The Dr. Pliny A. and Margaret H. Price Prize recognizes research excellence and exceptional promise in areas related to CCAPP initiatives. Two recipients are selected annually by the CCAPP Science Board. CCAPP hosts Prize recipients for a week during which they give a Price Prize seminar on their research, establish long-term collaborative relationships, and receive a $2,000 honorarium.
We welcome nominees working in all areas of cosmology and astroparticle physics, broadly defined. Our primary criterion is exceptional scientific promise. Students who did or will complete their PhD within the calendar year of the nomination deadline are not eligible (our intent is that the winners visit before starting their final year of graduate school). We particularly welcome nominations of members of groups historically excluded from physics and astronomy.
Nomination letters, preferably from thesis advisors, should be emailed to CCAPP's program coordinator, Ms. Valuncha (Nat) Paterson, paterson.29@osu.edu. An additional supporting letter (maximum of one) is welcomed but not required. We will contact the nominees directly to request their CVs.
Steve Price and his CCAPP legacy
Steve Price (March 3, 1949 – November 26, 2014) was not a scientist, but his impact on CCAPP and the field of astrophysics endures.
Steve became acquainted with Ohio State’s astronomy department and CCAPP in 2004, when the landing of the Spirit and Curiosity rovers on Mars piqued his longstanding interest in the universe. In addition to the time he spent learning about black holes, dark matter, and stellar populations, Steve and his wife, Jill Levy, also invested significant charitable donations toward CCAPP’s mission.
Together, Steve and Jill created and endowed the Dr. Pliny A. and Margaret H. Price Prize, with generous gifts in honor of Steve's parents beginning in 2009. Prior to creating the Price Prize, they also funded the renovation of Price Place, a gathering spot with state-of-the-art technology for CCAPP faculty, postdocs, students and visitors to share and discuss ideas.
Steve was proud of the fact that the Price Prize is unprecedented in the field. With his untimely passing in 2014, family and friends gave generously to this one-of-a-kind fund in his memory. He would no doubt be elated by this outpouring of support for one of his noble-hearted passions.
Steve’s friends at CCAPP are humbled to carry on his legacy through our work. We will long celebrate his visionary thinking, his insightful feedback on new research ideas, the encouragement he offered young scientists, and his inspiration for outreach to the public. And we are forever grateful to Steve and Jill for their belief in our mission and their inspiring generosity.