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Struchkov Prize

[Yuri Struchkov]Professor Yuri T. Struchkov (1926-1995) was an outstanding Russian crystallographer who made substantial contributions to the structural chemistry of organic and organometallic compounds. He was the founder and long time director of the X-Ray Structural Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, one of the most productive laboratories in the field of 'small molecule' organic crystallography. He served as a member of the Executive Committee of the IUCr in 1990-1993 and was elected the Vice-President of the IUCr at the XVIth General Assembly in Beijing in 1993. He did not finish his term as a VP, as he passed away in August, 1995.

In order to commemorate the life achievements of Prof. Struchkov, his friends and former colleagues have established the Struchkov Prize, which since 1997 has been awarded annually to a young (<35 years) scientist from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) for the best research work in the field of X-ray crystallography. The jury, chaired by the present director of the X-ray Structural Centre, M. Yu. Antipin, and composed of members of the FSU crystallographic community, selects the winner from submitted applications. The winner receives a diploma and a prize of approximately $500. In the past three years the prizes were awarded to A. V. Virovets, Inst. of Inorganic Chemistry, Novosibirsk (1997), A. M. Abakumov, Chemistry Dept, Moscow State U. (1998), and T. I. Ivanova, Geology Dept, St Petersburg State U. (1999). Over the years the competition has grown tougher, with the number of applications increasing from 8 in 1997 to 17 in 1999.

Early in 2000 the Struchkov Prize underwent an organizational change. Initially the funds for the Prize were provided by the X-ray Structural Centre. This year a group of more than 15 former students and co-workers of Prof. Struchkov, working in crystallographic labs all over the world, formed the Struchkov Prize Society (registered in San Diego, USA), whose goal is to promote individual contributions towards the funding of the Struchkov Prize. Growth of the Struchkov Prize fund will permit an increase in the monetary value of the award as well as allow the award of additional prizes honoring top ranking canidates. Anyone wishing to contribute to the Struchkov Prize fund should contact M.Yu. Antipin at mishan@xray.ineos.ac.ru or A. I. Yanovsky at yan@xrpent.ineos.ac.ru for details.

A. I. Yanovsky