PPD – European Physical Society

Plasma Physics Division

The EPS Plasma Physics Division bestows various prestigious awards at its annual EPS Conference on Plasma Physics

The Alfvén Prize

For research achievements which have either already shaped the field of plasma physics or have demonstrated the potential to do so in future.

Overview

The Prize comprises a medal, a diploma with a citation, and a financial award. At present, the financial award is 5,000€.
The winning individual or team will also be offered to give an invited talk at the conference.

Eligibility

The Prize will be awarded to one individual, or to a team of two or three, who has made an outstanding contribution to plasma physics, broadly interpreted. If the prize is awarded to a team, it will be divided equally.
There is no age limitation; posthumous candidates cannot be accepted; no person may be awarded the Prize more than once.
Self-nominations for the Prize are not permitted; members of the Board of the Plasma Physics Division of EPS cannot be nominated.

Nomination Process

Nominations will comprise the name and address of the proposer and nominee, a citation, and other supporting material including letters of recommendation if desired.
The completed nomination form should be sent to the Chair of the Plasma Physics Division Board of the European Physical Society.
The chairperson of the Board of the Plasma Physics Division will request nominations for the Prize from experts in the field.
The Board of the EPS Plasma Physics Division will review the nominations and thereafter decide on the Prize winner by vote. The vote can be taken by written procedure. If the Board cannot reach a decision, the chairperson will decide after consultation. The decision should be reached at the end of the year preceding the presentation of the award. No legal steps can be taken against the decision.
As with all Board discussions, the evaluation of nominations is strictly confidential. Board members must not discuss any aspect with third parties.
The chairperson of the Board of the EPS Plasma Physics Division will inform the winning individual or team. The outcome will be made public using Divisional and central EPS communications channels.

Key Dates

It is awarded each year at the EPS Conference on Plasma Physics.
The closing date for nominations for the 2025 prize was November 11, 2024.

The Innovation Prize

For technological, industrial, or societal applications of research in plasma physics.

Overview

The EPS Innovation Prize was established in 2008 by the EPS Plasma Physics Division to recognise and promote the wider benefits to society that arise from the applications of plasma physics research. Nominations are welcome from all areas of technology, industry, society or more.
The Prize is given once a year and consists of 3,000€ award and a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient(s).

Eligibility

The prize is awarded for proven applications that can go beyond, but are derived from, plasma physics research.
Joint awards are also possible and can be submitted from a group of up to three individuals.
Self-nominations are not allowed.
There are no restrictions for the nationality, the gender or the home institution of the nominees.
EPS members is not required.

Nomination Process

Nominations for the 2025 EPS Plasma Physics Innovation Prize can be submitted by completing the nomination form available here and sending it to the Chair of the EPS Plasma Physics Division Board, Kristel Crombé (kristel.crombe@ugent.be).

Key Dates

The deadline for nominations is February 16, 2025.

The Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize

For exceptional plasma physicists in the early stages of their careers.

Overview

This prize is awarded jointly by the EPS Plasma Physics Division and the Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion (PPCF) journal of IOP Publishing to exceptional plasma physicists in the early stages of their careers. The prize is funded by PPCF.
In addition to receiving a cash prize and a certificate, the winner will be invited to give a talk on their work at the annual EPS Conference on Plasma Physics.

Eligibility

Eligible nominees are persons who have made a substantial contribution to plasma physics and who, on January 31 in the year of the award, have less than six years of work experience following the award of a doctoral degree or less than ten years of experience in full-time research. These periods of eligibility can be extended to take account of career breaks if documentary evidence for them is provided.
Nominees and nominators do not need to be members of the EPS, and self-nominations will be accepted.
Nominees and nominators cannot be current members of the EPS Plasma Physics Division Board.
There are no restrictions as to nationality.

Nomination Process

Name and contact details of the nominator and the nominee.
Short citation (up to 200 characters).
Long citation (up to 2,500 characters).
Short biography of the nominee (up to 6,000 characters).
Supporting evidence (up to 3,500 characters) including a list of up to 5 publications, talks, and/or patents after obtaining a PhD (or over the six years prior to January 31 in the year of the award if the nominee does not have a PhD).
Documentary evidence for career breaks if an extension of the eligibility period is requested. An English translation should be attached if the documentation is not in that language.
Contact details of two referees and their supporting statements (up to 300 words each).

