Call for Applications: The 2026 Micro and Nano Engineering (Elsevier) Young Investigator Award and Lectureship
Honoring and promoting a young researcher active in the fields of Nanofabrication and Nanotechnology for Life Sciences, Physics, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences.
Micro and Nano Engineering (MNE) is an open access, multidisciplinary journal which crosses boundaries from nano to micro to bio, and from science to technologies. The journal focuses on micro-/nano engineering, fabrication and integration of functional nanostructures and surfaces towards intelligent nanomanufacturing; devices and bio-microsystems for medicine, life sciences, chemistry, environmental sciences, and agrofood; and devices and microsystems for physical applications. It is proud to continue the long contribution (1983-2026) in the field of processing for Micro- and Nano-scale Device and System fabrication started by the Microelectronic Engineering (MEE) journal, in particular in the areas beyond electronics, i.e. fabrication of photonic, plasmonic, bioelectronic, electromechanical and fluidic devices and systems and their applications in the broad areas of electronics, energy, life sciences, and environment.
MNE is also proud to continue the series of Young Investigator Awards and Lectureships started in 2014. The Lectureship will be presented at the MNE 2026 Conference in September 2026 in Interlaken, Switzerland. The Lectureship award will include USD $1,000, plus travel costs (max. USD $1,000) to present the award lecture at the September 2026 MNE meeting, while MNE2026 conference will cover registration and contribute towards accommodation costs.
Requirements for Candidates
Application is open to early-career researchers of any nationality from universities, research centers, and industry. Researchers associated with the MNE conference are particularly encouraged to apply, since the award is accompanied by an invited talk at the conference. The applicant must have earned his or her PhD degree after January 1st , 2018. Candidates should apply themselves and MUST include the name and contact details of one main nominator, plus the name and contact details of 2 more people who can provide recommendation letters.
Applications should include the following in one file (Please follow strictly the format):
- An introductory page (max 1 page) including: Name and affiliation and contact details of the candidate, date of completion of the candidate’s most recent degree, year PhD was obtained and total years of research experience, name and affiliation and contact details of a nominator and two more people who will offer a recommendation letter, as well as a brief statement (e.g. half a page) from the nominator (e.g. a copy of a support e-mail). Nominators are expected to be members of the MNE editorial board, or other well-known and established members of the MNE and microfabrication community.
- A CV (max 2 pages)
- Track record (max 2 pages) including: Brief description of accomplishments, statement of current research interests and goals, list of top publications (with focus on those relevant to the award), list of patents, invited presentations, awards.
- Applicants should merge all the above items in one single file.
- Due to the high competition, candidates are asked to include in this one file quantitative information, such as:
- Year PhD obtained and total years of research experience
- Total number of peer reviewed journal publications, number of MNE publications, total citations, total citations of MNE publication(s) (list total and self-citations, as well as related performance indexes)
- Total number of invited presentations / papers
- Total number of patent families (i.e. list as a single patent family a patent filed or granted in several national patent offices, EPO, or International)
- Total number of book chapters or books edited
- List of top publications and patents (Journal publications, Conference
- Proceedings, Books, Patent application families)
- Professional distinctions (awards, prizes, scholarships)
- Professional impact (research funds, membership in committees, editorial duties, reviewer duties, commercial, social or environmental impact of the research work, industrial working experience or exposure)
- National and international mobility
- Indication of independence of research
Deadline for applications: May 11th, 2026
Send your applications for the 2026 MNE Award and Lectureship to :
Members of the Award Committee
- Chair: Prof. Dieter Kern, University of Tuebingen, Germany
- Dr Evangelos Gogolides, NCSR Demokritos, Greece
- Dr. Anne-Marie Haghiri-Gosnet, CNRS C2N, Saclay, France
- Dr. Rosa Còrdoba, University of Valencia, Paterna, Spain
- Prof. Jin-Woo Choi, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, USA
- Prof. Hubert Brueckl, Danube University Krems, Austria
- Prof. Urs Staufer, TU Delft, The Netherlands
- Dr. Ferruccio Pisanello, Italian Institute of Technology, Lecce, Italy
- Dr. Monica Bollani, IFN-CNR, Milano, Italy
- Dr. Alexandros El Sachat, NCSR Demokritos, Athens, Greece (2025 award winner)
- with the coordination of Abby Li, the MNE Journal Publisher