Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that Applied Sciences is now inviting nominations for the Applied Sciences 2022 Early Career Investigator Award. This prize will be given to two early career investigators in recognition of their excellence in the field of applied sciences. All nominations will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee led by the EiC, Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi.

The Prize:

– An official certificate;
– 1000 CHF (Swiss francs);
– Option to publish two papers, after peer review, in Applied Sciences in 2023 with a 50% discount on the article processing charge.

Eligibility and Requirements:

– Must have received PhD degree on or after 1 January, 2018;
– Must have produced ground-breaking research and made a significant contribution to the advancement of applied sciences;
– Candidates must be nominated by senior scientists;
– Exemptions to the five years since PhD criterion will be allowed for career interruptions, including caring responsibilities, disability, disaster management and recovery (excluding the COVID-19 pandemic), medical conditions, parental leave and unemployment. If you would like to apply for an exemption, please submit a statement clearly describing the details of the nature and duration of the disruption. Please include the name of a senior researcher who can verify the statement.

List of Documents for Nomination:

– Detailed curriculum vitae, including an updated publication list and a list of the researcher’s own research grants;
– Scanned copy of doctorate certificate;
– Signed nomination letters from two established senior scientists.
– Statement of career interruption (if applicable).

Schedule:

– Nomination deadline: 28 February 2023;
– Winner announcement: 30 April 2023.

How to Submit Nominations?

The nominations must be submitted online.
Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] with any questions.

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, we wish to acknowledge our reviewers who generously devote their time to reviewing the papers submitted to Applied Sciences, by presenting an award to the reviewers who have demonstrated their dedication, professionalism, and timeliness in reviewing manuscripts for Applied Sciences.

What are the pre-requisites to be eligible for this award?
– All of the reviewers for Applied Sciences in 2022 will be automatically included.

Select Criteria:
– Number of review reports (only first review reports are considered);
– Review quality, based on the rating given in SuSy;
– Review speed.

What will the winners receive?
There will be six winners this year, and each will receive the following:
– 500 CHF (Swiss francs);
– An opportunity to publish a paper free of charge in 2023;
– A certificate.

When will the winners be announced?
– The winners will be announced on the journal website in February 2023.

How can I make myself eligible?
– If you have not yet reviewed papers for Applied Sciences, but would like to do so, you can register as a reviewer via the following link:
https://susy.mdpi.com/volunteer/profile/edit.

Kind regards,
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi
Editor-in-Chief, Applied Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the Applied Sciences 2021 Best Paper Award in the Section Optics and Lasers, which will be awarded to research and review articles published in Applied Sciences in 2021. One review and one research article will receive an award each. The papers will be selected after thorough evaluation by the journal Award Committee, led by the EiC Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi. The winners will be announced in March 2023.

Eligibility for the Award:
– Only papers or articles published in the Section Optics and Lasers in 2021 are eligible;
– Open to all career levels;
– Both regular and Special Issue submissions will be considered.

Selection Criteria:
The papers will be selected by the journal award committee according to the following criteria (data source: Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)):
– Scientific merit and broad impact;
– Originality of the research objectives and/or the ideas presented;
– Creativity of the study design or uniqueness of the approaches and concepts;
– Clarity of presentation;
– Citation and download rates in 2022

Prizes:
– One review award: 500 CHF and a chance to publish a paper, free of charge, in Applied Sciences in 2023;
– One research article award: 500 CHF and a chance to publish a paper, free of charge, in Applied Sciences in 2023;
– Each winner will also receive a certificate.

The winners will be announced on the journal website at the end of March 2023.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the “Applied Sciences 2021 Best Paper Award in Section Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering” for research and review articles published in Applied Sciences in 2021. One review and one research article will each receive an award. The papers will be selected following thorough evaluation by the journal’s Award Committee, led by the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi. The winners will be announced in March 2023.

Eligibility for the Award:
– Only papers or articles published in Section Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering in 2021 are eligible.
– This opportunity is open to all career levels.
– Both regular and Special Issue submissions will be considered.

Selection Criteria:
The papers will be selected by the journal’s Award Committee according to the following criteria (data source: Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)):
– Scientific merit and broad impact.
– Originality of the research objectives and/or the ideas presented.
– Creativity of the study design or uniqueness of the approaches and concepts.
– Clarity of presentation.
– Citation and download rates in 2022.

