Over the years ELI-NP has received several prizes for its research and management achievements. We are especially proud of the Nobel Prize awarded in 2018 to Prof. Gérard Mourou, the main initiator and promoter of the European Project Extreme Light Infrastructure, of which ELI-NP is a part.
Prof. Mourou's ground-breaking scientific research defines both ELI-NP and an emerging field of modern science – Nuclear Photonics.

2024

"Best PhD Thesis" - University of Bucharest

Winner: Gabriel Bleotu

During its 8^th edition in December 2024, the Senate of the University of Bucharest awarded Dr. Gabriel Bleotu the "Best PhD Thesis" prize in the category of Exact Sciences and Engineering.

His PhD thesis, titled "Investigation of Pulse Duration Reduction and Intensity Increase of Petawatt-Class Laser Systems," focused on demonstrating the enhancement of laser pulse intensities in the terawatt (10¹² W) and petawatt (10¹⁵ W) ranges. The research was conducted under joint supervision by Prof. Dr. Habil. Daniel Ursescu (Romania) and Prof. Dr. Julien Fuchs (France) at the ELI-NP, Apollon, and LULI laboratories.

2024

Award for Scientific Research at the 2024 Gala "Thought in Romania"

Winner: Dan Stutman

The 2024 "Thought in Romania" Award for Scientific Research was conferred to Dr. Dan Stutman, senior researcher at ELI-NP/IFIN-HH , for innovating new concepts in medical applications of high power lasers. A key concept is combining bright and highly directional laser driven X-ray sources, with high sensitivity X-ray interferometry, for medical imaging with much improved soft tissue contrast and much reduced radiation dose to the patient. Research is now starting at ELI-NP towards implementing this concept.

2024

"Ștefan Procopiu" Prize in Physics

Winner: Ștefan Ataman (LGED / ELI-NP)

The Romanian Academy awarded on the 4th of December 2024 the "Ștefan Procopiu" prize in Physics to Ștefan Ataman, Senior Researcher (CS II) at ELI-NP . The price was awarded for "contributions to the quantum information theory". Link

2018

Nobel Prize for Physics

Winners: Arthur Ashkin (USA), Gérard Mourou (France) and Donna Strickland (Canada)

The Nobel Prize for Physics in 2018 was awarded to Professors Arthur Ashkin (USA), Gérard Mourou (France) and Donna Strickland (Canada) "for ground-breaking inventions in the field of laser physics" (The Nobel Prize announcement).
Professor Gérard Mourou is the initiator and promoter of the European Project ELI-Extreme Light Infrastructure, considered to be a pan-European landmark project, of which ELI-NP is a part. Professor Mourou contributed to the preparation of ELI-NP’s scientific case. He is also an acting member of the ELI-NP International Scientific Advisory Board and an active collaborator of the ELI-NP research team for the preparations of Day 1 experiments. Ground-breaking scientific research, both fundamental and applicative, defines both ELI-NP and an emerging field of modern science – nuclear photonics. Link

2017

Gala of the Industrial Property

The Legal Magazine granted the award for the most important scientific research centre in Romania to IFIN-HH for ELI-NP

The Gala of the Industrial Property, held at the Romanian Cultural Institute on 13 June 2017, aimed to strengthen partnerships between stakeholders (individuals, inventors, companies, research institutes, universities, etc.) and industrial property advisers. Among the criteria for the award were experience in the market, customer feedback and recommendations, results registered in 2016, academic activity and leadership style, as well as coverage in the national and international press.

2017

Values of Romania Gala

"Top Management" AWARD

The second edition of the Values of Romania Gala, an event that celebrates Romanian personalities with important achievements on an international level, awarded Acad. Nicolae-Victor Zamfir, General Director of IFIN-HH, the prize for "Top Management" for the implementation of ELI-NP. In the presence of over 200 top executives, entrepreneurs, artists and inventors, the Biz team awarded 34 prizes to the most successful and respected Romanian personalities and companies.

