( CNN ) -- Eleven health researchers received $ 3 million each Wednesday from a new foundation set up by some of the tech world 's heaviest hittters . That 's twice as much money as a Nobel Prize pays . And , according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg , the once-in-a-lifetime payout is n't even the most important part . `` This prize is n't really about the people who are winning it today , '' Zuckerberg told CNN 's Ali Velshi shortly after the Breakthrough Prize Foundation handed out its first of what are planned to be annual awards . `` It 's the college and graduate students who are in the lab trying to figure out what they should be researching . It 's about younger kids trying to figure out what they want to be when they grow up . '' Zuckerberg has teamed up with tech heavyweights like Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Apple board Chairman Art Levinson to launch the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences . On Wednesday , an inaugural class received the prizes for their work in research `` aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life . '' `` Society has a lot of heroes for a lot of different things , but we do n't have enough heroes who are scientists and researchers and engineers , '' Zuckerberg told CNN . `` We 're just trying to set up this ... to reward and recognize the amazing stuff these folks are doing . '' Levinson , the former CEO of biotechnology company Genentech , will serve as chairman of the foundation 's board . `` I believe this new prize will shine a light on the extraordinary achievements of the outstanding minds in the field of life sciences , enhance medical innovation , and ultimately become a platform for recognizing future discoveries , '' he said in a written statement . The founding sponsors -- Brin and wife Anne Wojcicki , Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan , and Russian entrepreneur and venture capitalist Yuri Milner -- have committed to funding five $ 3 million prizes every year going forward . Each prize winner will join the selection committee for future recipients . Wojciciki , founder of health-and-ancestry genetics company 23andMe , said that while the Nobel often recognizes scientists whose work has been widely applauded , she hopes the Breakthrough Prize will herald those whose less-visible work leads to similarly grand results . `` We want to get people in the life sciences to think big , take risks and recognize there 's a major reward that could come their way , '' she told Velshi . The prize 's first 11 recipients are : Cornelia I. Bargmann , David Botstein , Lewis C. Cantley , Hans Clevers , Napoleone Ferrara , Titia de Lange , Eric S. Lander , Charles L. Sawyers , Bert Vogelstein , Robert A. Weinberg and Shinya Yamanaka .
Tech bigwigs team up to create Breakthrough Prize for scientists . Google 's Zuckerberg , Facebook 's Art Levinson among founders . Winners receive five $ 3 million for work curing disease , extending life . Facebook is double the amount given for a Nobel .