Microsoft Award facts for kids
The Royal Society and Académie des sciences Microsoft Award was a special prize given each year. It was for scientists in Europe who used computers to make big discoveries in science. Two important groups, the Royal Society (from the UK) and the Académie des sciences (from France), gave out this award. Microsoft Research helped pay for it.
This award looked for scientists who did amazing work where computers met science. This included areas like biology, physics, math, and engineering. The prize showed how important it was for different science fields to work together with computers. It also helped support European scientists to keep Europe strong in science. A group of experts from both the Royal Society and the Académie des sciences chose the winner. The winner received a trophy and €250,000. Most of this money (€242,500) was for future research, and €7,500 was prize money for the scientist.
The award was given from 2006 to 2009. It has now been replaced by the Royal Society Milner Award.
Who Won the Microsoft Award?
This table shows the brilliant scientists who received the award:
| Year | Winner | Where They Worked | What They Won For | How They Used the Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Dennis Bray | University of Cambridge | For using computers to study how tiny bacteria called E. coli move towards food (this is called chemotaxis). | He used the money to set up a computer lab. This lab helped with detailed computer studies of how bacteria move. |
| 2007 | Giorgio Parisi | La Sapienza | For his work on how tiny particles interact (called quantum chromodynamics) and how disordered systems behave (like spin glasses). | He used the money for a project called IANUS. This project used special computer chips (FPGAs) to simulate complex systems. |
| 2008 | Nicholas Ayache | INRIA | For his work on using computers to analyze medical images. This helps doctors understand what's happening inside the body. | He used the money to study the shapes of 3D body parts. He also worked on combining different types of medical images. His research also helped create computer models that mix body structure (anatomy) with how the body works (physiology). |
| 2009 | Peer Bork | EMBL | For using computers to study all the tiny living things (microbes) that live inside the human body. This is called the human microbiome. |
Microsoft Awards Today
Today, Microsoft gives out different awards. These awards are for their best partners in various countries around the world.
See also
- List of computer-related awards
- List of computer science awards
