For the seventh year running, the FNR has presented scientists with an FNR Award to mark their exceptional contributions in the field of science and research. A total of 6 scientists were presented with awards in the categories ‘Scientific Publications’, ‘Promotion of Science to the Public’, and ‘Outstanding PhD Thesis’. The award comes with a 5000 Euro prize.
The ‘FNR Special Award’, presented for the third time, was awarded to physicist Claude Wehenkel – a pioneer of Luxembourg’s public research landscape, and former Director of the Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor (now part of the Luxembourg Institute for Science and Technology). He was honoured for his long-term efforts to progress and develop the research landscape in Luxembourg.
The awards were presented by Yves Elsen, Chair of the Board of the FNR, and Marc Schiltz, Secretary General of the FNR. In his speech, Yves Elsen thanked Claude Wehenkel for his continuous scientific engagement and emphasised that Luxembourg needs more people like him, in order to progress science and research, along with its socioeconomic impact, in the country.
Marc Hansen, Luxembourg’s Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research, in his speech emphasised the importance of raising awareness of the outcomes of Luxembourg research – both amongst scientists and specialists in the individual fields, as well as amongst the general public in Luxembourg and abroad.
2015 FNR Award Winners:
Outstanding Scientific Publication
Prof. Dr Ivan Nourdin and Prof. Dr Giovani PECCATI (University of Luxemburg – Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication): ‘Normal Approximations with Malliavin Calculus: From Stein’s Method to Universality’.
Outstanding PhD Thesis
Dr Shree Krishna SHARMA (University of Luxemburg – Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust): ‘Interweave/Underlay Cognitive Radio Techniques and Applications in Satellite Communication Systems’.
Dr Catherina SCHREIBER (University of Luxemburg – Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education): Curricula and the Making of the Citizens. Trajectories from 19th and 20th Century Luxembourg.
Promoting Science to the Public
Dr Elisabeth JOHN (University of Luxembourg – Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine): Hands-on science – The Scienteens Lab, das erste luxemburgische Schülerlabor.