Scientific Excellence of the EPS Nuclear Physics Division celebrated at EuNPC2025 in Caen

From 22 to 26 September 2025, the European nuclear physics community convened in Caen, France, for the 6th European Nuclear Physics Conference (EuNPC2025) — the flagship event of the EPS Nuclear Physics Division (NPD). A major highlight of the gathering was the official presentation of the 2024 EPS NPD Prizes, which honoured both established figures and promising young scientists in the field.

Lise Meitner Prize 2024: Honouring Pioneers in Nuclear Science

During the conference’s social dinner, the prestigious Lise Meitner Prize — awarded biennially by the EPS-NPD for outstanding contributions to nuclear science — was jointly presented to:

• Prof. Muhsin N. Harakeh (University of Groningen, Netherlands)

• Prof. Achim Richter (TU Darmstadt, Germany)

On the final day of the conference, both laureates gave keynote lectures showcasing their pioneering work on collective excitations in nuclei, including giant resonances, isospin modes, and the “scissors mode.” Their groundbreaking experimental and theoretical contributions were recognized by the prize committee for their lasting impact on nuclear structure research and accelerator development.

Prof. Achim Richter was not able to attend the conference and Dr Peter von Neumann-Cosel gave the talk on his behalf.

Named in honour of the trailblazing physicist Lise Meitner, the award is one of the most prestigious distinctions in the field. This year’s joint recognition reflects the complementary nature of the winners’ scientific careers and their influence across generations of nuclear physicists.

PhD Thesis Prizes: Celebrating Emerging Talent

Also presented during the conference’s social dinner were the EPS NPD PhD Thesis Prizes for the period 2021–2023, recognising exceptional doctoral research conducted at European institutions.

The three recipients were:

• Dr. Chloé Fougères (University of Caen / GANIL): “Understanding the cosmic abundance of ²²Na: lifetime measurements in ²³Mg”

• Dr. Sandro Fabian Kraemer (KU Leuven): “Vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy of the radiative decay of the low energy isomer in ²²⁹Th”

• Dr. Francesco Marino (University of Milan / INFN): “Microscopic theory of infinite nuclear matter and non empirical energy functionals”

On the final day of the conference, each awardee presented their thesis work to a broad audience of peers, mentors, and senior scientists. Their presentations spanned nuclear astrophysics, fundamental nuclear structure, and theoretical models of nuclear matter — underscoring the richness and diversity of current research directions.

EPS Poster Prize awarded at the conference

As per tradition, the European Physical Society (EPS) is supporting the EPS Poster Prize.
This year, the Nuclear Physics Division Board has awarded the prize to Dr. Marta Satrazani from KU Leuven for her outstanding work on “Gamma-ray spectroscopy of ²²⁹Ac following the β decay of ²²⁹Ra” on behalf of the IDS Collaboration.

Additional poster prizes, supported by NuPECC, one of the conference sponsors, have also been presented to other talented young researchers.

A Ceremony Rooted in Community Spirit

The awards ceremony, held during the social dinner at EuNPC2025, was a moment of celebration and recognition. The laureates’ presentations on the final day provided the entire conference community with the opportunity to engage directly with the scientific achievements being honoured.

“These awards are more than symbolic,” commented Alessandra Fantoni, the chair of the EPS-NPD Board. “They represent the creativity, depth, and continuity of the nuclear physics community in Europe and beyond.”

