The Harvey Prize is awarded annually in a variety of disciplines within the categories of Science & Technology and Human Health. The Harvey Prize has also been awarded for Contribution to Peace in the Middle East.
Harvey Prize winners are selected by a council of world-renowned scientists and experts in each field through a rigorous selection process. The Harvey Prize Council, comprised of the President of the Technion, one Vice-President, Dean of the Graduate School, two representatives of both the Israel National Academy of Science and the Technion Senate, reviews all nominations. The Council then makes recommendations, which are scrutinized by professional evaluation committees in the respective fields, and then to the Technion Senate Committee for Honorary Degrees and Prizes. Once the Harvey family and the American Technion Society (ATS) have been formally notified of the choice of finalists, the President of the Technion informs the awardees of their impending honor.
Laureates are requested to come to the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology to receive their awards. While in Israel, recipients give lectures and meet with Israeli scientists, academicians, and leaders at Technion and other universities. Material from these lectures is published in a continuing library, the Harvey Prize Papers.
Guidelines for The Harvey Prize Nominations
The Harvey Prize is derived from a donation made by the Lena P. Harvey Foundation to the American Technion Society in September 1971. Two awards of $75,000 each are made annually. The prize winners receive their awards at the Technion.
The prizes are awarded each year in a five year cycle in two of the following fields of human endeavour:
| 1st Year | Two prizes in Science and Technology |
|---|---|
| 2nd Year | One prize in Science and Technology One prize in Human Health |
| 3rd Year | Two prizes in Science and Technology |
| 4th Year | One prize in Science and Technology One prize in Human Health |
| 5th Year | One prize in Science and Technology One prize for Outstanding Contribution to Peace in the Middle East or Outstanding Contribution to the Economy or Society |
- In general, recipients of the Nobel or Wolf Prizes are not eligible for the Harvey Prize, unless the accomplishments cited in the nomination represent new or different work.
- Prospective candidates for the Harvey Prize must be outstanding personalities in one of the fields of human endeavour outlined above. They should be persons whose achievements have served as a source of inspiration to many others.
- The Harvey Prize is intended, in principle, to recognize recent breakthroughs in science and technology. However, work done in the past may be selected for the award if its significance has recently been appreciated.
- Each Harvey Prize winner will be invited to appear in person at the Technion to receive the prize and spend time at the Institute, teaching his/her subject.
- The Harvey Prizes are publicized internationally so that the work of the Harvey Prize winners will benefit the largest number of people possible and, therefore, do the greater public good and encourage others to support and engage in the same kind of public endeavour.
Nominations:
- All nominations should be submitted in writing, accompanied by material to facilitate the evaluation of candidates. Please use a separate form for each candidate.
- The following people can submit one or more nominations:
- Members of the Board of Governors of the Technion and of the Technion Senate.
- Harvey Prize Laureates.
- Members of National Academies of Science and Engineering.
- Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Deans of recognized institutions of their higher learning and research in Israel and abroad.
- Self nominations are not will not be accepted.
- Technion academic staff, including emeriti, as well as members of the Board of Governors cannot be nominated for the prize.
- Nominators are requested not to inform the proposed candidates of their candidacy.
- Nominations should be made in the name on behalf of individuals, and not of institutions or organizations.