Heino Falcke from Radboud University Nijmegen and Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn has won the 2023 Balzan Prize for “being the first to envision imaging the immediate surroundings of a black hole, and for his leadership of the Event Horizon Telescope.”

Prof Falcke was awarded an Advanced Grant in 2009. Then in 2014 – together with two other scientists – he won a Synergy Grant for research that five years later resulted in the first ever image of a black hole. In 2023, Prof Falcke is set to start another Synergy Grant funded project to unravel new astrophysical questions posed by the black holes.

The International Balzan Prize Foundation aims is to promote culture, sciences, and the most meritorious initiatives in the cause of humanity, peace, and fraternity among peoples throughout the world. The value of each prize is 750,000 Swiss francs, half of which goes to research projects carried out by young scholars. Until now, 15 ERC grantees have won this award.

More about Balzan Prize.