VinFuture announces the prize council for the 2024 season

Comprising 11 renowned scientists recognized for their remarkable contributions to humanity, this year's Council welcomes three exceptional additions who have previously received prestigious accolades in the fields of solar batteries, plant biology, and atmospheric chemistry.

Complete list of the 2024 VinFuture Prize Council members:

– Chair of the Prize Council: Professor Sir Richard Henry Friend, FRS – University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2010 Millennium Technology Prize.

– Professor Pascale Cossart – Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.

– Professor Chi Van Dang – Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Johns Hopkins University, United States.

– Professor Soumitra Dutta – University of Oxford, United Kingdom.

– Professor Martin Andrew Green – University of New South Wales, Australia, 2022 Millennium Technology Prize, 2023 VinFuture Grand Prize.

– Professor Xuedong David Huang – Zoom Video Communications, United States.

– Professor Daniel Merson Kammen – University of California, Berkeley, United States.

– Professor Sir Konstantin (Kostya) S. Novoselov, FRS – University of Manchester, United Kingdom and National University of Singapore, Singapore, 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.

– Professor Pamela Christine Ronald – University of California, Davis, United States, 2022 Wolf Prize in Agriculture & VinFuture Special Prize.

– Professor Susan Solomon – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States, 2009 Volvo Environmental Prize, 2023 VinFuture Special Prize.

– Professor Leslie Gabriel Valiant, FRS – Harvard University, United States, 2010 A.M. Turing Award.

The members of the 2024 Prize Council are all excellent, renowned scientists, and most have accompanied VinFuture through many impressive seasons.

This year, the Council welcomes three new members: Prof. Martin Andrew Green (University of New South Wales, Australia, Laureate of the 2023 VinFuture Grand Prize), Prof. Pamela Christine Ronald (University of California, Davis, United States, Laureate of the 2022 VinFuture Special Prize for Women Innovators), and Prof. Susan Solomon (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States, Laureate of the 2023 VinFuture Special Prize for Women Innovators).

Prof. Martin Andrew Green is a Scientia Professor at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and Founding Director of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, involving several other Australian Universities and research groups. His group's contributions to photovoltaics are well known and include holding the record for silicon solar cell efficiency for 30 of the last 40 years, described as one of the "Top Ten" Milestones in the history of solar photovoltaics. The PERC solar cell that he invented in 1983 and his team developed to its full potential accounted for 91.2% of worldwide silicon solar module production in 2021 (CPIA).

Prof. Green has been awarded major international awards, including the 2018 Global Energy Prize, the prestigious 2021 Japan Prize, the 2022 Millenium Technology Prize, the 2023 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, and the 2023 VinFuture Grand Prize.

In the realm of biology, the Prize Council boasts an extra member, Prof. Pamela Christine Ronald, who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Ph.D. in Molecular and Physiological Plant Biology. She currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis and an Investigator at the Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley.

As the co-author of "Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, genetics and the Future of Food," she was named one of the world's 100 most influential people in biotechnology by Scientific American. In 2022, Prof. Ronald was awarded the Wolf Prize in Agriculture & the VinFuture Special Prize for Women Innovators. She is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences & the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Also a Laureate of a VinFuture Prize, Prof. Susan Solomon currently serves as the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies and Chair of the Program in Atmospheres, Oceans and Climate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.

Previously, she assumed the role of Ellen Swallow Richards Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry & Climate Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Acting Director at the Atmospheric Chemistry Division of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and Senior Scientist and Research Chemist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

She is internationally recognized for her outstanding contributions to the elucidation of the Antarctic ozone "hole" and to our understanding of the intricate interaction between atmospheric chemistry and climate change. With an illustrious career, she received many awards, including the 1999 National Medal of Science, the 2009 Volvo Environmental Prize, the 2018 Crafoord Prize of the Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the 2023 VinFuture Special Prize for Women Innovators. Time magazine named Prof. Solomon as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008.

Sharing his sentiments upon taking on a new role, Prof. Martin Andrew Green expressed: "I was deeply impressed by both and by how the VinFuture Prizes have established themselves right at the forefront of international awards in three short years. Given my interest in Vietnam's role in leading the energy transition in Southeast Asia through solar cell manufacturing and uptake, I was thrilled to be offered membership of the Prize Council. I look forward to contributing to the Council and to maintaining the strong record it has demonstrated in selecting the most deserving awardees."

Prof. Richard Henry Friend, Chair of the VinFuture Prize Council, commented on the significance of new members by stating: "The new members of the Prize Council bring distinction in some of the key areas where we receive many very strong nominations. Sustainability is often perceived to be hard to balance against the need to feed and provide energy for societies across the globe, and our new members bring strength and experience to many of these areas."

About the VinFuture Prize

The VinFuture Foundation, established on International Human Solidarity Day on December 20th, 2020, is a non-profit organization co-founded by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong and his wife, Pham Thu Huong. The Foundation's core activity is awarding the annual VinFuture Prize, which recognizes transformative scientific and technological innovations capable of making significant positive changes in the lives of millions of people worldwide.

The VinFuture Prize consists of four prestigious awards presented each year. The most esteemed is the VinFuture Grand Prize, valued at US$3 million, making it one of the largest annual prizes globally. Additionally, there are three Special Prizes, each valued at US$500,000, specifically dedicated to honoring female innovators, innovators from developing countries, and innovators with outstanding achievements in emerging fields

In pursuit of its mission, the Foundation undertakes various activities. These include engaging in strategic grantmaking initiatives, fostering intellectual connections, and collaborating in the advancement of science and technology.