{{short description|French prize for discoveries in science}} The '''Leconte Prize''' (French: '''''{{lang|fr|Prix Leconte}}''''') is a prize created in 1886 by the French Academy of Sciences to recognize important discoveries in mathematics, physics, chemistry, natural history or medicine. In recent years the prize has been awarded in the specific categories of mathematics, physics, and biology. Scientists and mathematicians of all nationalities are eligible for the award. The value of the award in the late 19th and early 20th century was F50,000 (at the time equivalent to £2,000, or US$10,000), about five times as much as the annual salary of the average professor in France. The award was F22,000{{Efn|The new Franc, introduced in 1960, was worth 100 old Francs.}} in 1984, F20,000 in 2001, €3,000 in 2008, €2,500 in 2010, €2,000 in 2014, and €1,500 in 2019.<ref name=prix>{{cite web|title=Lauréats Prix Leconte|url=http://www.cirs-tm.org/prix/prix.php?id=2707|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231803/http://www.cirs-tm.org/prix/prix.php?id=2707|url-status=usurped|archive-date=3 March 2016|publisher=Centre International de Recherche Scientifique|accessdate=2 June 2012|language=French}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=French Prizes for Science|journal=The Independent|date=February 11, 1904|volume=LVI|issue=2880|page=341|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_independent_1904-02-11_56_2880/page/340/mode/2up|accessdate=4 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gratzer|first=Walter Bruno|title=The Undergrowth of Science: Delusion, Self-Deception and Human Frailty|year=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=0-19-860435-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/undergrowthofsci0000grat/page/11 11]|url=https://archive.org/details/undergrowthofsci0000grat|url-access=registration|quote=prix leconte blondlot.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.academie-sciences.fr/archivage_site/activite/prix/laureat_leconte_math10.pdf|title=Prix Leconte (Mathématique)|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=14 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Lauréats 2019 des prix thématiques remis le 15 octobre|url=https://www.academie-sciences.fr/fr/Laureats/laureats-2019-des-prix-thematiques-premiere-ceremonie.html|access-date=2021-04-16|website=www.academie-sciences.fr}}</ref>
The Leconte Prize was established with a donation from a businessman, Victor Eugene Leconte, to the academy. The donation specified that a F50,000 prize would be awarded every three years for outstanding past work, and that up to 1/8th of the interest earned by the fund each year could be awarded as ''encouragements'', i.e., support for ongoing and future research. The academy did not award any large (F50,000) prizes between 1905 and 1916, but did award a total of F30,000 in ''encouragements'' during that period.<ref name=Crosland>{{Cite journal|last1=Crosland|first1=Maurice|last2=Galvéz|first2=Antonio|date=February 1989|title=The Emergence of Research Grants within the Prize System of the French Academy of Sciences, 1795–1914|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/285041|journal=Social Studies of Science|volume=19|issue=1 |pages=84, 89, 91|doi=10.1177/030631289019001002 |jstor=285041|s2cid=145463579 }}</ref>
==Recipients== {{Incomplete list|date=February 2023}} {{wikitable| class="wikitable" width="auto" |- ! Year !! Recipient !! Field !! Amount !! Notes |- | 1889 || Paul Marie Eugène Vieille || Mechanics || || <ref>{{cite web|title=Paul Vieille|url=http://fr.goldenmap.com/Paul_Vieille|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124123910/http://fr.goldenmap.com/Paul_Vieille|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 January 2013|publisher=Golden Map|accessdate=2 June 2012|language=French}}</ref> |- | 1891 || ''M.'' Douliot || || || <ref>{{Cite journal|date=31 December 1891|title=Prize Awards of the Paris Academy of Sciences|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/045216a0.pdf|journal=Nature|volume=45|pages=216}}</ref> ''Encouragement'' award.<ref name=Crosland/> |- | 1892 || Philbert Maurice d'Ocagne || Mathematics || || <ref>{{cite web|title=Philbert Maurice d'Ocagne|url=http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/Biographies/D'Ocagne.html|publisher=School of Mathematics and Statistics University of St Andrews, Scotland|accessdate=2 June 2012}}</ref> |- | 1892 || Jean Antoine Villemin || Medicine || F50,000 || Posthumously.