European Physical Society Plasma Physics Innovation Prize - 2013

Research in Plasma Physics has multiple and rich outcomes with direct and/or indirect applications. These applications, which are sometimes inconspicuous and even unknown to the layman, can have significant impacts on daily human life as well as on economic activity. Surprisingly, some of the impacts seem far from the basic Plasma Physics research which gave birth to these key original ideas, but nonetheless represent exemplary innovative strategies. Today, applications of Plasma Physics flourish in vastly different domains, such as radioactive waste transmutation, medicine, isotope separation processes (with fundamental applications to cancer therapy), infection treatment, material processing, torch cutting and welding, flat TV screens, lighting systems, thrusters, as well as countless other medical, industrial and engineering applications. Within the general framework of the relationship between “Science and Society”, there is a strong effort on communication between research and public domains in many countries.

The European Physical Society is keenly aware of these important applications. As a dual gesture of stimulation and recognition, a new annual prize has been created by the Plasma Physics Division of the European Physical Society. This prize targets research which has demonstrably led to robust innovative applications or important effects on society. Nominations in any fields are encouraged.

Establishment and Support

The prize has been established in 2008 and supported by the Plasma Physics Division of the European Physics Society. The Prize is given once a year and consists of 3000 euros and a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient. More information and previous winners can be found at: http://plasma.ciemat.es/innovation.shtml

Rules and eligibility:

Nominees need not now be working on the topics. Any work may be submitted. The recognized contribution may be a product, a process or a tool enabling practical application issued directly from plasma physics field.

Existing applications (i.e. excluding those expected to be developped within a short time or forthcoming future) will be taken into consideration. Moreover, applications developped in areas outside the plasma research field in which these were born will be analyzed by the jury. High technology products /tools which represent only extensions of works developped in the same original research field will be not considered.

Nominees need not to be EPS members. Nominees candidatures are submitted by nominators as detailed below. Proposals for prize sharing are also admitted. There is no restriction in terms of geography and/or nationality.

Nominations and selection Process

A broad spectrum of nominations and in particular from companies/institutions/National and/or Universities laboratories are encouraged to apply. To complete the nomination, you (the nominator) are asked to provide the EPS Plasma Physics Innovation Prize nomination form by November 1^st 2012.

Completed forms should be sent to:

Chair of the EPS Plasma Physics Division, Dr. Sylvie Jacquemot, LULI, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France

Email address: sylvie.jacquemot@polytechnique.edu

Contacts:

Bertrand Lembège: (bertrand.lembege@latmos.ipsl.fr)

Holger Kernsten: (kersten@physik.uni-kiel.de)