NAS Award in Mathematics
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| NAS Award in Mathematics | |
|---|---|
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| Name | NAS Award in Mathematics |
| Awarded for | Outstanding contributions to mathematics |
| Presenter | National Academy of Sciences |
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | 1978 |
NAS Award in Mathematics The NAS Award in Mathematics is a prize presented by the National Academy of Sciences recognizing exceptional achievements by researchers in fields related to mathematics. The award has honored scholars associated with institutions such as Princeton University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley, and recipients have included mathematicians who have contributed to areas tied to Bell Labs, Institute for Advanced Study, Courant Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and California Institute of Technology.
History
The award was established by a trust administered by the National Academy of Sciences in the late 1970s, with roots in philanthropic support reminiscent of gifts to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Early decades saw laureates connected to research centers such as the Institute for Advanced Study, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, and Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, alongside scholars linked to departments at Yale University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, and University of California, Los Angeles. The award's trajectory parallels the rise of cross-disciplinary work at organizations like Bell Labs and collaborations bridging Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and national laboratories such as Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Criteria and Selection Process
Candidates are evaluated by committees drawn from members of the National Academy of Sciences with expertise spanning areas represented at institutions such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, ETH Zurich, École Normale Supérieure (Paris), and University of Tokyo. Nomination procedures involve endorsements from professors at universities including Cornell University, Brown University, Rice University, University of Pennsylvania, and Duke University, with supporting documentation often citing prior recognition from awards like the Fields Medal, Abel Prize, Wolf Prize in Mathematics, and the James S. McDonnell Foundation's honors. Review panels consider achievements in research topics associated with groups at the Clay Mathematics Institute, the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, and the Royal Society, and consult bibliographies tied to publishers such as Springer, Elsevier, and Oxford University Press.
Recipients
Recipients have included mathematicians renowned for work with links to projects at Los Alamos National Laboratory, collaborations with scientists at National Institutes of Health, and fellowships from bodies like the MacArthur Fellows Program. Laureates have held positions at Princeton University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, Yale University, University of Chicago, Brown University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University, Caltech, Rutgers University, Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Texas at Austin, University of California, San Diego, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, University of Washington, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Many recipients have also been fellows or members of organizations such as the American Mathematical Society, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Society. Awardees' research often intersected with work recognized by the Nevalinna Prize, Chern Medal, Shaw Prize, and honors from national academies like the National Academy of Engineering and the Académie des Sciences (France).
Impact and Significance
The award has amplified the visibility of mathematical research connected to departments and institutes including the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, Institute for Advanced Study, Clay Mathematics Institute, and Fields Institute. Recognized contributions have influenced areas relevant to applications at Bell Labs, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories, and have informed theory used in collaborations with entities such as NASA, National Science Foundation, European Research Council, and the Simons Foundation. Laureates' work has had downstream effects in curricula at Princeton University, Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley, and has been cited in monographs published by Cambridge University Press and lecture series at International Congress of Mathematicians. The prize has also helped recipients secure research grants from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and private foundations including the Kirov Foundation.
Administration and Sponsorship
Administration is handled by staff at the National Academy of Sciences with input from committees comprising members who are often affiliated with universities and institutes such as Princeton University, Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University, Institute for Advanced Study, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, ETH Zurich, and University of Cambridge. Financial sponsors have included trust funds and endowments comparable to those maintained by the Guggenheim Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Simons Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and private donors who have supported prizes administered by the National Academy of Sciences and parallel awards overseen by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine.