Announcements

MDPI is honored to announce the recipients of the 2025 Best Paper Awards, celebrating exceptional research for its scientific merit and broad impact. After a rigorous evaluation process conducted by Academic Editors, this year’s awards showcase papers that stand out for their innovation, relevance, and high-quality presentation.

Out of a highly competitive pool, 396 winning papers have been recognized for their exceptional contributions. We congratulate these authors for pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines.

At MDPI, we are dedicated to broadening the reach of innovative science. To learn more about the award-winning papers and explore research projects in your field of study, please visit the following links:

• Biology and Life Sciences;
• Business and Economics;
• Chemistry and Materials Sciences;
• Computer Sciences and Mathematics;
• Engineering;
• Environmental and Earth Sciences;
• Medicine and Pharmacology;
• Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities;
• Physical Sciences;
• Public Health and Healthcare.

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the global research community and enhance academic dialogue, MDPI journals regularly host award programs across diverse scientific disciplines. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and whose work drives the advancement of their fields.

Explore the Best Paper Awards open for participation, please click here.

MDPI is delighted to announce the establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award. Named in honor of Professor Michele Parrinello, the award celebrates his exceptional contributions and his profound impact on the field of computational physical science research.

The award will be presented biennially to distinguished scientists who have made outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of computational physical science—spanning physics, chemistry, and materials science.

About Professor Michele Parrinello

"Do not be afraid of new things. I see it many times when we discuss a new thing that young people are scared to go against the mainstream a little bit, thinking what is going to happen to me and so on. Be confident that what you do is meaningful, and do not be afraid, do not listen too much to what other people have to say.”

——Professor Michele Parrinello

Born in Messina in 1945, he received his degree from the University of Bologna and is currently affiliated with the Italian Institute of Technology. Professor Parrinello is known for his many technical innovations in the field of atomistic simulations and for a wealth of interdisciplinary applications ranging from materials science to chemistry and biology. Together with Roberto Car, he introduced ab initio molecular dynamics, also known as the Car–Parrinello method, marking the beginning of a new era both in the area of electronic structure calculations and in molecular dynamics simulations. He is also known for the Parrinello–Rahman method, which allows crystalline phase transitions to be studied by molecular dynamics. More recently, he has introduced metadynamics for the study of rare events and the calculation of free energies.

For his work, he has been awarded many prizes and honorary degrees. He is a member of numerous academies and learned societies, including the German Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, the British Royal Society, and the Italian Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, which is the major academy in his home country of Italy.

Award Committee

The award committee will be chaired by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, a computational condensed matter physicist, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and professor at the Department of Physics, Fudan University. Professor Xin-Gao Gong will lead a panel of several senior experts in the field to oversee the evaluation and selection process. The Institute for Computational Physical Sciences at Fudan University (Shanghai, China), led by Professor Xin-Gao Gong, will serve as the supporting institute for the award.

"We hope the Michele Parrinello Award will recognize scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of computational condensed matter physics and at the same time set a benchmark for the younger generation, providing clear direction for their pursuit—this is precisely the original intention behind establishing the award."

——Professor Xin-Gao Gong

The first edition of the award was officially launched on 1 November 2025. Nominations will be accepted before the end of March 2026. For further details, please visit mparrinelloaward.org.

About the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and MDPI Awards

The Michele Parrinello Award is part of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing sustainable development through scientific progress and global collaboration. The foundation also oversees the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and the Tu Youyou Award. The establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award will further enrich the existing award portfolio, providing continued and diversified financial support to outstanding professionals across various fields. 

In addition to these foundation-level awards, MDPI journals also recognize outstanding contributions through a range of honors, including Best Paper Awards, Outstanding Reviewer Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Editor of Distinction Awards, and others. These initiatives aim to recognize excellence across disciplines and career stages, contributing to the long-term vitality and sustainability of scientific research.

Find more information on awards here.

Conference: The 19th National Synthetic Organic Chemistry Symposium
Date: 15–18 May 2026
Location: Suzhou, China

MDPI will be attending 19th National Synthetic Organic Chemistry Symposium, taking place between 15 and 18 May 2026, as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from various backgrounds to visit our booth and share their latest ideas with us.

This symposium, the premier academic event in the field of organic synthetic chemistry in China in terms of academic level and scale, will center on the theme Organic Synthetic Chemistry: A New Era of Molecular Manufacturing. It will explore pathways for upgrading traditional synthetic paradigms, bring together leading scholars from the academic community, showcase cutting-edge research achievements, and discuss frontier developments in the discipline, thus establishing a high-level exchange platform for academia and industry. The conference is co-hosted by the Organic Chemistry Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society and the Suzhou Society of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and is organized by the College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science of Soochow University.

