On November 15, the day of the Celebration of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, the first winner of the Stanisław Lem European Research Prize will be announced. The prize will be awarded to a young scientist whose research has the potential to positively impact the future of our civilisation.

The Stanisław Lem European Research Prize was established to commemorate the 100th birthday of the outstanding Polish science-fiction novelist, who received an honorary doctorate from Wrocław University of Science and Technology in 1981.

The prize is aimed at supporting young scientists (up to 40 years old) studying or conducting their research in the European Union and associated countries participating in the Horizon Europe programme. It will be awarded annually for a recent discovery or significant achievement in the broadly defined fields of science and engineering, with strong elements of technology, interdisciplinarity, creativity, and vision.

- Wrocław University of Science and Technology has very strong European aspirations. We are a serious enough university for our scientists not only to benefit from the fact that Poland is in Europe, but also to give a little of ourselves to Europe. Therefore, this award is addressed to a young European scientist who has a great future ahead of him or her, and it should not be treated as a summary of career - explains Prof. Arkadiusz Wójs, Rector of Wroclaw Tech.

The winner will be selected by a committee composed of eminent scientists from abroad and Wrocław University of Science and Technology, as well as Tomasz Lem, the writer's son.

The chapter of the Stanisław Lem European Research Prize is composed of members including:

• Reimund Neugebauer (President of the Fraunhofer Society),
• Marja Makarow (President of Academia Europaea, University of Helsinki),
• Gérard Albert Mourou (École polytechnique, Palaiseau-Paris),
• Robert-Jan Smits (President of Eindhoven University of Technology),
• Maciej Lewenstein (ICFO – Institute of Photonic Sciences, Barcelona),
• Krzysztof Matyjaszewski (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh),
• Tomasz Lem (Honorary Member, son of Stanisław Lem, Polish translator of English-language literature),
• six Wrocław University of Science and Technology scientists.

We look forward to receiving your entries!

This year, nominations including a description of the discovery or achievement and a list of publications along with letters of recommendation must be submitted by October 15. The winner will be announced on November 15 during the Celebration of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

The winner will receive prizes including a cash prize of 100 thousand PLN. He will also be invited to visit Wrocław University of Science and Technology, meet with the members of the Academia Iuvenum and student organisations and deliver a series of lectures at the university.

For more information, please visit the website.