The Nicholas Copernicus Prize, funded by the City of Cracow by virtue of a resolution of the City Council, passed on July 9, 1993, in conjunction with the foundation act of the Municipal Commune (February 18, 1973).
By tradition, the PAU awards this Prize every year in the fields of astronomy, earth sciences, economy, natural philosophy, medicine, military defense sciences, and law.
In 1995, for the first time since the renewal of the PAU, six Prizes were awarded.

2005
2000
1995

LAUREATES OF 1995

Prof. Richard Wielebinski – The Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of astronomy for the works published in 1990-1994 - three series in the fields of: 1) magnetic fields of galaxies, 2) emission in molecular lines, 3) radioemission of pulsars;

Dr hab. Adam Łyszkowicz – The Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of geodesy for the work published in 1993 - The Geoid for the Area of Poland; 

Prof. dr hab. Stanisław Gibowicz and prof. dr hab. Andrzej Kijko – The Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of geophysics for the monography published in 1993 - An Introduction to Mining Seismology;

Prof. dr hab. Stanisław Leszczycki – The Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of physical geography for the idea, edition and publication in 1994 the work entitled:  Atlas zasobów, walorów i zagrożeń środowiska geograficznego Polski;

Prof. dr hab. Stanisław Meducki – The Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of economy for the work published in 1991 - Wieś kielecka w czasie okupacji niemieckiej (1939-1945). Studium historyczno-gospodarcze;

Dr hab. Teresa Grabińska – The Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of philosophy for the work published in 1993 - Teoria, model, rzeczywistość;

Prof. dr hab. Jerzy Vetulani and doc. dr hab. Lucyna Antkiewicz-Michaluk – The Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of medicine for the series of twelve works published in 1990-1994 concerning modifications of neuroactive medications effects by antagonists of calcium canal;

Prof. dr hab. inż. arch. Janusz Bogdanowski – The Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of military defense science for the work published in 1993 - Sztuka Obronna.

Prof. Bohdan Paczyński – The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of astronomy for initiating, creating and conducting significant international entrprise - Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment;

Prof. dr hab. Andrzej Sas-Uhrynowski, Dr Elżbieta Welker, Dr Irina Diomina and Dr Leonid Kasyanenko – The Collective Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of geodesy for the work: Atlas map Magnetycznych Bałtyku (1998);

Prof. dr Jerzy Jankowski, Prof. dr Christian Sucksdorff – The Collective Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of geophysics for the monography: The Guide for magnetic measurements and obserwatory practice (IAGA 1996);

Prof. dr hab. Ewa Łętowska – The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of economy for the monography: Prawo umów konsumenckich (1999);

Ks. Prof. dr hab. Michał Heller - The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of natural philosophy for four books:

• Wieczność, Czas Kosmos; Znak, Kraków 1995;
• Nauka i Wyobraźnia; Znak, Kraków 1995;
• The New Physics and New Theology; Univ. Of Notre Dame Press, USA 1996;
• Mechanika Kwantowa dla Filozofów; Biblos, Tarnów 1997;

Doc. dr hab. Władysław Lasoń – The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of medicine for the work: Neurosteroidy i ich rola w patologii ośrodkowego układu nerwowego (stany drgawkowe, procesy neurotoksyczne i uzależnienia lekowe);

Dr Krzysztof Wojtyszek – The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of law for the monography Granice ingerencji ustawodawczej w sferę praw człowieka w Konstytucji RP (Kraków 1999);

LAUREATES OF 2005

Prof. dr. hab. Andrzej J. Kus, dr. Leszek P. Błaszkiewicz, mgr Grzegorz Hrynek, mgr Andrzej Kępa, mgr Eugeniusz Pazderski, dr. hab. Marian Szymczak - The Team Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of astronomy for five works dedicated to maser emission sources .

Prof. dr. hab. Aleksander Brzeziński - The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of geodesy for theNon-rigid Earth nutation model.

Prof. dr hab. Leszek Starkel - The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of physical geography for the monography: Historia dolnej Wisły i jej dopływów w czasie ostatnich 20 tysięcy lat, IGiPZ PAN, Warszawa 2001.

Prof. Andrzej Wojtyna - The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of economics for the book: Szkice o polityce pieniężnej, Polskie Wydawnictwo Ekonomiczne, Warszawa 2004;

Prof. dr. hab. Mieczysław Markowski - The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of natural philosophy for 31 works from the period of 2000-2004 concerning a history of natural philosophy and astronomy at the Jagiellonian University, especially of the Copernicanism.

Doc. dr. hab. Krzysztof Wędzony - The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of medicine for the cycle of 6 works entitled: Poszukiwanie nowych punktów uchwytu działania substancji łagodzących objawy schizofrenii.

Dr. Wojciech Jakimowicz - The Individual Nicholas Copernicus Prize by the City of Cracow in the field of law for preparing the monography Publiczne prawa podmiotowe, Polskie Wydawnictwa Profesjonalne - Zakamycze, Kraków 2002.