The conference will feature diverse formats of academic exchange, including plenary lectures, invited lectures, oral presentations, and poster sessions. Topics will cover organic synthetic methodology, organometallic chemistry, synthesis of organic polymers and functional materials, natural product synthesis, and medicinal chemistry. Participants will engage in in-depth discussions and exchanges on frontier research advances and future directions in the field of organic synthetic chemistry. We warmly welcome scholars and graduate students to participate in this conference.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at this conference:

• Chemistry;
• Molbank;
• Organics;
• Molecules;
• AppliedChem;
• Pharmaceuticals;
• Marine Drugs.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the booth and answering any questions that you may have.

As a pioneer in open access publishing, MDPI maintains rigorous publication standards. This mission relies on the dedication and expertise of our reviewers, who invest their time and knowledge to ensure the quality and integrity of the research we publish.

In 2025, over 209,000 reviewers contributed to the peer-review process at MDPI, providing more than 1.3 million review reports for our journals. To express our gratitude, MDPI’s Reviewer Recognition Program highlights reviewers across over 400 journals, featuring those who have assessed at least one manuscript and agreed to be acknowledged.

In addition, MDPI has identified its Top 1000 Reviewers of 2024 to recognize those whose expertise, dedication, and thoughtful evaluations were particularly outstanding.

Many journals have also established Outstanding Reviewer Awards to honor our reviewers’ commitment to publication excellence. Together with the Exceptional Reviewer List, we showcase the importance of reviewers’ work and their time and dedication.

These initiatives serve to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude towards the whole reviewer community. In recognition of their contributions, we also welcome new researchers to join this community. If you would like to contribute to open access publishing, learn more about the reviewers’ benefits and sign up to join us.

Conference: 2026 KIChE Spring Meeting
Date: 22–24 April 2026
Location: Jeju Island, Republic of Korea

The Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers (KIChE) is one of the largest chemical engineering societies in Korea with 60 years of tradition. The KIChE has more than 6,000 members with 9 regional sections and 13 technical divisions. The KIChE encourages technical, social and cultural exchanges between the members. It endeavors to improve the technological level of domestic academia and promotes the development of technology through educational–industrial cooperation.

MDPI will be attending the 2026 KIChE Spring Meeting as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held from 22 to 24 April 2026, in Jeju Island, and expects to bring together approximately 3000 participants, ranging from academic to industry. We gladly invite researchers to visit our booth and discuss their latest research with us.

The following open access journals will be represented at the conference:

• ChemEngineering;
• AppliedChem;
• Electrochem;
• Energies;
• ESA;
• Fuels;
• Materials;
• Membranes;
• Organics;
• Oxygen;
• Processes;
• Solar;
• Catalysts;
• Clean Technologies;
• Crystals;
• Reactions.

Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at MDPI’s booth and answering any questions you may have. For more information regarding the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.kiche.or.kr/conference/greetings.

Prof. Dr. Jason B. Love CChem FRSC is professor of molecular inorganic chemistry at the University of Edinburgh and Head of the School of Chemistry.

He has over 20 years’ experience of delivering learning and teaching at all undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He was the Edinburgh co-director of the EPSRC CDT for Critical Resource Catalysis (CRITICAT) and External Examiner for the chemistry degree programmes at the University of Glasgow. He also served as visiting professor at the Technical University Munich, Germany (2015), and at Osaka University, Japan (2019–20). He is now the Chair of the Heads of Chemistry UK and a Member of the Board of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh.

His primary research interests focus on the recovery and recycling of valuable and critical metals, making use of an in-depth chemical understanding to deliver new technologies and processes, a research effort that is supported by UKRI and industry funding.

Prof. Dr. Love was an expert contributor to a joint DESNZ/DEFRA research analysis of the potential benefits arising from resource efficiency (2023) and to the Royal Society of Chemistry ESED report on Decarbonisation: materials and circularity challenges for clean technologies. He was also invited to participate in a joint UK Science and Innovation Network–US DoE Critical Materials Innovation Hub R&D Workshop (2024) to enhance diplomatic and economic links for a secure and sustainable supply of critical minerals.

Recently, he led a programme to provide sustainable methods for the recycling of metals from e-waste for artisanal jewellers in India (with University of Dundee, NID, and IIT BHU). He is also a pillar lead on the UKRI Accelerating the Green Economy Centre REACT (University of Glasgow, HWU, University of Edinburgh) for Responsible Electronics and Circular Technologies.

Prof. Dr. Love has published 169 peer-reviewed articles and patents, and has delivered more than 90 international, national, and public invited lectures, including “Mining the Scrapheap” at New Scientist Live (2018). He has contributed to commentary articles for the New Scientist, RSC Chemistry World, and RSC Voice, and to radio programmes on gold recycling (2020 BBC) and urban mining (2016 BBC, The Naked Scientists, and BBC Scotland Brainwaves). He was the winner of the 2020 Ekeberg Prize for his work on tantalum recycling.

We interviewed Prof. Dr. Jason Love about his current research and future directions.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your current research interests?

