EuChemS Young Chemists’ Award

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The aim of the EuChemS Young Chemists’ Award (EYCA) is to showcase and recognize the excellent research being carried out by young scientists working in the chemical sciences. In particular the award is intended to honor and encourage younger chemists whose current research displays a high level of excellence and distinction. It seeks to recognize and reward younger chemists of exceptional ability who show promise for substantial future achievements in chemistry-related research fields.

The EuChemS Young Chemists’ Awards (EYCA) are given every two years during the EuChemS Chemistry Congress.

EYCA 2024

The deadline for nominations for the 2024 EuChemS Young Chemists’ Award is 19 April 2024

The 2024 edition of EYCA is sponsored by the Società Chimica Italiana (SCI), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), Chemistry Europe and the European Chemical Society (EuChemS),

Read the nomination guidelines here.



Professor Gianluca Maria Farinola got his PhD in Chemical Sciences in 1997. He was appointed Assistant Professor from 1996, Associate Professor from 2003 and from 2015 he is Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Bari Aldo Moro. From 2019 he is Pro-Rector for Research and Innovation. His research focuses on new synthetic methods to produce smart organic materials for emerging technologies ranging from organic photonics and electronics to biomedicine.

He has been visiting researcher at the University of Muenster, Germany (2009), invited visiting professor at the University of Strasbourg , France (Institut de Science et d’Ingégnerie Supramoléculaire – ISIS) (2013 and 2014) and at the University of Angers and CNRS, France (2015) and visiting scholar at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University, US (2017 and 2018), where he was appointed as Adjunct Professor in 2019. He is the President of Società Chimica Italiana, SCI (2023-2025). He was previously Vice-President of SCI (2020-2022), President of the Organic Chemistry Division (2017-2019), and President of the Division of Organic Chemistry of EuChemS (2018-2021). He is member of the Chemistry Europe Council since 2022.

1st mandate


Professor David Cole-Hamilton (Member of the Committee), EuChemS Past President, has served the scientific community as President of the Chemistry Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Chair of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Chemistry Committee and as member of several Committees of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Moreover, he has served 4 years on the Council of the Royal Society of Chemistry and he has been the UK representative on the EuChemS Division for Organometallic Chemistry since 2005. He has recently been elected to serve as President of the Dalton Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry. David Cole-Hamilton is Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. His main research interests are on applications of organometallic compounds to solving problems in material chemistry and homogenous catalysis. He also had excursions into diverse fields as electron transfer across membranes, developing a new process for the conservation of wooden archaeological artefacts using supercritical drying and extensive studies of reaction mechanisms in solutions and in the gas phase. David Cole-Hamilton defines himself as a committed European and a committed chemist, who truly believes that chemistry holds the keys to the future prosperity and quality of life for all.

1st mandate by 31.12.2024


Professor Helena Grennberg (Member of the Committee) is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at Uppsala University, Sweden. Her research interests include topics from organometallic chemistry, organic nanomaterials and catalysis. Helena Grennberg served the chemical community in Europe in many respects. Among the prominent positions she held are chairperson of the EuChemS Division of Organometallic Chemistry, Member of the EuChemS Executive Board (2007-2013), Scientific Chair of the 5th European Chemistry Congress in Istanbul 2014, President of the Swedish Chemical Society (since 2012). During the 6th EuChemS Chemistry Congress in Seville, she was awarded the 2015 EuChemS Award for Service.

1st mandate by 31.12.2024


Dr David Portehault obtained his PhD in soft chemistry and nanomaterials science in 2008 at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris under the supervision of Prof. Jean-Pierre Jolivet. He then obtained a grant from the Program for Nanomaterials co-chaired by the Max Planck Society and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) to perform a senior post-doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for colloids and Interfaces (Potsdam) with Prof. Markus Antonietti from 2008 to 2010.

Since 2010, he is researcher at CNRS, in the Laboratory of Condensed Matter Chemistry of Paris at Sorbonne Université. His research topics are at the edge of nanomaterials chemistry and solid-state chemistry. He is focusing on the development of methods, centered on liquid-phase syntheses, to design nanoparticles with original compositions and structures, to understand the reactivity of nanomaterials and to provide new insights into the properties of nanoparticle-based materials, spanning electrocatalysis, charge transport and energy conversion.

1st mandate by 31.12.2026


Dr Cristina Todaşcă (Member of the Committee) is Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Sciences, University Politehnica of Bucharest. Cristina Todaşcă (born in 1978, PhD in 2002 in food chemistry) has been Assistant Professor 2002-2008 and Associate Professor since 2008 in University Politehnica of Bucharest. Her research interest includes NMR spectroscopy applications in food chemistry, with a focus on food quality control and authenticity.