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Posthumous Honors to Villemin|journal=Medical Record|date=4 February 1893|volume=43|issue=5|page=149|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gQxYAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Leconte+Prize%22+villemin&pg=PA149|accessdate=2 June 2012|last1=Shrady|first1=George Frederick|last2=Stedman|first2=Thomas Lathrop}}</ref> |- | 1895 || William Ramsay and<br/> John Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh || Physics || F50,000 || <ref>{{cite book|last=Tilden|first=William Augustus, William Ramsay|title=Sir William Ramsay: memorials of his life and work|year=1918|publisher=MacMillan and Company|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/sirwilliamramsay00tilduoft/page/307 307]|url=https://archive.org/details/sirwilliamramsay00tilduoft|quote=Prix Leconte.|article=French Academy prizes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=England's Greatest Chemist|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW19070717.2.383.1&l=mi&e=-------10--1----0--|publisher=Paperspast|accessdate=3 June 2012}}</ref> |- | 1898 || ''no award'' || || || <ref>{{cite journal|title=General|journal=Science|date=17 March 1899|volume=IX|series=New|issue=211|page=78|url=https://archive.org/stream/science91899mich/science91899mich_djvu.txt|accessdate=2 June 2012|doi=10.1126/science.9.211.76-a |bibcode=1899Sci.....9...76.}}</ref> |- | 1901 || Fernand Foureau || Exploration || || <ref>{{Cite journal|date=2 January 1902|title=Prize Awards of the Paris Academy of Sciences|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/065211b0.pdf|journal=Nature|volume=65|pages=211|doi=10.1038/065211b0|s2cid=33933060 }}</ref> |- | 1904 || Prosper-René Blondlot || Physics || F50,000 || <ref>{{cite journal|title=French Academy Prizes|journal=The Electrical Journal|date=6 January 1905|volume=LIV|issue=12|page=469|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IQAgAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Prix+Leconte%22+Blondlot&pg=PA469|accessdate=2 June 2012}}</ref> |- | 1907 || ''no award'' || || || <ref>{{cite journal|title=Prizes Awarded by the Paris Academy of Sciences|journal=Nature|date=12 December 1907|volume=77|issue=1989|page=139|doi=10.1038/077138a0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TNMKAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Leconte+prize%22&pg=PA139|accessdate=3 June 2012|bibcode=1907Natur..77..138.|last1=Lockyer|first1=Sir Norman|doi-access=free}}</ref> |- | 1909 || Walter Ritz || Physics || F2,000 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Ritz, Walter|url=http://hls-dhs-dss.ch/m.php?article=F32001.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115211354/http://hls-dhs-dss.ch/m.php?article=F32001.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 15, 2013|accessdate=2 June 2012|language=German}}</ref> ''Encouragement'' award.<ref name=Crosland/> |- | 1910 || Arthur Robert Hinks || Astronomy || || <ref>{{citation | last = Smart | first = W. M. | year = 1945 | title = Obituary: Arthur Robert Hinks | journal = Observatory | volume = 66 | pages = 89–91 | bibcode=1945Obs....66...89S}}.</ref> ''Encouragement'' award.<ref name=Crosland/> |- | 1911 || ''no award'' || || || <ref>{{cite journal|title=Prize Awards of the Paris Academy of Sciences|journal=Nature|date=4 January 1912|volume=88|issue=2201|page=328|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JdcRAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=4 June 2012|doi=10.1038/088327b0|bibcode=1912Natur..88R.327.|last1=Lockyer|first1=Sir Norman|doi-access=free}}</ref> |- | 1912 || Charles Tellier || || F8,000 || <ref name="1912 prize">{{Cite journal|last=|first=|date=2 January 1913|title=Prize Awards of the Paris Academy of Sciences|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/090496a0.pdf|journal=Nature|volume=76|issue=2253|pages=497|doi=10.1038/090496a0|bibcode=1913Natur..90..496.|s2cid=3966258}}</ref> ''Encouragement'' award.<ref name=Crosland/> |- | 1912 || ''M.'' Forest || || F12,000 || <ref name="1912 prize"/> ''Encouragement'' award.<ref name=Crosland/> |- | 1915 || Almroth Wright || Medicine || || <ref>{{cite book|url = http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U233737|title= Who Was Who|chapter= Wright, Sir Almroth (Edward), (10 Aug. 1861–30 April 1947), Forthergillian Gold Medal, Medical Society of London, 1908; Hungarian Prize, International Medical Congress, London, 1913; Leconte Prize, Académie des Sciences, 1915; Gold Medallist Royal Society of Medicine, 1920; Hon. Burgess of the City of Belfast; Principal of the Institute of Pathology and Research, St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, W; Professor of Experimental Pathology, University of London|date= December 2007|publisher= Oxford Index|doi= 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U233737|accessdate = 10 January 2014}}</ref> ''Encouragement'' award.<ref name=Crosland/> |- | 1921 || Georges Claude || Mechanics || F50,000 || <ref>{{cite journal|title=Scientific Notes and News|journal=Science|date=3 February 1922|volume=55|issue=1414| pages=124–127|doi=10.1126/science.55.1414.124|bibcode=1922Sci....55..124.