The
Nobel Prize in Chemistry (
Swedish Nobelpriset i kemi) is awarded annually by the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of
chemistry. It is one of the five
Nobel Prizes established by the will of
Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry
physics,
literature,
peace, and
physiology or medicine. This award is administered by the
Nobel Foundation and awarded by a committee that consists of five members elected by
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The first Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in 1901 to
Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, of the
Netherlands, "for his discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and
osmotic pressure in solutions." The award is presented in
Stockholm at an annual ceremony on December 10, the
anniversary of Nobel's death. In 2007 the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to
Gerhard Ertl (of
Germany) "for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces"; he was awarded the prize amount of 10,000,000
SEK (slightly more than
€1&_160;million, or
US$1.4&_160;million). As of 2007, The Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to 150 individuals.
The committee and institution serving as the selection board for the prize typically announce the names of the laureates in October. The prize is then awarded at formal ceremonies held annually on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. "The highlight of the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm is when each Nobel Laureate steps forward to receive the prize from the hands of His Majesty the King of Sweden. ... Under the eyes of a watching world, the Nobel Laureate receives three things a diploma, a medal and a document confirming the prize amount" ("What the Nobel Laureates Receive"). Later the Nobel Banquet is held in Stockholm City Hall.
A maximum of three laureates and two different works may be selected. The award can be given to a maximum of three recipients per year. It consists of a gold medal, a diploma, and a cash grant. The grant is currently approximately 10&_160;million&_160;SEK, slightly more than €1&_160;million (US$1.4&_160;million).
Compared with some other prizes, the Nobel Prize nomination and selection process is long and rigorous, a key reason why it has become the most important prize in chemistry.
