New York, NY, July 2, 2010

Finalists Named in Prestigious Young Scientists Award

A dozen New York-area scientists receive unrestricted funds for impactful, innovative and interdisciplinary research.

Twelve scientists from eight New York-area academic and research institutions have been chosen as the finalists of the 2010 New York Academy of Sciences Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists.

The Blavatnik Awards honor highly innovative, impactful and interdisciplinary accomplishments in the life sciences, physical sciences and engineering with unrestricted financial prizes for both finalists and awardees. This year’s finalists will be announced at the Academy’s 7th annual Science and the City Gala on November 15, 2010 in New York.

According to the official press release, the dozen finalists – five postdoctoral fellows and seven faculty members – were chosen from among more than 150 nominations by a jury of 58 top scientists after two rounds of reviews. The faculty finalists will receive up to $25,000 in unrestricted funds, and postdoctoral finalists will receive up to $15,000 in unrestricted funds.

“For the fourth year, The New York Academy of Sciences is proud to recognize the best young scientists that our area’s academic and research institutions have to offer,” said Academy President Ellis Rubinstein, in the press release. “The generosity and prescience of the Blavatnik Family Foundation in establishing this annual prize is remarkable and has already gone a long way to support some of the most important science emerging from New
York area laboratories today.”

First awarded in 2007, the Blavatnik Awards were initiated by Mr. Len Blavatnik, American industrialist and philanthropist. The Blavatnik Family Foundation and Mr. Blavatnik have a long history of providing scholarships to advance science and educational programs in the United States and worldwide. Mr. Blavatnik is the founder of Access Industries, a U.S.-based industrial group with investments in natural resources and chemicals, media and telecommunications and real estate.

“A strong and steady pipeline of highly trained scientific talent is more essential than ever if we are to successfully address the many challenges that face society and the world,” said Mr. Blavatnik, chairman of Access Industries. “I’m pleased that we are able to provide badly needed support to our most promising young scientists as they pursue their careers.”