2016

Gala of the Romanian IT&C Industry

"Best R&D Project" AWARD

The 13^th Annual Awards Gala of the Romanian IT&C industry and related tech, held by the magazine Mobile Communications, granted ELI-NP and the Thales Group the "R&D Award".
Within its annual theme "Smart City", the Golden Telecom Day event reviewed the most important achievements of 2016 and prospects for 2017, the prizes being awarded after consultation with three juries (public, experts and the "Mobile Communications" editorial staff), conducted between August and November 2016.

2016

The Foreign Policy Romania Awards 2016 – For people and ideas that better the country

THE AWARD FOR "PROJECTS"

The Foreign Policy Romania Gala nominated fifteen of the most notable personalities, ideas and projects of the previous year. The award for "Projects" was granted to Acad. Nicolae Victor Zamfir for the management of the Laser construction in Magurele. Under the motto "100 people and ideas that move the country", the magazine Foreign Policy Romania corroborates each year a top 100 to highlight the most important contributions to the country's development.

2016

French Republic

GRAND OFFICER OF THE LEGION OF HONOUR

Academician Nicolae-Victor Zamfir, General Manager of IFIN-HH and Director of ELI-NP, was decorated with the title of Grand Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour. President François Hollande signed the nomination decree on 15 January 2016. thus acknowledging Prof. Zamfir's "distinguished merits in the service of cooperation between Romania and France in the field of science and research". François Saint-Paul, Ambassador of France to Romania, awarded the insignia to Prof. Zamfir in a ceremony held at the French Embassy on 22 June 2016. Ambassador Saint-Paul stressed that: "without the determination, expertise, knowledge and patience of Prof. Zamfir, the ELI-NP project could not have started in Magurele".
In as much as the founder of IFIN-HH, Academician Horia Hulubei received the Legion of Honour 60 years ago, this award is a continuation of the Romanian-French cooperation in the field of physics. The distinction offered by the French State is a recognition of the achievements of the entire team of IFIN-HH and ELI-NP, as well as the Romanian community of physics.

2014

French Society of Physics (SFP)

FELIX ROBIN GRAND PRIZE

The French Physical Society awarded Sydney Gales, Director of Research at IPN Orsay and Scientific Director of ELI-NP, the grand prize "Felix Robin" in honour of his globally acknowledged scientific achievements. The "Felix Robin" grand prize is one of the highest honours awarded by SFP each year in recognition of the excellence of researchers and projects in the field of physics. This distinction conferred to Sydney Gales also honours IPN Orsay and ELI-NP.

2013

Mediafax

THE PRIZE FOR PUSHING THE LIMITS

The prize for pushing the limits was awarded to the Magurele team, which brought to Romania the most powerful laser in the world, because they are part of a project which attracted not only European funds but also state-of-the-art technology in Romania; because they succeeded to capitalize on the talent and knowledge of Romanian physicists; and because they managed to disseminate successfully information about the project.

2013

Energy Oscars

OUTSTANDING DEVELOPMENT

Alexander Damev, program manager of WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business), handed the prize for Outstanding Development to the Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering Horia Hulubei for the laser project in Magurele, the biggest of its kind in the world. The prize was received by Gheorghe Căta-Danil, deputy director of ELI-NP. Among the other nominees were Genesis Biopartner, Phoenixy, Rompetrol and RPIA (Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association).

2012

CCIFER Awards

OUTSTANDING DEVELOPMENT

The 2012 Gala of the French Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Romania (CCIFER) awarded the excellence prize to Nicolae Zamfir for the ELI-NP project. CCIFER 2012 Awards were a tribute to small and medium enterprises. In order to put small and medium enterprises in the limelight, CCIFER offered in 2012 five exclusive awards to enterprises and member associations.

2012

Radio Romania Cultural Awards

SCIENCE AWARD

The 13^th edition of Radio Romania Cultural Awards Gala had eight different sections meant to reflect on the Romanian cultural environment and its most important achievements in 2012. Dr. Nicolae Zamfir, the Director of IFIN-HH, received the Award for Science for bringing the largest laser research project – ELI-NP – to Romania.

2011

Education Awards Gala - Dinu Patriciu Foundation

HONORARY AWARD

The first honorary award was granted to IFIN-HH for the involvement in the ELI-NP International Project.