Lise Meitner laureates  Achim Richter (represented by Peter Von Neumann-Cosel) and Muhsin Harakeh 

with Alessandra Fantoni (EPS NPD chair and EuNPC2025 co-chair) and Marek Lewitowicz (EuNPC2025 co-chair)

 PhD best thesis Chloe Fougères with Alessandra Fantoni (EPS NPD chair and EuNPC2025 co-chair) and Marek Lewitowicz (EuNPC2025 co-chair)

 PhD best thesis Sandro Kramer with Alessandra Fantoni (EPS NPD chair and EuNPC2025 co-chair) and Marek Lewitowicz (EuNPC2025 co-chair)

 PhD best thesis Francesco Marino with Alessandra Fantoni (EPS NPD chair and EuNPC2025 co-chair) and Marek Lewitowicz (EuNPC2025 co-chair)  

 Best EPS poster prize Marta Sartrazani with Alessandra Fantoni (EPS NPD chair and EuNPC2025 co-chair)

The board of the Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the European Physical Society (EPS) is seeking candidates to host the 2027 edition of the European Nuclear Conference (EuNPC 2027).

Every three years the European Nuclear Physics Conference brings together researchers together with the aim to review and discuss the status and prospects in the field of nuclear physics and its applications. The conference will be a showcase for forefront theoretical and experimental developments, where the interplay between outstanding research and innovative concepts in the field will be promoted.

The EuNPC conference is part of the series of NPD divisional conferences, comprising the Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics (NPA) and the Applied Nuclear Physics (ANP) Conferences.

The application material should include:

-              the approximate dates when it is planned to hold the conference,

-               the description of the proposed location and venue,

-              the description of the participating Universities and Laboratories,

-              the projected costs,

-              the expected financial supports,

-              the anticipated sponsorship from Universities/Laboratories/Industries,

-              the support for students and early career researchers,

-               and the foreseen approximate conference fees.

The scientific program should cover the following fields:

·      Accelerators and Instrumentation

·      Nuclear Structure, Spectroscopy, and Dynamics

·      Nuclear Astrophysics

·      Astroparticle Physics

·      Heavy Ion Collisions and QCD Phases

·      Hadron Structure, Spectroscopy, and Dynamics

·      Fundamental Symmetries and Interactions

·      Nuclear Physics Applications

·      Few-Body Systems

The bid should also provide the list of members composing the Local Organizing Committee.

As the EuNPC is part of the series organized by the Nuclear Physics Division:

• a reduced fee for EPS members should be considered
• a contribution of €25 per participant is expected to be provided to the NPD board
• all NPD board members should be included in the International Advisory Committee and as session conveners.

In the case of proceedings, it is strongly recommended to select those appearing on a referred journal. The procedure should be defined in advance, and the proceedings must be accessible to all conference speakers.

The conference could apply to be recognized as an EPS conference and may also request an EPS poster prize and/or a grant for early-career researchers.

The EuNPC 2027 is expected to have a special session dedicated for the EPS-NPD awards, in particular the Lise Meitner 2026 and the best PhD theses for the period 2024-2026 prizes. The winners of the prizes will be invited at the conference to present their work.

The deadline to submit the application material to the Scientific Secretary of the NPD board (Raquel Crespo,  raquel.crespo@tecnico.ulisboa.pt) is July 31^st, 2025.

The candidates will be invited to present their proposal at the NPD board meeting in September 2025, when the selection of the EuNPC 2027 conference will be made and announced at the end of the EuNPC 2025 conference in Caen from September 22^nd to 26^th, 2025.

For a nomination, the attached form or a copy may be used.

Innovative applications of nuclear physics in the fields of energy, medicine, materials science, security through sensing technologies, space, environment, heritage conservation are showcased at the international conference on Applied Nuclear Physics (ANP2024), held at the Center Dissemination of Research Results of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece, between 23-27 September 2024.

ANP2024 was the 2^nd edition of the International Conference Series, after the first one hosted in Prague in 2021, with the support of the European Physics Society (EPS). The main aim is to highlight the importance and disseminate the research results in the field of applied nuclear physics to the international scientific community. ANP2024 was supported by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and was under the auspices of the Hellenic Nuclear Physics Society (HNPS), a non-profit scientific association, founded in 1990 and acts as the official body of nuclear scientists in Greece.

