Statutes

Preamble

EUROPEAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY

Hannes Alfvén Prize on Plasma Physics

The European Physical Society, through its Plasma Physics Division, will award a prize for outstanding contributions in theory or experiment in plasma physics. The prize will be called:

The Hannes Alfvén Prize of the European Physical Society for Outstanding Contributions to Plasma Physics

Regulations

  1. The call for nominations will be announced at least four months before the nomination deadline. The announcement will be published on the EPS PPD web pages, advertised on EPS social media platforms, and circulated by email to the plasma physics community.
  2. The Alfvén Prize will be awarded to one individual, or to a team of up to three, for outstanding achievements at the frontiers of plasma physics research. If the prize is awarded to a team, it will be divided equally.
  3. The Prize will be presented each year, circumstances permitting, at the opening session of the annual EPS Conference on Plasma Physics. The winning individual or team will be offered an invited talk at the conference, and their registration fee will be waived. 
  4. There is no age limitation; posthumous candidates cannot be accepted; no person may be awarded the Prize more than once. The Board of the PPD strongly encourages nominations that will help ensure a representative candidate pool that reflects the diversity of the plasma physics community.
  5. The Prize will be awarded without reference to non-scientific considerations.
  6. The Prize comprises a medal, a diploma with a citation, and a financial award. At present, the financial award is 5000 Euros.
  7. Nominations will comprise the name and affiliation of the proposer and nominee(s), a citation, and other supporting material including academic CV, and letters of recommendation. 
  8. Nominations are active only for the year of submission.
  9. Self-nominations for the Prize are not permitted; members of the Board of the PPD of the EPS cannot be nominated.
  10. The Board of the EPS PPD will review the nominations and thereafter decide on the Prize winner by vote and discussion. Conflicts of interest* will be declared. A winning nomination requires a two-thirds majority of voting members. If the Board cannot reach a decision, the chairperson will decide after consultation. The decision should be reached at the end of the calendar year preceding the presentation of the award. No legal steps can be taken against the decision.
  11. The awarding of the Prize must be endorsed by the EPS Executive Committee. This Committee will only endorse the award if there are at least four nominees. The nominees should not all be of the same gender or work in the same country.
  12. As with all Board discussions, the evaluation of nominations is strictly confidential. Board members must not discuss any aspect with third parties.
  13. The outcome will be notified to the EPS by the PPD Board Chairperson.
  14. The chairperson of the Board of the EPS PPD will inform the winning individual or team. The outcome will be made public using Divisional and central EPS communication channels. 
  15. The general rules of the EPS endorsed awards are an integral part of the present statute.(www.eps.org) 

(revision approved by the Board of the EPS Plasma Physics Division, July 24th 2026)

*See EU guidelines