About the WZB 
A.SK Social Science Award
Beginning in 2007, the WZB grants the A.SK Social Science Award every two years, a prize endowed with 100,000 €. The prize recognizes work in the social sciences that contributes to social and political reform
The award has been made possible by the Chinese entrepreneurs Shu Kai and Angela Chan, who endowed a foundation with six million €. The name of the award refers to initials of the foundation founders and is one of the the best-endowed prizes in the social sciences.
As the first prize recipient of the A.SK Social Science Award, the British economist Anthony Atkinson was honored in 2007 for his research on social inequality.
In 2009, the American legal scholar and philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum received the A.SK Social Science Award for her research on the conditions of human coexistence and social justice.
Revenue from foundation capital also finances a fellowship for post-doctoral candidates. The fellowship gives younger social scientists the opportunity to work for a period of one year – and in special cases even longer – on a project that contributes to social and political reform.
Prize and fellowship recipients are selected by an international selection committee.