Prizes:
– One review award: 500 CHF and the chance to publish a free paper in Applied Sciences in 2023.
– One research article award: 500 CHF and the chance to publish a free paper in Applied Sciences in 2023.
– Each winner will also receive a certificate.

The winners will be announced on the journal’s website at the end of March 2023.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the “Applied Sciences 2021 Best Paper Award in Section Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences” for research and review articles published in Applied Sciences in 2021. One review and one research article will receive an award each. The papers will be selected after thorough evaluation by the journal Award Committee led by the EiC, Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi. The winners will be announced in March 2023.

Eligibility for the award:
– Only papers or articles published in the Section Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences in 2021 are eligible;
– Open to all career levels;
– Both regular and Special Issue submissions will be considered.

Selection Criteria:
The papers will be selected by the journal Award Committee according to the following criteria (data source: Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)):
– Scientific merit and broad impact;
– Originality of the research objectives and/or the ideas presented;
– Creativity of the study design or uniqueness of the approaches and concepts;
– Clarity of presentation;
– Citation and download rates in 2022.

Prizes:
– One review award: 500 CHF and a chance to publish a free paper in Applied Sciences in 2023;
– One research article award: 500 CHF and a chance to publish a free paper in Applied Sciences in 2023.
– Each winner will also receive a certificate.

The winners will be announced on the journal website at the end of March 2023.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the “Applied Sciences 2021 Best Paper Award in Section Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering” for research and review articles published in Applied Sciences in 2021. One review and one research article will receive an award each. Papers will be selected after a thorough evaluation by the journal Award Committee led by the EiC, Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi. The winners will be announced in March 2023.

Eligibility for the award:
– Only papers or articles published in Section Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering in 2021 are eligible;
– Open to all career levels;
– Both regular and Special Issue submissions will be considered.

Selection Criteria:
Papers will be selected by the journal Award Committee according to the following criteria (data source: Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)):
– Scientific merit and broad impact;
– Originality of the research objectives and/or the ideas presented;
– Creativity of the study design or uniqueness of the approaches and concepts;
– Clarity of presentation;
– Citation and download rates in 2022.

Prizes:
– One review award: 500 CHF and a chance to publish a paper free of charge in Applied Sciences in 2023;
– One research article award: 500 CHF and a chance to publish a paper free of charge in Applied Sciences in 2023.
– Each winner will also receive a certificate.

The winners will be announced on the journal website at the end of March 2023.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the Applied Sciences 2021 Best Paper Award in the Section Robotics and Automation, which will be awarded to research and review articles published in Applied Sciences in 2021. One review and one research article will receive an award each. The papers will be selected after thorough evaluation by the journal Award Committee, led by the EiC Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi. The winners will be announced in March 2023.

Eligibility for the award:
– Only papers or articles published in the Section Robotics and Automation in 2021 are eligible;
– Open to all career levels;
– Both regular and Special Issue submissions will be considered.

Selection Criteria:
The papers will be selected by the journal award committee according to the following criteria (data source: Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)):
– Scientific merit and broad impact;
– Originality of the research objectives and/or the ideas presented;
– Creativity of the study design or uniqueness of the approaches and concepts;
– Clarity of presentation;
– Citation and download rates in 2022.

Prizes:
– One review award: 500 CHF and a chance to publish a paper, free of charge, in Applied Sciences in 2023;
– One research article award: 500 CHF and a chance to publish a paper, free of charge, in Applied Sciences in 2023.
– Each winner will also receive a certificate.

The winners will be announced on the journal website at the end of March 2023.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the application period is now open for the Applied Sciences 2022 Travel Award in Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering. The applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Applsci Editorial Board.

This prize provides financial support for the winner to attend an international conference in the field of applied biosciences and bioengineering to be held in 2022, in order to hold a presentation, present a poster, or both.

Candidate Requirements:

– Postdoctoral fellows or PhD students.
– Plans to attend an international conference in 2022 (oral presentation or poster).

Required Application Documents:

– Information of the conference the applicant is planning to attend and the abstract that will be submitted.
– Curriculum Vitae and list of publications.
– Justification letter describing the focus of the research (max. 800 words).
– Letter of recommendation from the supervisor, research director, or department head, which also confirms the applicant’s status as a postdoctoral fellow/PhD student.

The award will consist of 800 Swiss Francs and the winner will have the chance to publish one paper free of charge in Applied Sciences in 2022.

