IDIES Director, Prof. Alexander Szalay was nominated by Prof. Adam Riess, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Thomas J. Barber Professor of Physics and Astronomy, and Nobel Prize Winner, “for his pioneering work on demonstrating that the Dark Matter in the Universe might be a neutral, weakly interacting particle and for his contributions to data-driven, statistical cosmology”. 

Viktor Ambartsumian International Science Prize is one of the important awards in Astronomy/Astrophysics and related sciences. It is being awarded to outstanding scientists from any country and nationality having significant contribution in science. The Prize is being awarded since 2010 once every two years. In 2010-2016 the Prize totaled USD 500,000, which was set by the Republic of Armenia (RA) Government. Since 2018 the Prize totals USD 300, 000. The Prize includes laureate honorary diploma, medal with certifying document, USD 200,000 equivalent cash award and USD 100,000 equivalent for further development of Astronomy/Astrophysics as well as related fields of Physics and Mathematics in Armenia, for the next two years after the Prize award. This money should be used as follows: USD 50,000 for research projects, USD 25,000 for Armenian scientists’ foreign fellowships, USD 15,000 for organizing scientific meetings and schools in Armenia, USD 7,200 for scholoarships of M.Sc. students studying at State universities, and USD 2,800 for astronomy outreach projects. 

 The International Steering Committee (ISC) consists of 9 outstanding scientists: Prof. Radik Martirosyan (President of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, Armenia, ISC Chair), Prof. Xavier Barcons (Germany), Prof. Jocelyn Bell Burnell (UK), Prof. Anatol Cherepashchuk (Russia), Prof. Michel Mayor (Switzerland), Prof. Vahe Petrosian (USA), Prof. Brian Schmidt (Australia), Prof. Joseph Silk (UK) and Prof. Ewine Van Dishoeck. 

For more information about the Viktor Ambartsumian International Science Prize.