ISCMNS Prizes

The history of prizes for contributions to progress in Condensed Matter Nuclear Science stretches back to at least 1993.  In that year the Italian automotive group Fiat instituted the "Truffle Prizes" and these were awarded at the first four Asti Workshops.  For those who are not gourmets, the truffle is an underground fungus which grows on the roots of oak trees in certain climates including the alpine foothills surrounding the Italian city of Asti.  It is a highly valued addition to many recipes such as the ubiquitous pasta.  Like many exotic and rare delicacies, appreciation of the truffle is an acquired taste!  This taste is not always appreciated, so in 1999 it was proposed to replace it with a more tangible and longer lasting token of excellence and esteem.  In 2003 a series of silver medals were minted to commemorate the late Italian physicist Giuliano Preparata who died in April 2000. The cost of the medals was generously covered by the  Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Asti

Truffle Prize Winners

October     1993    Yan Kucherov (Russia)

October     1995    Akito Takahashi (Japan)  Francesco Piantelli (Italy)

October     1999    Melvin Miles (USA)

Giuliano Preparata Medal Winners

March         2004  Yasuhiro Iwamura (Japan), Tadahiko Mizuno(Japan) and Antonella De Ninno (Italy)

November   2004  Peter Hagelstein (USA) at ICCF-11.

November   2005  Edmund Storms (USA), Yoshiaki Arata (Japan), Xingzhong Li(China),
                             Michael McKubre(USA) at ICCF-12

September  2006   Akira Kitamura (Japan)

June           2007   Alexander Karabut(Russia), Andrei Lipson(Russia) at ICCF13

October      2007   George Miley

Choosing the winners

The prizes were originally awarded by a scientific commission nominated by the sponsors who paid for the awards.  As time went on, this commission was augmented by the prize winners themselves.  In June 2004, the stock of medals was donated to ISCMNS which administers them through the Executive Committee.