Definition
The Nobel Committee is a body of experts appointed by each of the prize‑awarding institutions of the Nobel Foundation to evaluate nominations and recommend laureates for the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace.
Overview
Four separate Nobel Committees operate in Sweden, each linked to a specific prize category:
- Nobel Committee for Physics – appointed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
- Nobel Committee for Chemistry – also appointed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
- Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine – appointed by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute.
- Nobel Committee for Literature – appointed by the Swedish Academy.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, distinct from the Swedish bodies, is appointed by the Norwegian Storting (parliament) and awards the Nobel Peace Prize.
Each committee consists of a small group of scholars or former laureates (typically five to seven members) who serve for limited terms. They are responsible for:
- Reviewing all submitted nominations (which are confidential and may number in the thousands).
- Consulting external experts and conducting independent investigations.
- Preparing reports and presenting recommendations to the larger deciding assembly of each prize‑awarding institution.
Final decisions are made by the respective academies or assemblies, which may accept or modify the committee’s recommendations.
Etymology / Origin
The term combines “Nobel,” after Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor whose 1895 will established the prizes, with “committee,” from the Latin committere (“to bring together”). The Nobel Committee concept originated in the first years after the foundation’s creation when the awarding institutions needed a formal mechanism to assess nominations; the earliest recorded committees date to 1901, the year of the first Nobel Prizes.
Characteristics
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Composition | Experts in the relevant field, often members of the appointing academy or distinguished scholars; members are appointed for fixed terms (typically 3–6 years). |
| Confidentiality | Proceedings, nomination lists, and deliberations are strictly secret for 50 years, in accordance with the Nobel Foundation’s statutes. |
| Authority | The committees do not have final voting power; they issue recommendations that are acted upon by the full academy or assembly. |
| Frequency of Meetings | Convene regularly during the annual nomination period (January–February) and hold intensive deliberations in September‑October before the October announcement. |
| Transparency | While the process is confidential, the committees publish annual reports after the 50‑year secrecy period, providing historical insight into selection criteria. |
Related Topics
- Nobel Foundation – the private institution that administers the finances and overall governance of the Nobel Prizes.
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences – the body that awards the Physics, Chemistry, and Economic Sciences prizes.
- Karolinska Institute – the institution responsible for the Physiology or Medicine prize.
- Swedish Academy – the organization that awards the Literature prize.
- Norwegian Storting – Norway’s parliament, which appoints the Norwegian Nobel Committee for the Peace Prize.
- Alfred Nobel – the founder of the Nobel Prizes, whose will stipulated the creation of the prize‑awarding committees.
Note: The specific composition and internal procedures of each Nobel Committee are subject to change and are governed by the statutes of the respective awarding institutions.