
For the 28th time, the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) has awarded the Foundation for Polish Science Prizes, which enjoy the reputation of the most important scientific honours in Poland. The laureates are three distinguished scholars: Prof. Marcin Drąg, Prof. Andrzej Kossakowski and Prof. Andrzej Wiśniewski.
The FNP Prize is awarded for significant advancements and scientific discoveries which shift cognitive boundaries and open new perspectives for research, provide an exceptional contribution towards the advancement of the nation?s progress and culture, and assure Poland a significant position for undertaking the most ambitious challenges of the modern world. The amount of the prize is PLN 200,000.
Prof. Marcin Drąg from the Faculty of Chemistry at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology has received the 2019 Foundation for Polish Science Prize in the field of chemical and material sciences for developing a new technological platform for obtaining biologically active compounds, in particular proteolytic enzymes inhibitors. The platform may be used to develop new therapies, drugs, and diagnostic methods.
Prof. Andrzej Kossakowski from the Institute of Physics at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń has received the 2019 Foundation for Polish Science Prize in the field of mathematical, physical and engineering sciences for developing of the theory of open quantum systems. This theory serves as the foundation for what is currently one of the most intensively developing fields of science: quantum information theory.
Prof. Andrzej Wiśniewski from the Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań has received the 2019 Foundation for Polish Science Prize in the field of the humanities and social sciences for developing the concept of inferential erotetic logic. The solutions proposed by Prof. Wiśniewski may find application in such areas as machine learning, the development of artificial intelligence, improvement in internet search engines, and efficient analysis of databases.
No prize was awarded in the field of life and earth sciences.
The FNP Prize is an individual prize awarded by the FNP Council through a competition in four fields: life and earth sciences; chemical and material sciences; mathematical, physical and engineering sciences; and the humanities and social sciences. Candidates for this honour may be nominated by distinguished scientists personally invited by the Foundation?s Executive Board and Council. The FNP Council serves as the competition committee and selects the laureates on the basis of opinions from independent experts and reviewers?mainly from abroad?assessing the candidates? achievements.
The FNP Prize has been awarded since 1992. Including this year?s winners, there have been a total of 102 laureates, including such distinguished scholars as Tomasz Dietl, Elżbieta Frąckowiak, Andrzej Jajszczyk, Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, the late Karol Modzelewski, Karol Myśliwiec, Andrzej Paczkowski, Timothy Snyder, Jadwiga Staniszkis, Jan Strelau, the late Jerzy Szacki, the late Andrzej Szczeklik, Piotr Sztompka, Andrzej Udalski, Anna Wierzbicka and Ewa Wipszycka.
The award ceremony will be held on 4 December 2019 at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.
The members of the Foundation Council for the current term are professors:
- Leon Gradoń (Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology), chair of the Council
- Wojciech Tygielski (Institute of Art History, Faculty of History, University of Warsaw), vice chair of the Council
- Tomasz Guzik (Jagiellonian University Medical College)
- Jan Kotwica (Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn)
- Aleksandra Łuszczyńska (SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities)
- Maria Nowakowska (Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University)
- Karol I. Wysokiński (Department of Condensed Phase Theory, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University).
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