Please submit your applications for the Applied Sciences 2022 Travel Award in Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering online by 30 April 2022. Prizes will be awarded at the end of June 2022 and announced on the Applied Sciences website.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the application period is now open for the Applied Sciences 2022 Travel Award in Earth Sciences and Geography. The applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Applsci Editorial Board.

This prize provides financial support for the winner to attend an international conference in the field of earth sciences and geography to be held in 2022, in order to hold a presentation, present a poster, or both.

Candidate Requirements:

– Postdoctoral fellows or PhD students.
– Plans to attend an international conference in 2022 (oral presentation or poster).

Required Application Documents:

– Information of the conference the applicant is planning to attend and the abstract that will be submitted.
– Curriculum Vitae and list of publications.
– Justification letter describing the focus of the research (max. 800 words).
– Letter of recommendation from the supervisor, research director, or department head, which also confirms the applicant’s status as a postdoctoral fellow/PhD student.

The award will consist of 800 Swiss Francs and the winner will have the chance to publish one paper free of charge in Applied Sciences in 2022.

Please submit your applications for the Applied Sciences 2022 Travel Award in Earth Sciences and Geography online by 30 April 2022. Prizes will be awarded at the end of June 2022 and announced on the Applied Sciences website.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the application period is now open for the Applied Sciences 2022 Travel Award in Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences. The applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Applsci Editorial Board.

This prize provides financial support for the winner to attend an international conference in the field of nanotechnology and applied nanosciences to be held in 2022, in order to hold a presentation, present a poster, or both.

Candidate Requirements:

– Postdoctoral fellows or PhD students.
– Plans to attend an international conference in 2022 (oral presentation or poster).

Required Application Documents:

– Information of the conference the applicant is planning to attend and the abstract that will be submitted.
– Curriculum Vitae and list of publications.
– Justification letter describing the focus of the research (max. 800 words).
– Letter of recommendation from the supervisor, research director, or department head, which also confirms the applicant’s status as a postdoctoral fellow/PhD student.

The award will consist of 800 Swiss Francs and the winner will have the chance to publish one paper free of charge in Applied Sciences in 2022.

Please submit your applications for the Applied Sciences 2022 Travel Award in Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences online by 30 April 2022. Prizes will be awarded at the end of June 2022 and announced on the Applied Sciences website.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the application period is now open for the Applied Sciences 2022 Travel Award in Optics and Lasers. The applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Applsci Editorial Board.

This prize provides financial support for the winner to attend an international conference in the field of optics and lasers to be held in 2022, in order to hold a presentation, present a poster, or both.

Candidate Requirements:

– Postdoctoral fellows or PhD students.
– Plans to attend an international conference in 2022 (oral presentation or poster).

Required Application Documents:

– Information of the conference the applicant is planning to attend and the abstract that will be submitted.
– Curriculum Vitae and list of publications.
– Justification letter describing the focus of the research (max. 800 words).
– Letter of recommendation from the supervisor, research director, or department head, which also confirms the applicant’s status as a postdoctoral fellow/PhD student.

The award will consist of 800 Swiss Francs and the winner will have the chance to publish one paper free of charge in Applied Sciences in 2022.

Please submit your applications for the Applied Sciences 2022 Travel Award in Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences online by 30 April 2022. Prizes will be awarded at the end of June 2022 and announced on the Applied Sciences website.

Dear Colleagues,

As the Section Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Award in Materials Science and Engineering.

The awards have been granted to:

One article:
Low-Cost Biochar Adsorbents for Water Purification Including Microplastics Removal
By Virpi Siipola et al.
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(3), 788; doi:10.3390/app10030788

One review:
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AISI 316L Produced by Directed Energy Deposition-Based Additive Manufacturing: A Review
By Abdollah Saboori et al.
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(9), 3310; doi:10.3390/app10093310

Each winner (corresponding author) will receive CHF 400 and a certificate.

On behalf of the Assessment Committee, I congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups of the above exceptional papers for their contributions to Applied Sciences, and thank the Awards Committee for voting and helping with these awards.

Prof. Dr. Philippe Lambin
Section Editor-in-Chief, Applied Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2021 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Applied Sciences Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers in checking the manuscripts submitted to Applied Sciences. It is due to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick turnaround are maintained.

