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About the award

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Dr. Dan Maydan is a world-renowned pioneer of the hi-tech semiconductor industry. Deeply committed to furthering Israel׳s excellence and leadership in science and hi-tech, Dr. Maydan was a prime mover in establishing the Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative which strongly supported the Hebrew University’s Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.
Dr. Maydan received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. in Physics from Edinburgh University in Scotland. In 1998, Dr. Maydan was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

The Hebrew University, in conjunction with the American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU), announced the establishment of Dan Maydan Prize in Nanoscience Research in 2019. 
The $10,000 Dan Maydan Prize will be awarded yearly to an emerging and outstanding young scientist, from Israel or abroad, for his/her significant academic accomplishments in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

In 2002, Dr. Dan Maydan chaired a committee of leaders in the Israeli academic and high-tech sectors to chart Israel’s strategy for nanotechnology, leading to the establishment of the highly successful Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI). This laid the foundation for the establishment of nanotechnology as a driving force for the next wave of hi-tech industry in Israel and paved the way for Israel’s worldwide preeminence in nanotech research and development.

The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at Hebrew University has been a major participant of the INNI and Leading force in the nano community worldwide. Since its establishment in 2001, the Center has been fostering world-class, cross-disciplinary research inclusive of chemistry, physics, engineering, life science, agriculture, pharmacy and medicine.
 

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The Trophy awarded to the winner of the Dan Maydan Prize was designed by artist Mr. Dov Ganchrow, an Israeli product designer and senior lecturer at Bezalel Academy of Arts.
The trophy embodies the concept of nano by employing visual phenomena such as the lotus effect and quasi crystals to create a sculptural Zen-garden. The trophy has been designed in two sections; one section is given to each prize winner during the award ceremony, while the second section is displayed at the Nano Center. Over time, this will create the Dan Maydan Prize Recipients’ Wall connecting the Center with the prize winners to form a historic log of outstanding nano research.