NFDI4Cat – Digital Chemist Award

The Goal

NFDI4Cat interviewed participants of the 55th “Jahrestreffen Deutscher Katalytiker” in Weimar on June 27–29, 2022. Twenty-three young scientists were interviewed to determine their level of knowledge about the Findability (F), Accessibility (A), Interoperability (I) and Re-Usability (R) of data (FAIR) principles and Research Data Management (RDM).

The results showed that 45.5% of the survey participants know little to nothing about the FAIR principles or their implementation. Furthermore, participants did not know how to access this information – FAIR principles (63.6%) or RDM (52.4%). Nevertheless, 82.6% of the survey participants would be interested in participating in activities to learn more about these topics. NFDI4Cat, in partnership with Chemistry Europe, would like to address this interest and raise awareness about the FAIR principles and RDM. To that purpose, the “NFDI4Cat – Digital Chemist Award” was founded.

The “NFDI4Cat – Digital Chemist Award” aims to highlight the most outstanding tool or service providing other scientists not only with a guide to implementing the FAIR principles, but also with a starting point for incorporating these principles into their daily work.

Target Audience

The “NFDI4Cat – Digital Chemist Award” will be awarded to researchers (postdocs, PhD students) at a university or non-university research institution whose contribution (tool or service) has helped to simplify the application of FAIR principles and whose outstanding contribution (tool or service) in the field of catalysis and catalysts-related topics exemplifies and promotes the path towards digital catalysis or catalysis-related sciences in every day research activities.

The “NFDI4Cat – Digital Chemist Award” will be awarded to the scientists who, through their research and method development, could significantly advance the application of the FAIR principles in the field of catalysis and catalysis-related sciences.

How can I participate?

The deadline for applications for 2024 is October 18th. To be eligible for the award, you must either be nominated or apply yourself by clicking the button below. To complete the application, you must include a summary of up to 800 words outlining the importance and significance of your contribution. A more detailed concept description might be added towards the end of the application procedure.

The Prize – Honouring improvement

This award is a joint initiative of NFDI4Cat and Chemistry Europe to help scientists in the fields of chemistry, catalysis and materials science to understand the FAIR principles and, most importantly, to apply them correctly and consistently in their daily research activities. To this end, NFDI4Cat and Chemistry Europe will reward pioneering scientists, both financially and through the dissemination of their efforts.

NFDI4Cat collaborates intensively with the industry. The project’s advisory board, which consists of hte GmbH, Covestro Deutschland AG, Linde AG, Evonik Industries AG, Clariant Produkte GmbH, and Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG, will provide the annual winner with a prize of 1000 euros.

Chemistry Europe will invite the winner to write a “Perspectve” presenting their contribution (tool or service) in ChemCatChem. The selected winner will also have the opportunity to showcase the winning contribution in a virtual symposium for Chemistry Europe as a recorded seminar (Virtual Symposium) raising awareness of the importance of the FAIR principles, RDM, and data sharing in this field.

The winner will be announced at the annual NFDI4Cat Digital Catalysis & Catalysis-Related Sciences Conference – The ADCR.

Judges

The prize is awarded after full agreement by three independent experts. One expert in the field of digitalisation of science, and two experts in the field of catalysis. The judges are selected annually in mutual agreement between Chemistry Europe and NFDI4Cat and are not part of the NFDI4Cat project.

  Submit an application!