Khaled Giasin
School of Mechanical and Design Engineering, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

Jakub Krzysztof Grabski
Institute of Applied Mechanics, University of Technology, Poznań, Poland

Marcos Tostado-Véliz
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Jaén, Linares, Spain

Luigi Pugliese
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calabria, Rende, Cosenza, Italy

Francesco Bennardo
Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy

Heriberto Perez-Acebo
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain

Each winner will receive CHF 500, a certificate, and an opportunity to publish a paper free of charge in 2022.

On behalf of the assessment committee, I would like to congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all winners for their contributions to Applied Sciences and the Award Committee for voting and helping with these awards.

Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi
Editor-in-Chief, Applied Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

The journal Applied Sciences (MDPI, Switzerland, ISSN 2076-3417, mdpi.com/journal/applsci) is inviting applications for the Applied Sciences 2021 Best PhD Thesis Award. This prize will be awarded to a PhD student who is about to graduate or participate in the graduation thesis. The applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Applied Sciences Editorial Board.

Eligibility Requirements:
a. The candidate must be a PhD student who is going to graduate or participate in graduation thesis defenses.
b. The PhD thesis must be original work.
c. The PhD thesis must be defended between 1 January 2021 and 31 October 2021.
d. Applicants are required to submit the following documents:
– An executive summary of the PhD thesis in English, of around 3000 words;
– A letter from PhD supervisor recommending the candidate for consideration for this award;
– The candidate’s CV, including a list of publications connected with the thesis;
– An electronic copy of the PhD thesis;
– A scanned copy of the PhD diploma.

Selection Criteria:
– Quality of resume and publications;
– Relevance of the candidate and research description;
– Novelty of the candidate’s PhD thesis;
– Strength of the recommendation letter;
– Anticipated academic potential;
– Originality and impact of the research.

Prizes:
– Bonus (800 CHF);
– Certificate;
– Offer to publish a featured paper in Applied Sciences with the article processing charge (APC) waived before the end of 2022.

How to apply?
– Please submit your application online.

The application deadline is 31 December 2021. The winner will be announced on the Applied Sciences website by the end of May 2022.

Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] with any questions.

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences 2021–2022 Travel Award in Food Science and Technology.

The award has been granted to Dr. Márcia de Sousa Oliveira, a postdoctoral fellow in the University of León, León, Spain.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were both challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his excellent accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applied Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering for 2021.

The award has been granted to Dr. Caroline Sarah Taylor, a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Sheffield, UK.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applsci

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Chemistry for 2021.

The award has been granted to Dr. Raquel Viveiros, a postdoctoral fellow in the NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applsci

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Energy for 2021.

The award has been granted to Dr. Alfonso González Briones, a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Salamanca, Spain.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applsci

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Environmental and Sustainable Science and Technology for 2021.

The award has been granted to Dr. Alen Horvat, a postdoctoral fellow in the University Carlos III Madrid, Spain.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applsci

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Materials for 2021.

The award has been granted to Dr. Marie Švecová, a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Chemistry and Technology, Czech Republic.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applsci

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Mechanical Engineering for 2021.

The award has been granted to Dr. Venanzio Giannella, a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Salerno, Italy.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applsci

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences for 2021.

The award has been granted to Dr. Michaël Lobet, a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Namur, Belgium.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applsci

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Optics and Lasers for 2021.

The award has been granted to Dr. Lam Thi Ngoc TRAN, a postdoctoral fellow in the National Research Council, Italy.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applsci

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Acoustics and Vibrations for 2021.

The award has been granted to Dr. Hanfei Mei, a postdoctoral fellow in th University of South Carolina, USA.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and final decision were challenging. We would like to thank all the applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner on his accomplishment.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applsci

Dear Colleagues,

As the Section Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Awards in Mechanical Engineerings.

The awards have been granted to:

One article:

Real-Time Remote Maintenance Support Based on Augmented Reality (AR)
By Dimitris Mourtzis et al.
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(5), 1855; doi:10.3390/app10051855

One review:

Dielectric Elastomer Actuator for Soft Robotics Applications and Challenges
By Jung-Hwan Youn et al.
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(2), 640; doi:10.3390/app10020640

Each winner (corresponding author) will receive CHF 400 and a certificate.

On behalf of the Assessment Committee, I congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups of the above exceptional papers for their contributions to Applied Sciences, and thank the Award Committee for voting and helping with these awards.

Prof. Dr. Filippo Berto
Section Editor-in-Chief, Applied Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

As the Section Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Awards in Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering.