As the AUTh Rector, Professor Charalambos Feidas, stated during his opening of the ANP2024 conference: "The applications of nuclear physics offer societies sustainable solutions in energy, innovative medical treatments, space missions, the preservation of our cultural heritage. The field offers transformative solutions to some of the biggest challenges we face", while he added: "At conferences like this we can exchange ideas and forge partnerships, shaping a better future for our world," also noting that hosting ANP2024 at AUTh highlights the important role of the university and the physics department's research team in the advancement of Applied Nuclear Physics.

The importance of Applied Nuclear Physics in scientific research and technological development was underlined by the conference Chair and the Head of the School of Physics at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Alexandra Ioannidou, focusing on the cooperation of the scientific community with the institutional bodies to ensure the safe and innovative use of nuclear energy and technology, In this context, she explained that the conference will provide networking opportunities and the development of new partnerships. "The contacts made here are just as important as the knowledge we share, often leading to long-term relationships and partnerships", she noted.

“The goal of the conference is to strengthen the connection of the European Union of Physicists with the respective national partners”, pointed out the Chair of the Nuclear Physics Division of the European Physical Society (EPS), Professor Alessandra Fantoni (INFN Frascati, Italy) noting also that the EPS applied physics awards will to be awarded, in a special session, to the scientists Professor Alberto del Guerra (University of Pisa and INFN, Italy) and Professor Laura Harkness-Brennan (University of Liverpool, United Kingdom).

ANP2024 has been a successful EPS conference paving the path for the next one in the series. A Special Issue in the peer-reviewed journal "Applied Radiation and Isotopes" is dedicated to a limited number of original research papers presented, while all other contributions will be hosted in a Special Volume of the peer-reviewed HNPS Advances in Nuclear Physics" Proceedings Series.

ANP2024 had more than 150+ attendees, almost equally distributed between young and senior researchers. See some statistics in the Figures below. 

Besides its 5 days of talks, its 6 Plenary sessions, its 24 parallel sessions, and a Poster session with 3 awards sponsored by the Arizona Carbon Foil Co. and the EPS, ANP2024 gave the participants to enjoy the social program and swim in the blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

ANP2024 website: https://hnps.eu/ANP2024

Figure 1 - ANP2024 Participants per career level

Figure 2 - Participants per country of origin

Figure 3 - Participants per gender

Figure 4 - The AUTh Rector, Prof. Ch. Feidas and the AUTh Dept. of Physics Chair, Prof. A. Ioannidou

Figure 5 - The Chair of the EPS Nuclear Physics Division, Prof. Alessandra Fantoni (INFN Frascati, Italy)

Figure 6 - The recipients of the 2024 EPS Applied Nuclear Physics Prize, Prof. Alberto Del Guerra (University of Pisa and INFN, Italy) and Prof. Laura Harkness Brennan (University of Liverpool, United Kingdom)

Figure 7 - Robert Stoner (ACF Co.) and Alessandra Fantoni (EPS) deliver the prizes for best posters

The Nuclear Physics Division of the European Physical Society (EPS-NPD) is proud to announce the award of the 2024 Applied Nuclear Physics prize jointly to:

-       Alberto Del Guerra “in recognition of his outstanding and seminal contribution to the development of new radiation detectors and methods for clinical and preclinical molecular imaging systems and applications.”

-       Laura Harkness-Brennan “in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the application of advanced gamma-ray spectroscopy together with imaging technology and techniques to the areas of nuclear medical imaging,  homeland security, nuclear decommissioning and environmental monitoring.”

The Prize will be presented during the Award Session of the Second Applied Nuclear Physics Conference (ANPC2024) of the EPS Nuclear Physics Division, to be held in Thessaloniki, Greece from September 23^rd to September 27^th, 2024 https://hnps.eu/ANP2024/ .

The Applied Nuclear Physics prize is a new prize sponsored by the Nuclear Physics Division, consisting of an EPS diploma and 3000€, to be shared in case of more than one laureate.

This prize is replacing the former IBA-Europhysics prize, available since 2004.

 Alberto Del Guerra and Laura Harkness-Brennan