I think we are all familiar with the entertainment industry awards …. Which seems to go on forever.  This month we are in the Nobel Prize season with its announcements across a breadth of topics. But did you know that in the field of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) it only awards in the categories of physics, chemistry and medicine. Given the specialization and interdisciplinary nature of STEM these days, the Nobel Prize – while prestigious – is not the pinnacle of success for most of the disciplines these days.

Here are some quite prestigious awards for the overlooked areas of human achievement in the STEM world:

• The Abel Prize for Mathematics
• The Fields Medal for Mathematics (recipient must be under 40 years of age)
• The Millennium Technology Prize (for innovations that support a more sustainable, enhanced quality of life)
• The Turing Award for Computer Science
• The Draper Prize for Engineering
• The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement
• The Vetlesen Prize for Geology
• The Wolf Prizes for Sciences and the Arts (breakthroughs in physics, medicine, mathematics, chemistry or agriculture)
• The Kyoto Prize (advanced technology, basic sciences, and arts and philosophy)

Image credit: Openverse, CC-0