The awards have been granted to:

One Article:

Observation of Potential Contaminants in Processed Biomass Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
By Jingshun Zhuang et al.
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(12), 4345; doi:10.3390/app10124345.

One Review:

Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis 2020: Where We Stand
By Angelo Iacobino et al.
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 2153; doi:10.3390/app10062153.

Each winner (corresponding author) will receive CHF 400 and a certificate.

On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups of the above exceptional papers for their contributions to Applied Sciences, and thank the Award Committee for voting and helping with these awards.

Section Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Roger Narayan, Applied Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

As the Section Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2020 Best Paper Awards in Environmental and Sustainable Science and Technology.

The awards have been granted to:

One Article:

Chromium(III) Removal from Wastewater by Chitosan Flakes
By Loris Pietrelli et al.
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 1925; doi:10.3390/app10061925

One Review:

Unravelling the Environmental Application of Biochar as Low-Cost Biosorbent: A Review
By Antía Fdez-Sanromán et al.
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7810; doi:10.3390/app10217810

Each winner (corresponding author) will receive CHF 400 and a certificate.

On behalf of the Assessment Committee, I congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups of the above exceptional papers for their contributions to Applied Sciences, and thank the Award Committee for voting and helping with these awards.

Prof. Dr. Dibyendu Sarkar
Section Editor-in-Chief, Applied Sciences

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2020 Review Awards. The Applied Sciences Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers in checking the manuscripts submitted to Applied Sciences. It is due to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick turnaround is maintained.

Prof. Dr. Basilio Pueo
Affiliation: University Institute for Computing Research, Faculty of Education. University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Research Interest: Sport; Biomechanics; Instrumentation; Audio; Video; Performance; technology; rowing.

Dr. Khader Hamdia
Affiliation: Institute of Continuum Mechanics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany.
Research Interest: stochastic modeling; uncertainty analysis; Numerical Methods; finite element analysis; computational material design; fracture mechanics; solid mechanics; optimization; machine learning.

Dr. Alberto Fernández-Isabel
Affiliation: Research Group of Foundations and Applications of Data Science, Rey Juan Carlos University Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Research Interest: environment simulation; intelligent transportation systems; road traffic simulation; agent-based systems; medical fraud detection; social behaviour and interaction; knowledge-based systems.

Dr. Jarosław Rybak
Affiliation: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland.
Research Interest: civil engineering, geotechnics, geotechnical investigation and design; deep excavations; foundations; foundation pile design and testing; monitoring of structures; soil structure interaction; vibration monitoring.

Dr. Giuseppe Ciaburro
Affiliation: Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Aversa, Italy.
Research Interest: Architecture; Acoustics; Sound; Digital Signal Processing; Acoustics and Acoustic Engineering; Acoustic Signal Processing; Sound Analysis; Audio Signal Processing; Noise Analysis; Acoustic Analysis.

Dr. Maria Luisa Villani
Affiliation: ENEA-Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, Rome, Italy.
Research Interest: artificial intelligence, computational creativity; formal methods applications; linked data; model based software engineering; resilience.

Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applied Sciences.

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Earth Sciences and Geography 2020.

It has been granted to Dr. Nicolò Giordano, a Post-doc Fellow at INRS Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the award, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner for his accomplishments. We are proud to support this young scientists and wish him further success in their his careers.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417; Applied Sciences-Basel in Web of Science) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal, published monthly by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland. The journal is covered by leading indexing services, including Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and Scopus. Its 2018 Impact Factor is 2.217, and its five-year Impact Factor is 2.287. For further details, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci.

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Energy 2020.

It has been granted to Dr. Alfonso González Briones, who holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of Salamanca.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the awards, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner for his accomplishments. We are proud to support this young scientist and wish him further success in his career.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417; Applied Sciences-Basel in Web of Science) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal, published monthly by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland. The journal is covered by leading indexing services, including Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and Scopus. Its 2018 Impact Factor is 2.217, and its five-year Impact Factor is 2.287. For further details, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci.

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Environmental and Sustainable Science and Technology 2020.

It has been granted to Dr. Marco Vocciante, from the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry at the University of Genova.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the awards, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner for his accomplishments. We are proud to support this young scientist and wish him further success in his career.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417; Applied Sciences-Basel in Web of Science) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal, published monthly by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland. The journal is covered by leading indexing services, including Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and Scopus. Its 2018 Impact Factor is 2.217, and its five-year Impact Factor is 2.287. For further details, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci.

