ESAS Award for Excellence

The European Society for Applied Superconductivity (ESAS) presents the Award for Excellence at the European Conference on Applied Superconductivity (EUCAS), ie the next one at EUCAS 2023 – Bologna, to “recognise excellence in advancing the knowledge of applied superconductivity over the past five years”.

Previous Recipients

2023Prof Lixing YouShanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information
Technology (SIMIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
2021Dr Pierre VédrineEnergy Commission (CEA) Institute of Research into the Fundamental Laws of the Universe (IRFU), Saclay, France
2019Prof Yanwei MaInstitute of Electrical Engineering,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
2017Dr Ronny Stolz Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT),
Germany
2015Dr Wilfried Goldacker Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT),
Germany

Nominations(NOW CLOSED)

Nominations may be made by anyone working in the field of applied superconductivity. The principal nomination should consist of a (one to two page) letter addressed to the Award Committee Chairman and contain a comprehensive description of the candidate’s sustained and significant contributions to the field of applied superconductivity and technology. A CV and a publication list of the candidate should be attached, together with the candidate’s detailed contact information.

The principal nomination letter will address in detail:

  • The quality of the candidate’s research performed over the past five years
  • The international recognition gained for the candidate’s work over the past five years
  • The candidate’s impact on the field over the past five years

Specific indicators of excellence and suitability for the award include, but are not limited to:

  • The first time application of a new experimental or theoretical technique
  • Demonstration of key fundamental insight that impacts multiple levels of the application of any material form of superconductor
  • Synthesis or fabrication of a new material, or development of a new synthesis or fabrication process;
  • The development of novel, innovative concepts and new devices that utilises superconductivity or superconducting technology
  • The authorship or co-authorship of well-cited publications of major significance in peer-reviewed technical or scientific journals

Two further letters of support, in addition to the principal nomination, will also be required to qualify the candidate for the selection procedure. The principal nominator will be responsible for obtaining the additional letters of support. The candidate must be active in the field of applied superconductivity. In addition to the wider applied superconductivity community ESAS Board members who are not part of the prize committee are permitted, and indeed encouraged, to make nominations on the same basis as non-board members.

Selection Procedure

The nominations will be evaluated by the Awards Committee, which consists of six members of the ESAS Board, including the Chairman, of which two members will be chosen to represent the EUCAS theme areas of Materials, Electronics and Large-Scale Applications.

Each member will rank the candidates (1st choice, 2nd choice, etc) and communicate his/her ranking to the Committee Chairman. The result of this procedure will be discussed among the Committee members and communicated to the Board, whose endorsement of the selection (majority of Board members) is required.

For the avoidance of doubt, current members of the ESAS board are not eligible for the award.

Present ESAS Award Selection Committee:

  • Chairman Herbert Freyhardt, flanked by John Durrell as Chairman-elect
  • Mark Ainslie and Pascal Tixador for Large Scale
  • Teresa Puig and Herbert Freyhardt for Materials
  • Floriana Lombardi and Pascal Febvre for Electronics

The Award

The award consists of:

  • A certificate of recognition signed by the ESAS President
  • A cheque for €5,000
  • A commemorative plaque
  • An invitation to the award winner to attend EUCAS (travel expenses and accommodation, up to €1,000), and waived conference fees for the conference
  • An invitation to give a plenary presentation at the conference at which the award is made