Brussels, 08/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The Descartes Prize for Research, which amounts to €1 million, was awarded on Wednesday 7 March, in Brussels. It goes to three research projects that received Community funding under the 6th Framework Programme for Research: (1) the high energy stereoscopic system which is a telescopic system that has revolutionised existing astronomy observation techniques and increased our knowledge and understanding of the Milky Way and the universe; (2) the Hydrosol project, which sets out a method for the production of hydrogen by water disassociation using solar energy, which could lead to environmentally-friendly hydrogen production as a source of energy; and (3) the Apoptosis project that has allowed major progress to be made in the understanding of apoptosis (programmed cellular death). The prizes were awarded during a ceremony in Brussels attended by Annette Schavan, German Minister for Education and Research, and Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for Science and Research.
The German minister and the commissioner also awarded the Descartes Prize for Science Communication which this year went to: Sheila Donegan and Eoin Gill for the Eureka weekly science magazine aimed specifically at children; the documentary series “Europe, A Natural History” co-produced by ÖRF, BBC and ZDF; Professor Vittore Silverstini for his Città della Scienza (City of Science) in Naples; Odd Askel Bergstad and other scientists of the MAR-ECO network for their work on involving the general public in the project's census of marine life; and Wendy Sadler for her “Science Made Simple” project, aimed at adolescents.