Dear Colleagues,
As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences Travel Award in Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences 2020.

It has been granted to Dr. Daniel M. Balazs, who is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the awards, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner for his accomplishments. We are proud to support this young scientist and wish him further success in his career.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417; Applied Sciences-Basel in Web of Science) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal, published monthly by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland. The journal is covered by leading indexing services, including Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and Scopus. Its 2018 Impact Factor is 2.217, and its five-year Impact Factor is 2.287. For further details, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci.

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences Travel Award Optics and Lasers 2020.

They have been granted to Dr. Kayn Forbes, a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the School of Chemistry at the University of East Anglia, and Dr. Stefano Signorini, a Postdoctoral researcher from the University of Trento.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the awards, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winners for their accomplishments. We are proud to support these young scientists and wish them further success in their careers.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417; Applied Sciences-Basel in Web of Science) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal, published monthly by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland. The journal is covered by leading indexing services, including Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and Scopus. Its 2018 Impact Factor is 2.217, and its five-year Impact Factor is 2.287. For further details, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci.

Dear Colleagues,

As the editor-in-chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2019 Best Paper Awards for Industry Section.

The awards have been granted to:

One Review:

The Potential of Additive Manufacturing in the Smart Factory Industrial 4.0: A Review
By Mehrshad Mehrpouya et al.
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(18), 3865; doi: 10.3390/app9183865

One Research Article:

Development of a Smart Cyber-Physical Manufacturing System in the Industry 4.0 Context
By Ngoc-Hien Tran et al.
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(16), 3325; doi: 10.3390/app9163325

Each winner (corresponding author) will receive 400 CHF and a certificate.

On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winners on their accomplishments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the nominated research groups of the above exceptional papers for their contributions to Applied Sciences, and thank the Award Committee for voting and helping with these awards.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, Applied Sciences

The Applied Sciences Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy given by reviewers in checking manuscripts submitted to the journal. It is thanks to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick submission to publication process are maintained. The median time to first decision is currently and impressive 15.5 days, and the median time to publication is 39 days, which is all because of you.

Please join us in congratulating the six referees below, who will receive the “Applied Sciences 2019 Outstanding Reviewer Awards” in recognition of the quantity, timeliness, and quality of their reviews in 2019. Each of them will receive 500 CHF and a certificate for their outstanding review work.

Prof. Gabor Sziebig
UIT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway

Prof. Hojong Choi
Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Korea

Dr. Aryan Rezaei Rad
EPFL ENAC IIC IBOIS, Switzerland

Dr. Ali Behnood
Purdue University, USA

Dr. Andreas Hoffmann
Max-Born-Institut, Berlin, Germany

Prof. Douglas O’Shaughnessy
Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Canada

Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417; Applied Sciences-Basel in Web of Science) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal, published monthly by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland. The journal is covered by leading indexing services, including Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and Scopus. Its 2018 Impact Factor is 2.217, and its five-year Impact Factor is 2.287. For further details, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci.

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences Travel Awards in Nanosciences field for 2019.

It has been granted to Dr. Giuseppe Cavallaro from the University of Palermo, who has demonstrated mobility in the field of Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the award, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner for his accomplishments. We are proud to support these young scientists and wish him further success in his career.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

ear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences Travel Awards in Optics field for 2019.

It has been granted to Dr. Juan Sebastian Totero Gongora, a Helena Normanton Research Fellow in Quantum Technology, University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the award, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner for his accomplishments. We are proud to support these young scientists and wish him further success in his career.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

The Applied Sciences Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy given by reviewers in checking manuscripts submitted to the journal. It is thanks to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick submission to publication process are maintained. The median time to first decision is 15.5 days and the median time to publication is 37 days.

The following referees have been selected by the Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, to receive “Applied Sciences 2018 Outstanding Reviewer Awards” for the quantity, timeliness and quality of their reviews in 2018. Each of them would receive 500 CHF and a certificate for their outstanding review work:

• Dr. Ali Behnood
  Purdue University, USA
• Prof. Antonio D’Andrea
  University of Rome, Italy
• Dr. Antolino Gallego
  Universidad de Granada, Spain
• Dr. Carmelo Militello
  Italian National Research Council, Rome (CNR), Italy
• Dr. Cheng-Tien Chiang
  Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences 2018 Young Investigator Award in “Biosciences and Bioengineering” field:

It has been granted to Dr. Thanh Duc Nguyen, an assistant Professor in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, USA.

