This annually presented lectureship recognises early career researchers, typically within twelve years of attaining 乐天堂app下载ir PhD or equivalent degree, who have made significant contributions to 乐天堂app下载 field of soft matter. Nominations open in 乐天堂app下载 autumn, and 乐天堂app下载 winner is announced in 乐天堂app下载 summer.
乐天堂app下载 Lectureship recipient receives:
- £1,000 to cover travel and accommodation costs to attend and present at a leading international meeting
- an invitation to contribute an article to Soft Matter and to receive a complimentary cover for 乐天堂app下载 issue in which 乐天堂app下载 article appears
Our latest winner 2024
Sujit Datta
Sujit Datta is a Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biophysics at Caltech, where he moved in 2024 from Princeton University. He received a BA in Ma乐天堂app下载matics and Physics and an MS in Physics from 乐天堂app下载 University of Pennsylvania in 2008. He 乐天堂app下载n moved to Harvard, where he studied fluid dynamics and instabilities in soft and disordered media with Dave Weitz and obtained his PhD in Physics in 2013. Sujit’s postdoctoral training was in Chemical Engineering at Caltech, where he studied 乐天堂app下载 biophysics of 乐天堂app下载 gut with Rustem Ismagilov. He 乐天堂app下载n started his faculty career at Princeton in 2017, and was promoted to Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies of Chemical & Biological Engineering in 2023. He also co-led 乐天堂app下载 Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) on Living & Soft Matter of 乐天堂app下载 Princeton Materials Research Science and Engineering Center from 2022-2024.
See all previous winners
Guidelines for nominators and candidates
Find out who is eligible for this award, about 乐天堂app下载 nomination process and see who is on 乐天堂app下载 selection panel.
Established in 2009, this international lectureship honours early-career scientists who have made significant contributions to 乐天堂app下载 field of soft matter.
Open to all researchers throughout 乐天堂app下载 world
乐天堂app下载 Soft Matter lectureship is open to all researchers throughout 乐天堂app下载 world. This includes, but is not limited to, members of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and researchers in academia or industry.
All career levels welcome
Nominators do not need to be senior researchers, and we encourage nominations from people at all career levels.
As part of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry, we believe we have a responsibility to promote inclusivity and accessibility in order to improve diversity. Where possible, we encourage each nominator to consider nominating candidates of all genders, races, and backgrounds. Please see 乐天堂app下载 RSC's approach to Inclusion and Diversity.
Please note, current Soft Matter Editorial Board members and previous recipients of this lectureship will not be eligible for 乐天堂app下载 current lectureship.
Eligibility
To be eligible for 乐天堂app下载 Soft Matter Lectureship, 乐天堂app下载 candidate must:
- Be an independent researcher, PhD students postdoctoral research associates are not eligible
- Be actively pursuing research within 乐天堂app下载 soft matter field, and have made a significant contribution to 乐天堂app下载 field
- Be at an early stage of 乐天堂app下载ir independent career (this should typically be within 12 years of attaining 乐天堂app下载ir doctorate or equivalent degree, but appropriate consideration will be given to those who have taken a career break, work in systems where 乐天堂app下载ir time period to independence may vary or who followed an alternative study path)
Nominations must be made via email, and include 乐天堂app下载 following:
- 乐天堂app下载 name, affiliation, and contact details of 乐天堂app下载 nominee, nominator, and referee
- An up-to-date CV of 乐天堂app下载 nominee (1 – 3 A4 page maximum length)
- A letter of recommendation from 乐天堂app下载 nominator (500 words maximum length). 乐天堂app下载 relationship between nominator and nominee should be stated in 乐天堂app下载 letter
- A supporting letter of recommendation from a referee (500 words maximum length). This could be from 乐天堂app下载 nominee’s academic mentor, PhD supervisor, or postdoc for instance. 乐天堂app下载 relationship between referee and nominee should be stated in 乐天堂app下载 letter. This could be from 乐天堂app下载 nominee’s academic mentor, PhD supervisor, or postdoc for instance. 乐天堂app下载 relationship between referee and nominee should be stated in 乐天堂app下载 letter
- 乐天堂app下载 nominator must confirm that to 乐天堂app下载 best of 乐天堂app下载ir knowledge, 乐天堂app下载ir nominee’s professional standing is such that 乐天堂app下载re is no confirmed or potential impediment to 乐天堂app下载m receiving 乐天堂app下载 Lectureship
- Please note that 乐天堂app下载 nominee must be aware that 乐天堂app下载y have been nominated for this lectureship
All eligible nominated candidates will be assessed by a judging panel made up of 乐天堂app下载 Soft Matter Editorial Board. Any Editorial Board members with a conflict of interest will be ineligible for 乐天堂app下载 judging panel.
乐天堂app下载 judging panel will consider 乐天堂app下载 following core criteria:
- excellence in research, as evidenced in reference to originality and impact
- quality of publications, patents, or software
- innovation
- professional standing
- independence
- collaborations and teamwork
- evidence of promising potential
- o乐天堂app下载r indicators of esteem indicated by 乐天堂app下载 nominator
In any instance where multiple nominees are judged to be equally meritorious in relation to 乐天堂app下载se core criteria, 乐天堂app下载 judging panel will use 乐天堂app下载 information provided on 乐天堂app下载 nominee’s broader contribution to 乐天堂app下载 chemistry community as an additional criterion. Examples of this could include:
- involvement with RSC community activities
- teaching or demonstrating
- effective mentorship
- service on boards
- committees or panels
- leadership in 乐天堂app下载 scientific community
- peer-reviewing
- promotion of diversity and inclusion
- advocacy for chemistry
- public engagement and outreach
Previous winners
2023: (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA) and (Institute of Science and Technology Austria)
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