Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is an annual award for achievement in chemistry and related sciences. It is widely regarded as the most prestigious honor in the field and one of the most famous awards in the world. The prize, which was first awarded in 1901, is presented by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is one of the multiple awards started by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor known for creating dynamite. Winners of the prize in chemistry have included such famous scientists as Marie Curie, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, Frederick Sanger, and Alfred Werner.

Background

Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor, founded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and other Nobel Prizes in his will. Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1833, and he was interested in science from a young age. His family moved to Russia when he was a child, but he returned to Sweden to set up a laboratory, where he experimented with explosives. Nobel’s laboratory where he studied explosives was destroyed in an accidental explosion, and his brother and several other people were killed. However, Nobel continued his work and a few years later invented an explosive made up of nitroglycerin and a porous substance called kieselguhr. Nobel called his invention dynamite.

Nobel’s inventions made him wealthy, and at the end of his life, he created a will that devoted most of his fortune to create the prizes that would become known as the Nobel Prizes. His will stated that his money should be used to distribute prizes each year to individuals whose contributions in the preceding year provided the most benefit to humanity. The will indicated that five different awards should be created, including one in chemistry. Although Nobel never explained why he chose the particular disciplines for his awards, many people believe he included chemistry because science and in particular his knowledge of chemistry were important in Nobel’s own work. Nobel never explicitly explained why he created the Nobel Prizes in general, but many people believe he wanted to make up for creating such dangerous weapons during his lifetime. The Nobel Prizes are considered the most prominent awards in their various fields in the world. They were first awarded in 1901, five years after Nobel’s death.

Overview

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. This organization also awards the Nobel Prize in Physics and a related prize in economics. The academy accepts nominations for the award every year, although some years no prize has been distributed because of important world events or because no work was deemed worthy. The names of the nominees and other information about the nominations cannot be revealed until fifty years later.

Each year, the Royal Swedish Academy undertakes a long process to determine a winner of the prize. The first step in the process is the nomination. Nomination to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry is by invitation only. Only qualified people and groups are allowed to nominate people for the award. Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, members of the Nobel Committees for Chemistry and Physics, Nobel laureates in chemistry and physics, professors of chemistry at prestigious universities and institutes, and some professional scientists are permitted to make nominations. People are not allowed to nominate themselves for the award. The nomination process takes place between September and the following January each year, and the academy encourages nominations by sending out thousands of nomination forms to individuals who are eligible to nominate. The completed forms must reach the academy by no later than January 31 of a particular year. Then, the Nobel Committee for Chemistry begins to screen the nominations. Roughly between 250 and 350 scientists are nominated each year, and some of the scientists are nominated by multiple people and groups. The committee chooses a preliminary list of candidates from the list of nominees. From March to May, the committee consults with experts and further evaluates the preliminary candidates. From June to August, the committee writes a report with recommendations for the winner and sends it to the academy. All the members of the committee sign the report.

The Chemistry Section of the Academy then discusses the report. The academy typically chooses the final winner or winners, or Nobel laureates, in October. The final decision is made through a majority vote, which cannot be appealed, and the academy announces the selection. The Nobel laureates then usually receive their awards in December at a formal ceremony. Each winner receives a gold Nobel medal, a diploma, and a document confirming the monetary prize amount (which can vary over time). At the presentation, laureates have the opportunity to give speeches about their accomplishments and the award.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to many famous chemists, such as Marie Curie and Alfred Werner. The prize does not limit people winning multiple times; the first person to win the chemistry award twice was Frederick Sanger, in 1958 and 1980. Karl Barry Sharpless won the award in 2001 and again in 2022. It is also possible to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and another Nobel Prize. Curie won the chemistry prize in 1911 after winning the physics prize in 1903. Linus Pauling won the chemistry prize in 1954 and then the peace prize in 1962.

Although chemistry is supposed to be the main focus of the award, some observers have noticed that many winners of the chemistry award have had backgrounds closer to biology and life science. Some scientists believe the awards should be more focused to award only accomplishments in chemistry, yet others support the expansion of the prize’s focus, since no Nobel Prize exists for biology. Furthermore, some observers point out that there can often be overlap between scientific fields or the application of various discoveries, so nominations could theoretically fit multiple prizes. For example, in 1978, scientist Peter Mitchell won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery concerning ATP synthesis, which is a process in living things. Mitchell could have also been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discovery.

Bibliography

“All Nobel Prizes in Chemistry.” The Nobel Prize, www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-prizes-in-chemistry. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Ball, Philip. “The Million Dollar Question.” Royal Society of Chemistry, Oct. 2018, www.chemistryworld.com/features/are-the-nobel-prizes-good-for-science/3009557.article. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

Lemonick, Sam. “More and More Biochemists and Life Scientists Are Winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.” C&EN, 6 Dec. 2019, cen.acs.org/articles/97/web/2019/12/biochemists-life-scientists-winning-Nobel.html. Accessed 5 Nov. 2020.

“The Nobel Prize in Chemistry.” The Nobel Prize, www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

“Nomination and Selection of Chemistry Laureates.” The Nobel Prize, www.nobelprize.org/nomination/chemistry/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Owens, Rebecca. “Nobel Prize: Who Gets Left Out?” The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2020, theconversation.com/nobel-prize-who-gets-left-out-147759. Accessed 5 Nov. 2020.