The Ig Nobel Prize

This is a funny award given to people who have done research into interesting (and funny) items. They even have a ceremony at Harvard where they present the prizes.
Here is description of what this is from the site:

Every Ig Nobel Prize winner has done something that first makes people LAUGH, then makes them THINK.

My favorite one from this year is the Ig Nobel Prize for Economics. It was awarded to the Vatican for "outsourcing prayers to India".