Cristina Todaşcă has been a member of the Faculty Teachers Board since 2012, participating in decision-making regarding all educational aspects, and part of the Faculty Commission of Quality Assurance.  She was part of the first steering committee of the European Young Chemists Network (EYCN, 2007 to 2009) as communication officer and actively served as secretary of EYCN (2011 to 2012) and as chair of EYCN (2012 to 2013). Cristina Todaşcă was engaged in “Career Days program” organized during the European Chemistry Congress in Prague, Istanbul (as convener), Seville and in similar independent events organized in Geel, Belgrade and Bucharest. She is member of the Romanian Chemical Society (SChR) Council and President of the Food Chemistry Division of SChR since 2015, for the second term. She received the “Lyceum” award in 2015 and “C. Nenitescu” Medal in 2018, from Romanian Chemical Society.

1st mandate by 31.12.2024


Previous awardees of the European Young Chemists’ Award

EYCA 2022

EYCA 2022

The expert members of European Young Chemists’ Award Committee (EYCAC) selected 12 finalists – 6 from the PhD level and 6 from Early Career Researcher level – from the numerous candidates. These finalists were invited to the 0th EuChemS Chemistry Congress in Lisbon to present their projects in front of a live jury and audience.

EYCA 2022 Finalists

PhD level:
  1. Luca Maria Cavinato
  2. Sebastian Weber
  3. Sara Grecchi
  4. Anirban Mondal
  5. Bowen Zhang
  6. Antonio Faggiano
Early Career Researcher level
  1. Claudia Bonfio
  2. Cesar de la Fuente
  3. Luka Đorđević
  4. Simona Ranallo
  5. Serena Arnaboldi
  6. Erica Del Grosso

EYCA 2022 Medallists

PhD Gold Medal:
Sebastian Weber

PhD Silver Medal:
Bowen Zhang



Early career Gold Medal:
Claudia Bonfio

Early career Silver Medal:
Erica del Grosso

EYCA 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the 8th European Chemistry Congress (ECC8) from 2020 to 2022, the final evaluation could not take place at the ECC8, aso the EYCA 2020 took place online. EYCA 2020 was sponsored by the European Chemical Society (EuChemS), the Italian Chemical Society (SCI) and the Federazione Nazionale degli Ordini dei Chimici e dei Fisici in Italy (FNCF).

The 12 finalists presented their research results in front of the European Award Committee for the EuChemS Award (EYCAC) and the whole audience during the EYCA Competition Session at the e-YCN@ECC. The event was organised by the European Young Chemists’ Network (EYCN) and was held online on 26 August 2020.

At the Early Career Research Level, the EYCA 2020 Gold Medal was awarded to Maria Chiara Sportelli (National Research Council/Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies – CNR-IFN, Italy) and the Silver Medal to Grégory Chatel (University of Savoie Mont Blanc, France).

At the PhD Level, the Gold Medal was awarded to Eoin Murray (T.E. Laboratories, Ireland) and the Silver Medal to Emilia Paone (University of Reggio Calabria, Italy).

The European Young Chemists’ Award 2018 (EYCA 2018) presented at the 7th EuChemS Chemistry Congress in Liverpool, from 26 – 30 August 2018.

The European Young Chemists’ Award 2018 is intended to showcase and recognise the excellent research being carried out by young scientists working in the chemical sciences and was presented at the 7th EuChemS Chemistry Congress in Liverpool from 26 – 30 August 2018. Under the patronage of EuChemS, the 7th EuChemS Chemistry Congress and the European Young Chemists’ Network (EYCN), EYCA 2018 has been sponsored by the Italian Chemical Society (SCI) and the Federazione Nazionale degli Ordini dei Chimici e dei Fisici in Italy (FNCF).

At the 35 years old level, the EYCA 2018 gold medal went to Alessandro Porchetta (University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy) and the two silver medals went to Matteo Atzori (University of Florence, Italy), and to Simone Fabiano (Linköping University, Sweden). At the PhD level, the gold medal went to Tim Gatznmeier (Max Plank Institute für Kolenforshung, Germany), and the silver medals went to Lichen Liu (Valencia University, Spain), and to Clément Larquet (Sorbonne University, France). A special mention was given to Erica Del Grosso (University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome).

The European Young Chemists’ Award 2016 is intended to showcase and recognise the excellent research being carried out by young scientists working in the chemical sciences and was presented at the 6th EuChemS Chemistry Congress, which took place in Seville from 11 – 15 September 2016.

The 2016 edition of EYCA award was organised by the Italian Chemical Society (SCI), the Consiglio Nazionale dei Chimici (CNC) and the Spanish National Chemists Association (ANQUE).

At the 35 years old level, the Gold Medal went to Maria Escudero-Escribano, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark, and the Silver Medal (ex equo) went to Ruben Dario Costa Riquelme, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlagen-Nuernberg, Germany, and to Daniele Leonori, Manchester University, U.K.

