COLUMBUS, Ohio — Battelle, the world's largest non-profit independent research and development organization, today announced 10 winners of the inaugural Gordon Battelle Prizes for scientific discovery and technology impact.

Selected from 19 entries submitted by laboratories where Battelle plays a significant management role, the awards were divided into two categories: scientific advances published within the last three years that have significantly advanced human knowledge in any field of the physical, life, or social sciences; and technology innovations that are on track, or have high promise, to provide substantial social and/or economic benefit.

Each award-winning team receives a $5,000 education grant to their school of choice (K-12 or higher education).

“Battelle manages to excellence in scientific discovery, and we are grounded in a history of applying science and technology to accelerate innovation,” said Jeff Wadsworth, President and CEO. “These awards are an opportunity to celebrate and honor the breakthrough achievements of the laboratories we manage, while promoting our commitment to learning and education.”

In the category of Scientific Discovery, the awards were presented to:

• Brookhaven National Laboratory for DNA Guided Crystallization of Nanoparticles
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for Discovery of a New Chemical Element Z=117
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory for Iron-Based Superconductors
• Brookhaven National Laboratory for Newly Discovered Properties of the Perfect Liquid
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for Discovery of Thousands of New Proteins in Spinal Fluid

In the category of Innovation Impact, the awards were presented to:

• Brookhaven National Laboratory for ProxiScan™ gamma camera designed for high resolution imaging of prostate cancer
• Idaho National Laboratory for Supercritical Solid Catalyst (SSC)
• Idaho National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory for Next Generation Fuel for High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory for Low Cost Carbon Fiber and Composites
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for Millimeter Wave (MMW) Technology

As the world’s largest, independent research and development organization, Battelle provides innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing needs through its four global businesses: Laboratory Management; National Security; Health and Life Sciences; and Energy, Environment and Material Sciences. It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $6.5 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 22,000 employees in more than 130 locations worldwide, including seven national laboratories which Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a nuclear energy lab in the United Kingdom.

Battelle also is one of the nation’s leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

For more information contact Katy Delaney at (614) 424-7208 or delaneyk@battelle.org, or T.R. Massey at (614) 424-5544 or masseytr@battelle.org.