One of the IPMU principal investigators, Hirosi Ooguri was selected as a 2008 Humboldt Research Award recipient for his contribution to the quantum field theory and development of numerical methods in superstring theory.
This award is given by Humboldt Foundation, which is considered as "Nobel Foundation in Germany", to outstanding scientists and scholars from all disciplines whose fundamental discoveries, new theories, or insights have had a significant impact on their own discipline and who are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements in future. It is the foundation's most prestigious award, 40 Humboldt Research Award recipients have won the Nobel Prizes. The Nobel laureates, Shinichiro Tomonaga and Masatoshi Koshiba, are also the recipients of this award.
The award ceremony will take place during a symposium that will be held in March 2009 among the recipients. A reception hosted by the German president at the president's official residence, Belleview Palace in Berlin, is also planned for a later date. The amount of 60,000 Euros will come with the award. Ooguri plans to use the money for his joint research with the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, trying to advance the research in quantum mechanics and theory of gravitation.
Naoki Yoshida, who is expected to arrive IPMU this September as a project associate professor from Nagoya University, receives IUPAP Young Scientist Prize in Computational Physics for his contribution in theoretical study of structural formation of the universe using a large scale numericalanalyses. The award ceremony will take place at the August 2008 IUPAP CCP Conference in Brazil.
The IUPAP Young Scientist Prize in Astrophysics will be given to Eiichiro Komatsu, associate professor of the University of Texas and takes a joint appointment with IPMU, for his research in the cosmic microwave background radiation. He will receive the prize at the Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics that will be held in Canada this coming December. IUPAP (International Union of Pure and Applied Physics) is an scientist's organization founded in 1922, and supports research and education in physics internationally. The Young Scientist Prizes are given to young scientists within eight years sice getting their PhDs.
Good news keep coming in to IPMU in recent months about various prizes. Ooguri's receiving the inaugural Eisenbud prize in January was a symbolic event for the newly starting IPMU. Masahiro Takada, IPMU's project associate professor, also received the ASJ Young Astronomer Award from Astoronomical Society of Japan in last March.