▁creation ▁and ▁performance . ▁Specific ▁categories ▁are ▁reserved ▁for ▁developing ▁knowledge ▁fields ▁of ▁critical ▁relev ance ▁to ▁confront ▁central ▁challeng es ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁environmental ▁awards . ▁▁ ▁The ▁awards ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁set ▁of ▁w inners ▁receiving ▁their ▁pri zes ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁The ▁BB VA ▁Foundation ▁– ▁belonging ▁to ▁financial ▁group ▁BB VA ▁– ▁is ▁partner ed ▁in ▁the ▁scheme ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁National ▁Research ▁Council ▁( CS IC ), ▁the ▁country ’ s ▁premier ▁public ▁research ▁organization . ▁ ▁In ▁their ▁eleven ▁ed itions , ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁seven ▁w inners ▁of ▁BB VA ▁Foundation ▁Front iers ▁of ▁Know ledge ▁Awards ▁have ▁gone ▁on ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁Nobel ▁Prize . ▁They ▁are : ▁Robert ▁J . ▁Le f kow itz , ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁BB VA ▁Foundation ▁Front iers ▁of ▁Know ledge ▁La ure ate ▁in ▁Bi om edic ine ▁and ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁in ▁Chem istry ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ; ▁Shin ya ▁Y aman aka , ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁BB VA ▁Foundation ▁Front iers ▁of ▁Know ledge ▁La ure ate ▁in ▁Bi om edic ine ▁and ▁Nobel ▁La ure ate ▁in ▁Phys i ology ▁or ▁Medicine ▁ 2 0 1 2 ; ▁Lars ▁Peter ▁Hans en , ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁BB VA ▁Foundation ▁Front iers ▁of ▁Know ledge ▁La ure ate ▁in ▁Econom