Alessandro Volta Prize

The European Physical Society and Acinque S.p.A. have created a joint award to promote excellent research and achievements in physics. The award shall be made for outstanding achievements in physics: discoveries, significant breakthroughs in research, relevant contributions to his/her field of research, research methods, instruments, facilities, etc.

The Distinction consists of a diploma, a medal, and a monetary award of 10,000 €

Who is eligible?

The Distinction is open to research physicists or anyone carrying out physics-related work.

How to nominate ?

There are no restrictions on who can make nominations.
The nomination should include:
- Personal details of the nominee(s), including biographical statement(s).
- Citation(s) highlighting the work of the nominee(s).
- Up to three statements of support for the nomination from individuals who are familiar with the work of the nominee(s)

Key Dates

The EPS will call for nominations through its website, electronic newsletter e-EPS, bimonthly magazine Europhysics News (EPN), and other communications to its members. Acinque S.p.A. will publish the call for nominations on their respective websites or in any other media they will choose for this scope.
The award’s announcement will typically occur during the EPS Annual Council Meeting.

Download the charter of the Alessandro Volta Prize

Alessandro Volta Prize Winner

2025: Jean Dalibard, Collège de France, Paris, France
“For his pioneering contributions to laser cooling and light–matter interactions, and for groundbreaking experimental and theoretical achievements in the quantum many-body physics of ultracold gases.”

This new initiative builds upon the legacy of the former EPS Edison Volta Prize.

Previous EPS Edison Volta Prize Winners

2020	Klaus Ensslin, ETH Zurich Laboratorium für Festkörperphysik, Switzerland Jurgen Smet, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany Dieter Weiss, Universität Regensburg Institut für experimentelle und angewandte Physik, Germany
2018	Alain Brillet, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Nice, France Karsten Danzmann, Max-Planck- Institut für Gravitationsphysik and Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany Adalberto Giazotto, INFN, Pisa, Italy Jim Hough, University of Glasgow, UK
2016	Michel A.G. Orrit, University of Leiden, The Netherlands
2015	Nazzareno Mandolesi, University of Ferrara, Italy Jean-Loup Puget, Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris Sud & CNRS, France Jan Tauber, Directorate of Science and Robotic Exploration, European Space Agency
2014	Jean-Michel Raimond, France
2012	Rolf Dieter Heuer, CERN Director General Sergio Bertolucci, CERN Director for Research and Computing Stephen Myers, CERN Director for Accelerators and Technology.