Excellent European research across all disciplines is of prime importance for the well-being and prosperity of Europe. EuroScience wishes to encourage the most talented young researchers to pursue a career based on research in research institutions or in other academic professions. In order to promote this idea, EuroScience has established the European Young Researchers Award. Since 2010, it has been awarded to prominent representatives of the most talented young European researchers. We want to recognize young people who have already made important contributions to their disciplines, but who have also succeeded in developing the societal context of their achievements and in promoting their field of research by notable outreach activities.
The selection of three finalists is made by the international EYRA Committee appointed by the EuroScience Board. To ensure the interaction with a larger audience the award will be presented at the upcoming EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) in Leiden, the Netherlands this year.
In view of the remarkable level of the candidates the Jury will again organize a European Young Researchers Popular Prize in addition to a Jury Winner of the EYRA postdoc award. The Committee has selected three finalists who will be invited to make a short presentation during the award ceremony at ESOF2022. In order to emphasize the importance of research outreach, the selection of a European Young Researchers Popular Prize will be decided after a vote in the virtual and physical audience and made known during the award ceremony together with the names of the Jury Winner.
Join us at ESOF2022 Leiden either onsite or online on 15 July 2022, 4:00pm CEST in Stadsgehoorzaal: meeting room Aalmarktzaal, Leiden, the Netherlands to vote for the EYRA popular prize winner from the three Postdoc finalists of the European Young Researchers Award – EYRA.
The three postdoc finalists nominated by the Jury are (in alphabetical order):
Claudia Bonfio finished her PhD in 2017 at Trento University, Italy, in Biomolecular Sciences and holds from October 2021 a Junior Group Leader position at the Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires in Strasbourg, France, following a Marie Curie Fellowship (2019-21) and an 1851 Research Fellowship (2020-2021) at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Cambridge University, United Kingdom. She holds a BA in Chemistry (Siena University, Italy) and a MSc in Chemistry (Padova University, Italy). She has been a visiting scholar at Harvard University, USA. During her academic career Bonfio has received a number of important international grants and awards. Her research interests cover a broad field within biology and chemistry with a special focus on the development of the intercellular communication of early life forms. Bonfio has presented her research at conferences and published 15 peer-reviewed contributions to high level international journals, and she been engaged in outreach to a broader audience.
Scott Doyle holds at present a research fellowship at the University of Michigan, having previously been awarded both a Juan de la Cierva fellowship and a EUROfusion postdoctoral scholarship in Nuclear Fusion at the University of Seville, Spain. He obtained his BSc in Astrophysics at Glasgow University, United Kingdom, moving on to an MSc. in Fusion Energy from the University of York, United Kingdom, and defended his PhD thesis in Plasma Physics at the University of York in 2019. He has earned a number of grants and awards; most notably undertaking a visiting research fellowship to the Australian National University. Doyle’s research domain considers both low-temperature plasma science and fusion technology, where he develops control strategies for plasma sources, ranging from the design of fusion devices to magnetic propulsion sources, also in close collaboration with research-based industry. He has made presentations at numerous international conferences and published c. 12 peer reviewed articles in high impact international journals.
Roberto Merino-Martínez holds a postdoctoral fellowship in Aerospace Engineering and started an assistant professor position in the same research group at the Delft Technical University, the Netherlands. He finished his BSc at Madrid Polytechnic University, Spain, and his MSc at Madrid Polytechnic University, Spain, and Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. In 2018 he defended his PhD thesis at Delft Technical University obtaining the cum laude distinction. His research on environmental noise caused by aircraft and wind turbines has brought him a number of important grants and awards, and led to his research collaboration with industrial research labs and an active coordination of a number of international research networks. His research achievements lie within the development of acoustic imaging methods to ensure socially sustainable aviation and wind energy through technologies for noise annoyance reduction. Merino-Martínez has presented papers at a large number of international conferences and has published c. 25 peer reviewed international publications in high impact journals.
Due to the lack of eligible applicants in the PhD category, it was unfortunately not possible to organize a meaningful competition that preserves the high quality and prestige of the award. Therefore EYRA at ESOF2022 will not have a PhD award.
The International EYRA Committee consists of Svend Erik Larsen (chair), Stephane Berghmans (Vice chair), Monica Brinzei, Jan Ramon, Genoveva Marti, Maria Paradiso, Angela Bracco.
