deisseroth, Titia de Lange, Mahlon R. DeLong, Jennifer A. Doudna, Napoleone Ferrara, Michael N. Hall, John Hardy, Helen Hobbs, Eric S. Lander, Robert Langer, Richard P. Lifton, Svante Pääbo, Gary Ruvkun, Charles L. Sawyers, Alexander Varshavsky, Bert Vogelstein, Robert A. Weinberg and Shinya Yamanaka.

Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics

One 2017 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.

The Selection Committee for the 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics includes:
Ian Agol, Simon Donaldson, Maxim Kontsevich, Jacob Lurie, Terence Tao and Richard Taylor.

Information on the Breakthrough Prizes is available at www.breakthroughprize.org.