Ohio State announces the Pierre Agostini Prize

This article is a rendition of an original article published on Ohio State News.

The Ohio State University proudly announces the establishment of the Pierre Agostini Prize, the university’s most prestigious award for scholarly and artistic achievement. Named in honor of Nobel laureate and emeritus professor Pierre Agostini, the prize celebrates groundbreaking contributions to research and creative work that are recognized as “world-class” by peers and typically acknowledged through national or international awards.

Agostini, who received the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering work with attosecond light pulses, donated a replica of his Nobel medal to the university’s Department of Physics in 2024, expressing his pride in representing Ohio State’s scientific community.

Award Details
The Pierre Agostini Prize highlights Ohio State’s commitment to innovative and impactful scholarship. Each year, one faculty member whose work has decisively contributed to advancing their field or addressing urgent societal challenges will be honored. Whether the achievement spans years of incremental contributions or is a singular, revolutionary breakthrough, it must stand out for its transformative impact.

The prize includes a $50,000 award, split evenly into a cash award and a research budget. The awardee will also have the opportunity to present an overview of their work to Ohio State’s Board of Trustees in the Research, Innovation, and Strategic Partnerships Committee.

Peter Mohler, executive vice president for research, innovation, and knowledge, noted, “What better way to honor Professor Agostini’s contributions than through an award that celebrates the best of our faculty’s creativity and research. The Agostini Prize will encourage faculty to push their work even further, benefiting all of us at Ohio State and in communities across the globe.”

The Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK) administers the award, and a faculty review committee evaluates nominations. The committee comprises eight eminent faculty members known for their distinguished achievements in research or creative expression, reflecting the breadth and caliber of the nomination pool.

The inaugural recipient of the Agostini Prize will be announced this spring during Agostini’s visit to campus, where he will engage with students and faculty.

Nomination Process
Colleges, through their Dean or representative, are invited to submit nominations for the Pierre Agostini Prize. Nominations should be submitted through the university’s limited submission portal and include the following:

• A nomination letter from the nominee’s department and college.
• The nominee’s CV.
• Two letters of recommendation from scholars external to Ohio State.

Limitations
Each college may nominate up to two faculty members in good standing who have worked at Ohio State for at least four years. Nominations must be submitted by the college’s Dean or representative by February 21, 2025.

Visit the submission portal here.