U.S. President Barack Obama was notified that he will receive the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in a ceremony to be held later this year. "The Nobel Peace Prize goes to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," according to the organization’s web page.
The prize was established by Alfred Nobel, holder of the first patent for nitroglycerin and the blasting detonator. Nobel died in 1896 but set aside part of his considerable fortune to recognize world achievements in literature, physics, chemistry, medicine and peace. The first prizes were awarded in 1901. The winner receives a diploma, a cash award, and a medal.
A committee of five, given the title of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, is elected by the Norwegian Parliament (Storting). The committee members alone select the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel organization states that the members of the committee represent ". . . the relative strengths of the political parties in the Storting."
Nobel Prize winners are selected from a list of nominations made by other Nobel Prize holders, university professors, scientists, politicians and members of professional academies from around the world. The goal is to represent a wide variety of viewpoints and nationalities, according to the Nobel Foundation.
The award process begins in September when invitations are sent soliciting nominations. The deadline to return the letter is the following February. Nominations are tabulated during February and March, and research is done to compile a "short list" of candidates. The committee then brings in advisers to review the names on the short list. The advisers research the candidates, but do not provide an opinion as to the qualifications of each; that is left to the official committee members. The announcements for all fields are made during the month of October. The fields are divided over several dates in order to distribute press announcements and allow each of the award winners a special time for interviews. The awards are presented in an award ceremony in Oslo, Norway each December.
Two hundred and five names were submitted for the 2009 Peace Prize. This is a typical number considered for the prizes in medicine and the sciences, but the organization states that this was by far the largest list ever submitted for the peace award.
Organization rules prohibit the release of the nominees’ names until fifty years after the award is given. Release of information relating to the research or actual vote is also prohibited.
Source for Nobel Prize
Source for Nobel Prize: Nomination Process
http://nobelprize.org/nomination/
Source for Nobel Prize: Timeline of Nomination and Selection
http://nobelprize.org/nomination/peace/process.html