At the PhD level, the Gold Medal went to Giulio Ragazzon, University of Bologna, Italy, and the Silver Medal went to Mercedes Zurro de la Fuente, Regensburg Universitat, Germany.

The 2014 edition of the European Young Chemists’ Award took place in Istanbul at the 5th EuChemS Chemistry Congress, sponsored by the Italian Chemical Society and by the and the Italian Consiglio Nazionale dei Chimici, and under the patronage of EuChemS, the EuChemS Chemistry Congress, and the European Young Chemistry Network (EYCN).

The Jury, L. De Cola, M. Prato and B. M. Trost., selected the following winners:

35-years level
Gold Medal (€1800) – Frederik Wurm (Max Plank Institute for Polymer Research, Germany)
Silver Medal (ex equo €800) – Gonçalo Bernardes (University of Cambridge, UK)
Silver Medal (ex equo €800) – Tom Hasell (University of Liverpool, UK)

PhD level
Gold Medal (€800) – Zoel Codolà (University of Girona, Spain)
Silver Medal (ex equo €600) – Jonathan O. Bauer (Technical University of Dortmund, Germany)
Silver Medal (ex equo €600) – Anna Maria Rydzik (University of Oxford, UK)

The European Young Chemists’ Award 2012 was assigned during the 4th EuChemS Chemistry Congress. The EYCA is intended to showcase and recognise the excellent research being carried out by young scientists working in the chemical sciences. The EYCA2012 was once again succesfully managed by Professor Bruno Pignataro and was assigned during the  4th EuChemS Chemistry Congress that took place in Prague from 26 to 30 August 2012. The Jury (R.H. Grubbs, V. Aquilanti, V. Brabec) selected the following winners:

35-years level
Gold Medal (1800 €): Dr. Elisabetta Collini (Università di Padova, Italy)
Silver Medal (ex-equo – 800 € each): Prof. Yury O. Tsybin (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland) and Dr. Jerome Waser (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)

PhD level
Gold Medal (800 €): Shan Jiang (University of Liverpool, UK)
Silver Medal (ex-equo – 600 € each): Gabriel Loget (Université de Bordeaux, France) and Olalla Vázquez (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain)

The EYCA2012 has been founded by Consiglio Nazionale dei Chimici (CNC) and Italian Chemical Society (SCI) and patronaged by EuCheMS, CNC, SCI, the 4th EuCheMS Congress and the European Young Chemist Network (EYCN).

Sponsored by the Italian Chemical Society The Award winners are: 35-years level
Gold Medal Nicolai Cramer, ETH Zurich, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Switzerland
Silver Medal Clemence Corminboeuf, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Silver Medal Claudia Höbartner, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany PhD level
Gold Medal Sophie Carenco, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris and Laboratoire Hétéroéléments et Coordination, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Palaiseau, France
Silver Medal Ulrich Hintermair, ITMC of RWTH Aachen, Germany
Silver Medal  Laura Gómez,  Departament de Química, Parc Científic i Tecnològic de la Universitat de Girona, Spain

List of all finalists who gave presentations at the EuChemS Chemistry Congress in August 2010, Nürnberg, Germany.

The Awards were presented by Dave Garner, Chair of the Jury. The medal winners are:

  • Gold medal: Fabio Arnesano, University of Bari, Italy, for his work ‘Copper-Triggered Aggregation of Ubiquitin’
  • Silver medals: Leonard J. Prins, University of Padova, Italy, for work on ‘Catalyst Discovery using Dynamic Chemistry’, and Ali Tavassoli, University of Southampton, UK, for work on ‘Inhibition of HIV Budding by a Genetically Selected Cyclic Peptide Targeting the TSG101-GAG Interaction’
  • Gold medal at PhD level: Guillermo Mínguez Espallargas, University of Sheffield, UK, for work on ‘Porous Material Behaviour in a Non-Porous Material: Gas Uptake of Small Molecules Involving Multiple Structural Changes’
  • Silver medals at PhD level: Gustavo Fernández, Universidad Complutense de Madrid,  Spain, for work on ‘Self-Organization of Electroactive Materials: exTTF-Based Linear and Dendritic Supramolecular Architectures’ and Viktoria H. Gessner, Universität Würzburg, Germany, for work on ‘a-Lithiated Methylamines as Powerful Building Blocks: From the Molecular Structure to Asymmetric Synthesis’

The 15 finalists gave presentations to the European Jury comprising Dave Garner, Royal Society of Chemistry, Angela Agostiano, Societa Chimica Italiana, and Christian Remenyi, Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker. A total of 90 entries had been received from young scientists aged 22 – 35 from 30 different countries.

The European Young Chemist Award aims to recognise the excellent research being carried out by young scientists working in the chemical sciences. It is sponsored by the Società Chimica Italiana and was organised by the European Young Chemists Network Panel chaired by Bruno Pignataro, Italy. EuChemS European Young Chemists’ Award complete list of finalists.