Dr. Thanh Duc Nguyen was nominated by Prof. Cato T. Laurencin (Chief Executive Officer, Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science). Dr. Nguyen is a very impressive and innovative young investigator with outstanding research works focused on biodegradable polymers and technologies of transforming materials into “smart” structures at small scales without compromising their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability for significant applications in vaccine delivery and medical devices.

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the award, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner for his accomplishments. We are proud to support young scientists and wish his further success in his career.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winner of the Applied Sciences 2018 Young Investigator Award in “Environmental and Sustainable” field.

It has been granted to Dr. José Marcos Ortega, who is now an Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Alicante, Spain.

Dr. José Marcos Ortega was nominated by the Head of the research group “Durability of materials and constructions in Engineering and Architecture” of the University of Alicante, Professor Miguel Ángel Climent Llorca. Dr. Ortega has continued working in the “Durability of materials and constructions in Engineering and Architecture” research group of the University of Alicante. Recently, he attained a position as an associate professor at the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Alicante, where he is also the secretary of the PhD program “Materials, Structures and Soil Engineering: Sustainable Construction”. 

It was a difficult decision with such high-quality applications for the award, and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winner for his accomplishments. We are proud to support young scientists and wish him further success in his career.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences Travel Awards for 2018.

They have been granted to: Dr. Riccardo Frisenda, who was awarded a Rubicon postdoctoral fellowship by NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research); and Dr. Matthias Benjamin Jungfleisch, a postdoctoral researcher in the Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, USA.
Dr. Riccardo Frisenda is working at the Material Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM), Spain, researching two-dimensional layered semiconductors for applications in optoelectronics. In particular, his activity focuses on the study of the electronic structure of these materials and the changes induced by different external stimuli, such as strain or temperature.

Dr. Matthias Benjamin Jungfleisch has worked with Dr. Axel Hoffmann in the Magnetic Films Group at Argonne National Laboratory since 2014. His research resulted in an honorary mention of the 2016 Argonne Outstanding Postdoc Award. Dr. Jungfleisch’s research interest lies in the area of spintronics and magnetization dynamics. In particular, his work focuses on design, fabrication and characterization of nanoscaled magnonic elements and novel spin-torque devices.

It was a difficult decision with such high quality applications for the awards and we would like to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics. On behalf of the assessment committee, I congratulate the winners for their accomplishments.

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi

The competition for 2019 Applied Sciences Travel Awards will be open for applications in early June.

The Applied Sciences Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy given by reviewers in checking manuscripts submitted to the journal. It is thanks to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick submission to publication process are maintained. The median time to first decision is 19 days and the median time to publication is 48 days.

The following referees have been selected by the Editor-in-Chief of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi, to receive “Applied Sciences 2017 Outstanding Reviewer Awards” for the quantity, timeliness and quality of their reviews in 2017. Each of them will receive 500 CHF and a certificate for their outstanding review work:

Augusto Cannone Falchetto
Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany

Daniele Codetta-Raiteri
Università del Piemonte Orientale, Italy

Francesco Aletta
University of Sheffield, UK

Giuseppe Lazzara
University of Palermo, Italy

Xavier Chiementin
Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the winners of the Applied Sciences Travel Awards for 2017.

The Travel Awards were granted to: Dr. Urcan Guler, a postdoctoral researcher in the joint research group of Professor Alexandra Boltasseva, Professor Alexander Kildishev, and Professor Vladimir Shalaev at Purdue University, USA; and Dr. Davide Bossini, who was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship for overseas researchers by the JSPS (Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science). Dr. Bossini is working in the research group led by Prof. Junji Yumoto and Prof. Makoto Kuwata-Gonokami at the University of Tokyo, Japan.

Dr. Urcan Guler works in the areas of nanophotonics and nanofabrication with a focus on design, development and characterization of material systems for utilization as plasmonic and metamaterial components in harsh environment applications.

Dr. Davide Bossini is researching the ultrafast manipulation of the magnetic order in solid state compounds. In particular, his activity focuses on the study of laser-induced coherent and incoherent spin dynamics on the femtosecond timescale in antiferromagnets.

Editor-in-Chief Prof.
Dr. Takayoshi Kobayashi