|url=https://zenodo.org/record/1974994}}</ref> |- | 1924 || André-Louis Debierne || Chemistry || || <ref>{{Cite journal |date=31 January 1925 |title=The Medical Uses of Radium |journal=Nature |volume=115 |issue=2883 |pages=174–175 |doi=10.1038/115174a0|s2cid=4140660 |doi-access=free }}</ref> |- | 1927 || Alexandre Yersin || Medicine || || <ref>{{cite web|title=Alexandre Emile John Yersin|url=http://gluedideas.com/content-collection/Encyclopedia-Britannica-Vol-23-World-War-Zygote/Alexandre-Emile-John-Yersin.html|publisher=GluedIdeas|accessdate=2 June 2012|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225849/http://gluedideas.com/content-collection/Encyclopedia-Britannica-Vol-23-World-War-Zygote/Alexandre-Emile-John-Yersin.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- | 1930 || Élie Cartan || Mathematics || || <ref>{{cite journal|title=Notes|journal=Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society|year=1931|volume=37|series=New|issue=3|pages=157–58|url=http://projecteuclid.org/euclid.bams/1183494621|accessdate=3 June 2012|doi=10.1090/s0002-9904-1931-05122-3|doi-access=free}}</ref> |- | 1936 || Julien Constantin || || || Posthumously. "For the whole of his work."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=23 January 1937 |title=Progressive Teaching in Geography |journal=Nature |volume=139 |pages=162–163 |doi=10.1038/139162a0|last1=S |first1=L. D. |issue=3508 |s2cid=4082949 |doi-access=free }}</ref> |- | 1955 || Lucien Bull || Mechanics || || <ref>{{Cite web|date=9 November 2016|title=Lucien Bull: Mister One Hndred Thousand Images|url=https://ie.ambafrance.org/Lucien-Bull-Mister-One-Hundred-Thousand-Images|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115154100/https://ie.ambafrance.org/Lucien-Bull-Mister-One-Hundred-Thousand-Images|archive-date=15 January 2020|access-date=16 October 2021|website=Ambassade de France en Irlande}}</ref> |- | 1960 || Marguerite Perey || Physics || || <ref>{{cite book|title=Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography|year=2008|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|chapter-url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2830906000.html|accessdate=2 June 2012|chapter=Perey, Marguerite Catherine}}</ref> |- | 1975 || {{ill|Pierre Buser|fr|Pierre Buser|de|Pierre Buser}} || Medicine || || <ref>{{cite web|title=Pierre Buser|url=http://www.academie-sciences.fr/academie/membre/BuserP_bio311008.pdf|publisher=French Academy of Sciences|accessdate=2 June 2012|language=French}}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |- | 1978 || Marcel Berger || Mathematics || || <ref>{{cite web|title=Marcel Berger|url=http://www.academie-sciences.fr/academie/membre/BergerM_bio0708.pdf|publisher=French Academy of Sciences|access-date=2 June 2012|language=French|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812223453/http://www.academie-sciences.fr/academie/membre/BergerM_bio0708.pdf|archivedate=12 August 2014}}</ref> |- | 1984 || Michel Duflo and Luc Tartar || Mathematics || F22,000 || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5664550z/f555.item.r=Duflo|title=La Vie des sciences|last=texte|first=Académie des sciences (France) Auteur du|date=1984|website=Gallica|language=French|access-date=14 January 2020}}</ref> |- | 1993 || {{ill|Georg Maret|fr|Georg Maret|de|Georg Maret|arz|جورج_ماريت}} || Physics || || <ref>{{cite web|title=Festveranstaltung für Prof. Georg Maret|url=http://www.aktuelles.uni-konstanz.de/presseinformationen/2009/29/|publisher=University of Konstanz|accessdate=3 June 2012|language=German|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130082312/http://www.aktuelles.uni-konstanz.de/presseinformationen/2009/29/|archive-date=30 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- | 1996 || Sergiu Klainerman || Mathematics || || <ref>{{Cite web |date=4 October 2011 |title=Sergiu Klainerman Curriculum Vitae |url=http://web.math.princeton.edu/WebCV/SergiuCV.pdf}}</ref> |- | 1997 || Raoul Ranjeva || Biology || || <ref name=biology>{{cite web|title=Prix Leconte (Biologie integrative)|url=http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/prix/laureat_leconte_bioint.pdf|publisher=French Academy of Sciences|accessdate=2 June 2012|language=French|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525124433/http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/prix/laureat_leconte_bioint.pdf|archivedate=25 May 2013}}</ref> |- | 1998 || Philippe Biane || Mathematics || || <ref name=math>{{cite web|title=Prix Leconte (Mathématique)|url=http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/prix/laureat_leconte_math10.pdf|accessdate=2 June 2012|publisher=French Academy of