These prizes are now well-established as leading European awards in both fundamental and applied quantum electronics and optics.

Nominations for the following prizes are to be received online by March 4, 2013 at the latest: 

the EPS Quantum Electronics Prizes
the Fresnel Prizes
the EPS QEOD Thesis Prizes

More information on the QEOD website.

The EPS calendar can be downloaded here.

The Gero Thomas Commemorative Medal was created in 2000 to honour the memory of G. Thomas, who was the Secretary General of the EPS from 1973 to 1997 and played an essential role in the growth and the development of the Society. The Commemorative Medal is awarded to individuals for their outstanding service to the Society.  More information about the award, and a list of recipients can be found here: http://www.eps.org/?page=distinction_prize_gt

EPS Members (Member Societies, Individual Members, and Associate members) are invited to make nominations for the 2013 Gero Thomas Commemorative Medal.  The deadline is 31 January 2013.

Please note that The Medal may not be awarded to any person currently member or having been member of the Executive Committee in the past three years.

To complete the nomination, the nominator is asked to provide the following documents:
(i) The references of the nominee (Name, first name, full postal address, email address, phone and fax numbers)
(ii) A description of the services of the individual to the Society (maximum & A4 page)
(iii) A suggested citation (maximum 250 words)
(iv) Nominee's academic and professional background, and professional honors
(v) Three supporters statements

All proposals will be treated in confidence. Although they will be acknowledged there will be no further communication. Nominations should be sent to the attention of the
G. Thomas Prize Selection Committee

by email to Sylvie Loskill (s.loskill@eps.org); or
by surface mail to
EPS Secretariat
6, rue des Frères Lumière
68200 Mulhouse
France

Nicole Wrightham and Alex Craig, students in mathematics at the University of Sheffield, have created a formula to calculate the number of balls to hang on a Christmas tree. The formula also determines the height of the angel, and the length of the garlands and even the number of lights. Read the detailed calculation here.

Whether you decide to trust to your intuition, or let yourselves be guided by the formula, the EPS would like to wish all of its members, and all of the readers of e-EPS a wonderful holiday season.

The EPS secretariat will be closed between Christmas and New Year
The EPS secretariat closes between 21rst December 2012 and 2nd January 2013. To contact us, click here. 

EPS Young Minds Local Sections can apply for 2013 Activity Grants, totalling up to 1000€ per year. The next deadline for the application is January 15, 2013. Setting up of matching funds schemes is highly encouraged and strongly increases the chances of obtaining the grants.

Activities that are eligible for grants

Obligations of the Local Sections receiving grants

Local Sections awarded an Activity Grant are expected to report on how the Activity Grant has been employed and on the impact of the activity associated with the Activity Grant. All the reports should be available in the Local Section space on the EPS Young Minds website for the benefit of other Local Sections and of the physical community at large. Furthermore, Local Sections are encouraged to maintain their own website promoting their activities.

Visit the EPS Young Minds website.