Yes, currently I am really interested in the sustainability and circularity of metal resources, so things like gold and copper, how they are sourced, how they are recycled. We interrogate the chemistry that underpins a lot of those processes and try to develop new processes, try to be more sustainable, try to be greener, and try to apply that chemistry to processes that can then be used in industry and in other ways as well.

2. What was it that initially that made you want to take on the Editor-in-Chief role?

I think it was because of the particular journal, it fits into my background, and also into my research ethos as well, which was trying to take chemistry and move it towards something that would be economically or societally advantageous. So, it was the application of what I would consider to be fundamental chemistry into something that’s more applied.

3. What has been your biggest success in the role?

If I think about 2025, it has been a good year. The journal has been indexed now in Scopus and Web of Science. That has been a really big achievement. We have seen a significant increase in submissions and in publications as well, so I think that reflects well on how the journal is performing. We’ve also had a quite a few Special Issues. There was a women’s Special Issue which I thought was important in this particular area.

4. What plans do you have for Applied Chem in 2026?

The Special Issues are ongoing. I think what we need to do is try to maintain the quality of the submissions and the quality of the publications—that’s really important. I think quality is exceptionally important in promoting a new journal in particular. We need to look at what are potentially hot or emerging topics in this area, which could be those that are aligned to AI, or to green energy, for example.

5. Do you have any advice for young researchers trying to establish their careers within your field of research, within applied chemistry?

I think young researchers need to work hard, and I think they need to do something that is different to what they’ve done before—choose topics that they think they can succeed in and choose topics that have importance, not only in fundamental chemistry, but also have societal and economic significance as well.

Aim high; I think that’s important so that the quality is there, but then also don’t forget about all the low-hanging fruits as well, because you can aim high and not publish very much at all, whereas, if you can pick out the low-hanging fruit, you can get some good publications and that really helps your career.

6. Have the sessions from today’s summit impacted how you view open access at all?

Yes, I think they have. They reinforce why we need open access, primarily because you’re not hiding important knowledge from people. I think it’s important that UK citizens, who provide tax funds to pay for research, should be able to see the consequences and outputs from the researchers they support.

7. Do you think it’s important that MDPI hosts events such as today’s summit?

Yes, I do. I think it promotes collegiality; it provides a lot of knowledge that I didn’t have before. And I think there is a good sharing of experience at this event through talking to people and networking. I think it’s really interesting hearing other people’s points of view, what works, what doesn’t work. I think that’s a great way forward. That’s why these kinds of events are really important and it has reinforced my desire to keep working with MDPI as well.

A big thank you to Prof. Dr. Jason Love for his time and MDPI looks forward to future collaborations with him.

This Academic Publishing Workshop will be led by MDPI Regional Journal Relations Specialist, Dr. Sally Wu, on “Author Training”. Participants will receive practical advice on essential aspects of writing academic articles. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the academic publishing landscape and how to successfully contribute to it.

Date: 25 February 2026
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. EST

Schedule:

Speakers:

MDPI has surpassed the milestone of 1,000 partners within the Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). The agreements span 59 countries, covering North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

Last year alone, more than 150 new libraries and academic institutions joined MDPI’s IOAP. With the expansion of an existing consortium deal in Sweden we welcomed a further 75 partners to the program in January 2026, enabling us to surpass the 1,000-partners milestone.

The IOAP supports affiliated researchers by streamlining submission processes, reducing administrative burdens, and offering discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs). Through IOAP membership, more than 61,300 research articles received APC discounts in 2025, driving greater visibility and accessibility for partner institutions and global research communities alike.

"This milestone marks a significant step towards expanding MDPI’s global impact," said Stefan Tochev, MDPI's CEO. "Reaching 1,000 IOAP partnerships is a true testament to the growing trust and collaboration we’ve built with universities, libraries, and research organizations worldwide. We are proud to lead the way in Open Access publishing, ensuring researchers have the support they need to reach global audiences." "The success of our program is reflected in the growing global demand for Open Science and quality publishing services," said Becky Castellon, MDPI institutional partnerships manager. "Equally, institutions are increasingly seeking Open Access publishing options that support funder and national mandates. Joining the IOAP makes compliance simple."

The editorial office of AppliedChem would like to extend its sincere gratitude to all reviewers who contributed to the improvement of the journal quality by providing their expert opinion and evaluation of the submitted research.

We appreciate that thorough peer review demands considerable time and intellectual investment from our reviewers. In 2025, AppliedChem received 345 review reports from contributors across 51 countries and territories, demonstrating the breadth of international expertise and scholarly engagement that has strengthened our publication standards.

The reviewers who agreed to have their names published this year are listed below in alphabetical order by first name. The editorial team acknowledges with gratitude all reviewers, named and anonymous alike, for their vital role in maintaining the scholarly standards of AppliedChem.