Irving Langmuir Award in Chemical Physics
To recognize and encourage outstanding interdisciplinary research in chemistry and physics, in the spirit of Irving Langmuir. This biennial award consists of $5,000 and a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient. In even-numbered years, the American Chemical Society selects the award recipient and presents the award. In odd-numbered years, the American Physical Society selects the award recipient and presents the award. An allowance is provided for travel expenses of the recipient to the meeting of the Society at which the award is to be bestowed.
Rules and eligibility
This award is made to one person who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of chemical physics or physical chemistry within the ten years prior to the award. The award is granted without restriction. Nominations will be considered for two review cycles provided the nominator re-certifies the nomination before the next deadline.
Process and selection
The nomination package must include:
- A letter of not more than 5,000 characters evaluating the qualifications of the nominee(s).
In addition, the nomination should include:
- A biographical sketch
- A list of the most important publications.
- At least two, but not more than four, seconding letters.
- Up to five reprints or preprints.
There may be additional requirements for particular prizes and awards. Please read the rules carefully.
Establishment and support
This honor was initially established as a Prize in 1964 by the GE Foundation as a memorial to, and in recognition of, the accomplishments of Irving Langmuir. During his career at GE from 1909 to 1950, Langmuir received the 1932 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his discoveries and investigations in surface chemistry." From 2006 through 2017, GE Global Research assumed sponsorship of the Prize. In 2019 the Prize was supported by the APS Division on Chemical Physics (DCP). As of 2021, the generosity of the Journal of Chemical Physics by AIP Publishing allows the honor to be continued on as the "Irving Langmuir Award in Chemical Physics" for the years that APS administers the Award.
Recent recipients
Valeria Molinero
2023 recipient
For seminal contributions in understanding the crystallization of water and heterogeneous nucleation.
Jacob Klein
2021 recipient
For pioneering experiments on diffusion and interfacial structure of polymers.
Devarajan Thirumalai
2019 recipient
For the development of analytical and computational approaches to soft-matter systems and their application to the transitional behavior of supercooled fluids and glasses, folding dynamics of protein and RNA biopolymers, and functioning of molecular motors.
Emily A. Carter
2017 recipient
For the development of rigorous, ab initio methods such as embedding techniques and orbital free density functional theory, and their application to modeling the electronic structure of large systems, including solid materials, and charge transfer phenomena between molecules and surfaces.
Jens Norskov
2015 recipient
For his ground-breaking contributions to elucidating fundamental principles of reactivity on solid surfaces and the prediction of improved catalysts.
The membership of APS is diverse and global, and the nominees and recipients of APS Honors should reflect that diversity so that all are recognized for their impact on our community. Nominations of members belonging to groups traditionally underrepresented in physics, such as women, LGBT+ scientists, scientists who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), disabled scientists, scientists from institutions with limited resources, and scientists from outside the United States, are especially encouraged.
Nominees for and holders of APS Honors (prizes, awards, and fellowship) and official leadership positions are expected to meet standards of professional conduct and integrity as described in the APS Ethics Guidelines. Violations of these standards may disqualify people from consideration or lead to revocation of honors or removal from office.