"We are proud of all researchers in Luxembourg, you are our heroes"

Marc Hansen, Minister Delegate for Higher Education & Research in his speech stressed the importance of the FNR Awards, which not only recognise the best scientists and science communication projects, but also prove that the governments continued investment in public research is bearing fruit for the good of the country.

ERIC FINN SCHAANNING

IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON

“Fire sales and systemic risk in financial networks.”

“Outstanding through originality and through the significant impact already made on systemic risk monitoring.” (Reviewer)

Eric Finn Schaanning developed a new mathematical model to simulate fire sales and price-mediated contagion in a financial crisis, a model that has been implemented in central bank stress tests.

The jury selected this thesis for the following reasons:

- It is an excellent combination of theoretical work and practical applications with real data.

- The originality lies in the implementation of the fire sales model by several European central banks.

BEN THUY

MUSÉE NATIONAL D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE (MNHN)

‘Paleozoic echinoderm hangovers: waking up in the Triassic’, published in Geology

“This paper is the definitive study at the present time. One of the most exciting papers I have read in the last ten years.” (Reviewer)

Ben Thuy’s research questioned an earlier paradigm regarding the extinction of a large group of animals. It investigated the problem worldwide and in a variety of environments. The presented data are therefore much more robust than in documents and comments of other researchers.

NICOLAS DIDIER & GUILLAUME TRAP

ON BEHALF OF THE LUXEMBOURG SCIENCE CENTER TEAM

Opening of the Luxembourg Science Center

“Outstanding effort. And this is only the beginning.” (Reviewer)

With the Luxembourg Science Center, Nicolas Didier and Guillaume Trap have developed a place where the general public can gain interactive scientific experience from an early age. The Center had 45,000 visitors in its first year (12,000 expected).

THIERRY LUTGEN & JUTTA MEYER

ELISABETH-ANNE ASBL

“Indiana Jos – op de Spuere vu Fuerscher an Entdecker”

“Research and discovery is now part of the daily business of elisabeth maisons relais.” (Reviewer)

The project “Indiana Jos” developed by elisabeth-Anne asbl promotes science among children in day-care centres and youth centres in Luxembourg through non-formal education and interactive scientific workshops.

TOM WIRTZ

& DAVID DOWSETT, RACHID BARRAHMA, OLIVIER BOUTON, JEAN-NICOLAS AUDINOT

LUXEMBOURG INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (LIST)

“VECTOR500 SIMS: a unique tool for high resolution high-sensitivity nano-analysis.”

“This project and the business which has resulted is right at the top of the value tree.” (Reviewer)

Tom Wirtz and his team have developed a high-resolution analytical instrument in the nanometer range that has attracted the interest of international academic and industrial circles, including Zeiss.

PASCALE ENGEL DE ABREU

UNIVERSITY OF LUXEMBOURG

“LALA – Lauter lëschteg Lauter”

“The project has wide appeal and application, applying evidence-based methodology to the learning of literacy in large pupil populations.” (Reviewer)

Pascale Engel de Abreu has developed an early intervention programme for Luxembourg kindergartens that supports the basic literacy of children in multilingual Luxembourg.

"Congratulations to the 2018 winners of the FNR Awards!"

Véronique Hoffeld, Chair of the Board of the FNR, concluded the ceremony part of the 2018 FNR Awards.

2010

As of 2010, awardees get a trophy keepsake along with a cash prize.

2010 winners

OUTSTANDING SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Guy SCHUMANN (University of Bristol; Recherche Public Gabriel Lippmann 2005-2008)

Simone NICLOU et Uros RAJCEVIC (CRP-Santé)

OUTSTANDING PROMOTION OF SCIENCE TO THE PUBLIC

Eric BUTTINI (MNHN)

Georges KOHNEN, Stuart ATKINSON & Michèle GOEDERT (Association Maarkollef Niederanven éducation aux sciences asbl)

Aline FISCHER & Sandrine AMANN (MNHN)

2012

2012 winners

OUTSTANDING SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION

Fabrizio FENICIA (CRP Gabriel Lippmann)

Etienne MOUSSAY and Guy BERCHEM (CRP Santé)

OUTSTANDING PROMOTION OF SCIENCE TO THE PUBLIC

Gérard WAGENER / Astrid MAISCHAK / Sandra THERWER (Déi kleng Fuerscher)

Amandine BERNARD (CRP Santé)

Thierry FRENTZ / Romain KAELL (Ville de Differdange)

FNR SPECIAL AWARD

Pierre SECK, President of the Section des Sciences de l’Institut Grand-Ducal.

2014

2014 saw the addition of a new category: Outstanding PhD thesis

2014 winners

OUTSTANDING PHD THESIS

Bob C. SCHROEDER (Imperial College London)

Patrick AUGUSTIN (Stockholm School of Economics)

OUTSTANDING SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Alex REDINGER, Dominik M. BERG, Phillip J. DALE and Susanne SIEBENTRITT (University of Luxembourg)

Joanna BAGINSKA and Bassam JANJI (CRP-Santé)

Alessandro MICHELUCCI, Thekla CORDES and Karsten HILLER (University of Luxembourg)

OUTSTANDING PROMOTION OF SCIENCE TO THE PUBLIC

Danielle HOFFMANN, Pascale ENGEL DE ABREU, Caroline HORNUNG, Romain MARTIN, Christine SCHILTZ, Anne-Marie SCHULLER and Sonja UGEN (University of Luxembourg)

Jeff KOHNEN (Olympiades Luxembourgeoises des Sciences Naturelles asbl)

Pascal DAMAN (Lycée de garçons de Luxembourg)

2016

In 2016, the FNR Awards Ceremony was held in the Halle des Poches à Fonte, directly under the famous old Belval blast furnaces for the first time.

2016 winners

OUTSTANDING PHD THESIS

Zhe LIU (University of Luxembourg)

OUTSTANDING SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Jérôme PAGGETTI & Etienne MOUSSAY (Luxembourg Institute of Health)

Matteo POLETTINI (University of Luxembourg)

OUTSTANDING PROMOTION OF SCIENCE TO THE PUBLIC

Astrid MAISCHAK (Déi Kleng Fuescher a.s.b.l.); Gérard WAGENER (Lycée des garcons Esch); Maryse LALLEMAND (École Fondamentale Dellhéicht)