Sciences|language=French|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525124437/http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/prix/laureat_leconte_math10.pdf|archivedate=25 May 2013}}</ref> |- | 1999 || Hervé Nifenecker || Physics || || <ref name=physics>{{cite web|title=Prix Leconte (Physique)|url=http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/prix/laureat_leconte_physique08.pdf|publisher=French Academy of Sciences|accessdate=2 June 2012|language=French|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531230841/http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/prix/laureat_leconte_physique08.pdf|archivedate=31 May 2011}}</ref> |- | 2001 || Thierry Gaude || Biology || F20,000 ||<ref name=biology/><ref>{{cite web|title=Palmares des Laureats 2001 des Prix Théematiques|url=http://www.sb-roscoff.fr/Phyto/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=161&Itemid=1|accessdate=2 June 2012|language=French}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |- | 2002 || Christian Gérard || Mathematics || || <ref name=math/> |- | 2004 || Rémi Monasson || Physics || || <ref name=physics/> |- | 2006 || Arnaud Cheritat and Xavier Buff || Mathematics || || <ref name=math/> |- | 2007 || Alain Pugin || Biology || || <ref name=biology/> |- | 2008 || Marie-Noëlle Bussac || Physics || €3,000 || <ref name=physics/> |- | 2010 || David Lannes || Mathematics || €2,500 || <ref name=math/> |- | 2011 || Olivier Loudet || Biology || €2,500 || <ref name=biology/> |- | 2012 || {{ill|Laurent Sanchez-Palencia|fr|Laurent Sanchez-Palencia}} || Physics || €2,500 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Laureats Prix Thématiques 2012|url=http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/prix/laureats_prixthem2012.pdf|publisher=French Academy of Sciences|accessdate=2 June 2012|language=French|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710235826/http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/prix/laureats_prixthem2012.pdf|archivedate=10 July 2012}}</ref> |- | 2013 || Zoé Chatzidakis || Mathematics || || <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencesmaths-paris.fr/en/prize-and-awards-305.htm|title=The Foundation awarded researchers|publisher=Foundation Sciences Mathématiques de Paris|accessdate=6 December 2014|archive-date=19 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019025331/http://www.sciencesmaths-paris.fr/en/prize-and-awards-305.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- | 2014 || Teva Vernoux || Biology || €2,000 || <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ens-lyon.fr/en/research/honors-and-awards/teva-vernoux-biologist-rdp|title=Teva Vernous, Biologist, RDP|last=|first=|date=|website=École Normale Supérieure de Lyon|access-date=13 January 2020}}</ref> |- | 2015 || Jean-Claude Garreau || Physics || €2,000 || <ref>{{Cite web|title=Lauréats 2015 des prix thématiques|url=https://www.academie-sciences.fr/fr/Laureats/laureats-2015-prix-thematiques.html|access-date=16 April 2021|website=www.academie-sciences.fr}}</ref> |- | 2017 || {{ill|Nikolay Tzvetkov|fr|Nikolay Tzvetkov|de|Nikolay Tzvetkov}} || Mathematics || || <ref>{{cite web|url=http://math.bas.bg/en/2017/10/03/our-colleague-nikolay-tzvetkov-received-a-prestigious-international-award/|title=Our colleague Nikolay Tzvetkov received a prestigious international award|publisher=Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences|accessdate=10 August 2019}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |- | 2019 || Michaël Le Bars || Physics || €1,500 || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insis.cnrs.fr/index.php/fr/cnrsinfo/michael-le-bars-laureat-du-prix-leconte-2019-decerne-par-lacademie-des-sciences|title=Michaël Le Bars, lauréat du prix Leconte 2019 décerné par l'Académie des sciences {{!}} INSIS|website=insis.cnrs.fr|access-date=14 January 2020}}</ref> |- | 2020 || Phillipe Eyssidieux, Vincent Guedj<br/> and Ahmed Zeriahi || Mathematics || €1,500 || <ref>{{Cite web |title=Lauréats 2020 des prix thématiques |url=https://www.academie-sciences.fr/fr/Laureats/laureats-2020-des-prix-thematiques.html |language=French |access-date=16 April 2021 |website=Académie des Sciences de France}}</ref> |- | 2021 || Emmanuelle Bayer || Biology || €1,500 || <ref>{{Cite web |title=Lauréats 2021 des prix thématiques |url=https://www.academie-sciences.fr/en/Laureats/laureats-2021-des-prix-thematiques.html |language=French |access-date=11 August 2024 |website=Académie des Sciences de France}}</ref> }}
==See also==
* List of biology awards * List of mathematics awards * List of physics awards
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Physics awards Category:Mathematics awards Category:Biology awards Category:Awards of the French Academy of Sciences Category:1886 establishments in France Category:Awards established in 1886