Key Dates

Nominations for the 2025 award are now open. Please send nominations using this typeform link by Friday the 28th of February 2025.

The PhD Research Award

For the recognition of truly outstanding research achievements
associated with their PhD study in the broad field of plasma physics.

Overview

The award winners will receive an award certificate from the EPS, prize money of
1,000€ and a 3-year individual members of the EPS, presented during the
opening ceremony of the annual divisional conference.
The award winners will be encouraged to present their work as an oral contribution during the following annual divisional conference and their conference fee will be waived.
The award winners will receive an invitation to the conference dinner.
The laudations will be printed in the Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Special Conference Issue.

Eligibility

A candidate’s academic qualifications must be recognized and supported by proven outstanding success in research work, including the potential impact of the nominee’s published work.
The Selection Committee will attempt to discern excellence in any field of plasma physics. The jury will weigh the depth of the PhD work against the time taken for the work, to respect the significant variation of the time required to complete a PhD within Europe.
The PhD thesis must have been formally accepted by a degree awarding institution in the EPS member states during the two years preceding the nomination.
The PhD must typically have been awarded within 10 years of the candidate starting his/her first undergraduate course.

Nomination Process

Nominations for the PhD Research Award may be made by any individual member of the Plasma Physics Division of the EPS (the Nominator).
- The Selection Committee may request a personal interview with the candidate or may request 3rd party assessment of a candidate.
- The Selection Committee may propose up to 4 candidates for the award but may also decide to propose no candidate if the selection criteria are not considered to have been met.
No self – proposals shall be considered.
Incomplete nominations will not be considered.
Nomination instructions and the current nomination form is posted on the PhD Research Award page of the EPS Plasma Physics Division website.

Key Dates

Complete nominations must be lodged by the Nominator with the Chairman of the Plasma Physics Division or the organizing member of the board of the plasma physics division in the fall of the prior award year.
Proposals for the awards shall be made annually.
The decision on the awards will be sent to all nominees in early March.

The Landau-Spitzer Award

For outstanding contributions to plasma physics.

Overview

The Award consists of a $4000 honorarium, a certificate citing the contribution, and a registration fee waiver to attend the meeting at which the award is to be presented.
The person or team receiving the award will be offered an invited talk at the forthcoming annual conference of APS-DPP (usually early November) or EPS-DPP (usually end of June, or first week of July), depending on the affiliation of the recipient(s).
APS Website award page: Lev D. Landau and Lyman Spitzer Jr. Award

Eligibility

The Award is given to an individual or group of researchers for outstanding theoretical, experimental, or technical contribution(s) in plasma physics and for advancing the collaboration and unity between Europe and the USA by joint research or research that advances knowledge which benefits the two communities in a unique way. The award may be given to a team or collaboration of up to four people affiliated with either the European or US institutions.
The Award recognizes work completed within the last 10 years and cannot be given posthumously or awarded more than once.
Members of the APS Division of Plasma Physics Executive Committee and the EPS Plasma Physics Division Board are ineligible.
Self-nominations and personal applications are not permitted.

Nomination Process

The nominations must comprise the name and address of both proposing and proposed individuals or teams, and a citation, which will be printed onto the diploma.
The winner will be recommended by a vote of the joint Selection Committee. In case of a tie between two persons (or a team), the Chair of the Selection Committee will continue to debate the supporting materials and repeat the vote until a winner emerges. The committee may decide not to recommend a winner for the Award in a particular year if the nominations do not meet the criteria established.

Key Dates

The Award will be given in alternate years, chosen by a joint APS/EPS selection committee comprised of 6 members, 3 from each society.
In years where the selection committee has an APS chair, the winning person or team will be offered an invited talk at the forthcoming annual conference of APS DPP (usually early November) and the award money will be supplied by APS. In years where the selection committee has an EPS chair, the winning person or team will be offered an invited talk at the forthcoming annual conference of EPS PPD (usually end of June, or first week of July) and the award money will be supplied by EPS.

Plasma Physics Division

For research achievements which have either already shaped the field of plasma physics or have demonstrated the potential to do so in future.

For technological, industrial, or societal applications of research in plasma physics.

For exceptional plasma physicists in the early stages of their careers.

For the recognition of truly outstanding research achievementsassociated with their PhD study in the broad field of plasma physics.

For outstanding contributions to plasma physics.

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For the recognition of truly outstanding research achievements
associated with their PhD study in the broad field of plasma physics.