Bruker Prize and Lecture

For his seminal contributions to EPR in terms of both world-leading and unique instrument design as well imaginative and expert application of high field EPR to the study of low dimensional systems. His work has opened up new avenues for EPR driven developments including in, but not limited to, the fields of quantum information science and the study of polymetallic transition metal complexes. Crucially, as Director of the Electron Magnetic Resonance user program at the NHMFL he has supported and fostered the international and national EPR communities with unique scientific expertise and admirable dedication.

39th: “Superpower of Magnetic Resonance through Electron and Nuclear Spin Communication”, Prof Songi Han, University of Northwestern, Evanston, USA.
38th: “EasySpin – EPR at your fingertips”, Prof Stefan Stoll, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
37th: “Sensitivity and Time Resolution in High Field EPR”, Prof Graham Smith, University of St. Andrews, UK.
36th: “Exploiting Photogenerated Radical Pairs as Electron Spin Qubits for Quantum Information Applications”, Prof Mike Wasielewski, Northwestern University, USA. (Delivered online at the 2021 meeting)
35th: “The attraction of unpaired electrons”, Prof David Collison, University of Manchester, UK. (Delivered online at the 2021 meeting)
34th: “Electron-Nuclear Polarization Transfer in ENDOR and Liquid DNP to Study Biomolecules”, Prof Marina Bennati, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry / University of Göttingen, Germany.
33rd: “Hyperfine companions on a journey through the world of (bio)materials”, Prof Sabine Van Doorslaer, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
32nd: “Continuously striving for higher sensitivity and resolution in EPR”, Dr Peter Höfer, Bruker BioSpin GmbH.
31st: “Exploring Radical Based Catalysis in Enzymes”, Professor R David Britt, University of California, Davis, USA.
30th: “EPR on more than one unpaired electron: too many spins?”, Professor Robert Bittl, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
29th: “Shedding light on single spins”, Professor Jörg Wrachtrup, University of Stuttgart, Germany.
28th: “Recent trends in organic high-spin/open-shell chemistry: electron spin technology”, Professor Takeji Takui, Osaka City University, Japan.
27th: “Pulsed EPR spectroscopy methodology”, Professor Kev M. Salikhov, Zavoisky Physical-Technical Institute in Kazan, Tatarstan.
26th: “New developments in EPR and DNP and application to biomolecular research”, Professor Thomas Prisner, University of Frankfurt, Germany.
25th: “The Fidelity of Spin Trapping”, Professor Ronald P. Mason, NIH, USA.
24th: “Measuring the Nanoworld”, Professor Gunnar Jeschke, ETH Zürich, Switzerland.
23rd: “Obscure Greek symbols in EPR and ENDOR”, Professor Edgar Groenen, University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
22nd: “High-field ENDOR – opportunities and frustrations”, Professor Daniella Goldfarb, Weizmann Institute, Israel.
21st: “Pulsed Dipolar ESR Spectroscopy and its Applications”, Professor Yuri D. Tsvetkov, Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Novosibirsk, Russia.
20th: “EPR – an Exciting Topic?”, Professor Klaus-Peter Dinse, University of Darmstadt, Germany.
19th: “Watching Proteins Move with Site-Directed Spin Labeling”, Professor Wayne L. Hubbell, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
18th: “Signals from the reaction center. Applications of EPR in photosynthesis”, Professor Wolfgang Lubitz, Max-Planck-Institute, Mülheim, Germany.
17th: “Interacting electron spins”, Professors Sandra and Gareth Eaton, University of Denver, USA.
16th: “Free radicals and transition metal ions: local probes of structure and function in biological systems”, Professor Jürgen Hüttermann, Saarland University, Germany.
15th: “EPR of transition metal ions. A tale of symmetry and of symmetry breaking”, Professor Dante Gatteschi, University of Florence, Italy.
14th: “High frequency EPR studies of paramagnetic inorganic and bio-inorganic systems”, Professor Jan Schmit, University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
13th: “ESR spectroscopy: past history, present status and future prospects”, Professor John R. Pilbrow, Monash University, Australia.
12th: “Physical chemistry through electron spin polarization”, Professor Keith A. McLauchlan, University of Oxford, UK.
11th: “ENDOR of metalloenzymes”, Professor Brian M. Hoffman, Northwestern University, Illinois, USA.
10th: “Discoveries with ESR”, Professor H. M. McConnell, Stanford University, California, USA.
9th: “Creation and detection of coherence and polarization in pulsed EPR”, Professor Arthur Schweiger, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
8th: “The nuclear Zeeman interaction in electron resonance”, Professor Neil M. Atherton, University of Sheffield, Yorkshire.
7th: “EPR and ENDOR investigations of the primary reactions in bacterial photosynthesis”, Professor George Feher, University of California, San Diego, USA.
6th: “EPR, ENDOR and ESEEM on hexacyanoferrate in alkali halides”, Professor E. de Boer, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
5th: “Modern techniques in ESR”, Professor Jack H. Freed, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA.
4th: “Alternatives to field modulation in ESR spectroscopy”, Professor James S. Hyde, National Biomedical ESR Center, Wisconsin, USA.
3rd: “Electron spin resonance in the study of transient free radicals”, Professor Hans Fischer, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
2nd: “Multiple resonances involving ESR, NMR, and optical transitions: more than just a game?”, Professor Klaus Möbius, Free University Berlin, Germany.
1st: “Application of Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy to the study of the effects of ionising radiation on DNA and DNA complexes”, Professor Martyn C. R. Symons, Leicester University, UK.

To be eligible for the Bruker ESR Thesis Prize, the thesis defence (viva voce examination or equivalent) must have taken place within 3 years of the deadline.

Applications should be submitted by the thesis author and must include five elements

• the final corrected thesis as accepted by the awarding institution
• one-page summary of the thesis
• one-page letter of support from the thesis supervisor
• one-page letter of support from one of the examiners (external examiner where possible).
• list of publications directly arising from the work in the thesis. Contributions from all authors should be indicated using CRediT, the Contributor Roles Taxonomy

These documents must be submitted as five separate PDF files. Support letters must include university letterhead.

Theses may be submitted for a maximum of two entry rounds which must be in consecutive years. Theses that were submitted for the Prize in the previous round are eligible if they fall within the dates above; authors of such theses should contact the Secretary but need not resubmit the paperwork.

Applications, in the form of five PDF files (one-page summary of the thesis, the full thesis, supervisor support one-page letter, examiner support one-page letter, publication list with contributions using CRediT) should be uploaded using the online application system. Please ensure that you compress the PDF of the final thesis if necessary to enable upload to the online system and facilitate easy sharing of documents within the assessment team. 

Early career postdoctoral researchers may also be eligible to apply for the JEOL medal. The prize is awarded annually on the basis of a lecture given at the RSC ESR group meeting.