The New York Academy of Sciences announces the New York Academy of
Sciences Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, a new effort to
recognize the most noteworthy and innovative scientists in New York, New
Jersey and Connecticut.

Made possible by the generosity of Len Blavatnik, Chairman of Access
Industries, the Blavatnik Awards will recognize the achievements of
young scientists and engineers who have contributed significantly to
interdisciplinary research. The program will recognize accomplishments
in life, physical and social sciences and engineering with a total of
six prizes of $25,000 in unrestricted funds each. They will be
distributed in the following categories of research:

* Basic: Original investigation meant to create new scientific
knowledge or to increase our scientific knowledge base. This research
does not seek to solve or treat a practical problem.

* Applied: Designed to solve a practical problem that has
specific commercial objectives with respect to products, processes, or
services or that can be made available to humankind for practical
benefit.

* Translational: Research that applies ideas or discoveries
generated through basic scientific inquiry at the bench to the treatment
or prevention of disease or injury in the clinic.

Special multidisciplinary judging panels will decide the winners of the
awards in each category. To qualify, nominees must must have made
important contribution(s) to an interdisciplinary field of science that
significantly advanced their field of interest; have conducted this
research in New York, New Jersey, and/or Connecticut at a public or
private institution; have earned a terminal degree (PhD, MD, DDS, DVM);
and have been born on or after January 1, 1965.

Nominations, which are due to the Academy May 1, can be made by an
institution, department, individual, or self by completion of the
nomination form. Finalists will be announced in late June, and the
Blavatnik Awards will be presented at the Academy's Science & the City
Gala on November 12, 2007.

For more information about the awards, go to:
http://www.nyas.org/about/yiawards.asp.