PRESS OFFICE
PRESS RELEASE
Antonio Hernando, inventor of the “antiassault” bracelet, and José Manuel
Fernández de Labastida, among the “Physics
Awards” of the Spanish Royal Society of
Physics and the BBVA Foundation

The Spanish Royal Society of Physics (RSEF) offers yearly awards
honoring the achievements of Spanish physicists in basic and applied
research, along with emerging “young talents”

3.21% of worldwide physics is produced in Spain, where it is also the
discipline attaining most impact at international level, by a considerable
distance

BBVA Foundation president Francisco González stresses the importance
of innovation as a way out of the current economic situation: “Spain
needs to advance with energy and conviction towards a new productive
model based on the advancement of science and technology”

“We started looking round for money to fund our basic research” says
Antonio Hernando. “Now we are publishing in top journals and, if we
were a company, would be paying out dividends. Basic science is the life
force of innovation”.
April 28, 2009.- The “Physics Awards” of the Spanish Royal Society of Physics
(RSEF) and the BBVA Foundation afford annual recognition to the most
outstanding achievements of the Spanish physicist community. Ten award winners
stepped up to the platform on this occasion, among them José Manuel Fernández
de Labastida, Director-General of Research and Management on the Ministry of
Science and Innovation’s National RDI Plan; Antonio Hernando Grande, head of
the Applied Magnetics Institute, and astrophysicist Eduardo Battaner, author of a
number of popular science books.
Speakers at the award ceremony included Cristina Garmendia, Minister of Science
and Innovation, the president of the BBVA Foundation, Francisco González, and
RSEF president Antonio Fernández Rañáda. Francisco González, who listed among
the BBVA Group’s distinguishing traits “a focus on knowledge and innovation that
sets us apart from most of the banking sector”, was adamant that “in today’s
circumstances, more and more of us share the conviction that Spain needs to
advance with energy and conviction towards a new productive model based on the
advancement of science and technology”.
The study of physics runs the entire gamut from elementary particles – the
smallest components of matter – to the most distant galaxies; from the invention
of new materials with remarkable properties to the development of quantum
computers able to perform calculations of astounding magnitude.
This variety was fully reflected in the Physics Awards of the RSEF and the BBVA
Foundation. The year’s awardees worked in theoretical physics, magnetic
materials; the design of new materials at the atomic scale; sensors; spintronics –
studying the interaction of magnetic properties and conductor materials; and the
origin and evolution of the galaxies.
50,000 EUROS ACROSS EIGHT PRIZE CATEGORIES
These awards are funded with the combined sum of 50,000 euros. Aside from
distinguishing quality research in all its facets, they seek to encourage young
research talent – the more so given the current decline in the number of students
taking science degrees – and to foster closer ties between physics and the
business and educational communities.
The awards take in eight categories: RSEF Medal; Innovation and Technology;
Young Researcher in Theoretical Physics and in Experimental Physics; Physics
Teaching in University and Secondary Education; Best article on physics published
in the Revista Española de Física; and Best article on physics teaching published in
the Revista Española de Física.
The RSEF Medal, funded with 15,000 euros, honors the holder’s research work,
record of scientific achievement and collaboration with the Royal Society. On this
occasion, the award went to José Manuel Fernández de Labastida for his
“salient research contributions in theoretical physics” along with an “intense
research and teaching labor accompanied by outstanding service to the academic
and scientific community”.
Fernández de Labastida, Director-General of Research and Management on the
Ministry of Science and Innovation’s National RDI Plan, has worked in quantum
field theory, string theory, knot theory and topological quantum field theory,
among other areas, and spent part of his career at the Institute for Advanced
Study in Princeton (United States) and CERN (European Particle Physics
Laboratory). Author of more than 80 scientific publications, he has participated as
chief researcher in five national and European research projects and has served as
vice president of the RSEF.
KNOWLEDGE FOR TECHNOLOGY
The Physics Innovation and Technology award, with 8,000 euros prize money,
recognizes applied research which has enabled technological innovation or
promoted physics applications in the corporate world. In this edition, the RSEF and
BBVA Foundation prize went to Antonio Hernando Grande for “the high rate of
technology transfer to the business community” achieved in his work. His research
efforts, as documented in over three hundred publications, have materialized in
something near to twenty patents. Examples include an ‘anti-assault bracelet” with
no blackout zones, devised for situations of domestic violence; a series of
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developments for high-speed trains; and, in the biomedicine sphere, a vocal chord
sensor-activator and a heart valve sensor.
The Applied Magnetics Institute (IMA) at the Complutense University, which
Hernando has led since its founding ten years ago, combines high-quality basic
research with innovation. Among the organizations contracting research from the
IMA are companies Adif, Casa de la Moneda (the Spanish Royal Mint), Alcatel,
Siemens, Asea, Atlas Copco, Alfa Laval, Volvo, AVE, AENA, Red Eléctrica de
España, URBIS, Iberdrola, Aniel, TALGO and Dimetronic, and the hospital centers
Hospital Clínico de Madrid and Hospital Puerta de Hierro.
For Hernando, the IMA is proof that the fundamental quest for knowledge can
translate smoothly into practical applications. “We started looking round for money
to fund our basic research” says Antonio Hernando. “And now we are publishing in
top journals and, if we were a company, would be paying out dividends. Basic
science is the life force of innovation”.
“A BORN TEACHER”
Awards for Physics Teaching in the University and Physics Teaching in
Secondary Education, each carrying prize money of 8,000 euros, recognize a
career dedicated to teaching, pedagogical excellence and collaboration with the
Spanish Royal Society of Physics.
The prize in the university sector went to Eduardo Battaner López, Full
Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Granada, for “his
tireless teaching and educational efforts which have led to the formation of an
abundant pool of scientists and the publication of valued text books and works of
popular science (...)”.
Battaner refers to himself as “a born teacher”. A pioneer of modern Spanish
astrophysics – he was among the founders of the Instituto de Astrofísica de
Andalucía (IAA), his scientific output has been written up in high-impact journals.
But Battaner has also supervised 13 doctoral theses – among them that of Rafael
Rodrigo, current president of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) – and
has helped place the University of Granada third in the national ranking of PhD
production in astrophysics, behind Madrid and Barcelona. Among his most
successful titles is Un Físico en la calle (“A Physicist in the Street”), published in
2006. “I have been a good ‘channeller’ of young people towards the exploration of
the cosmos, an inspirer of vocations, and I still bring energy and enthusiasm to
my teaching work”.
The winner in the secondary education sub-category was Carlos Julio Sierra
Mora for his “long career and numerous innovations in secondary-school physics
teaching”. Also cited was “his involvement in diverse educational activities
including those organized by the Spanish Royal Society of Physics”.
THE GENERATIONAL CHANGE: THE FUTURE IN SAFE HANDS?
The awards for Young Researcher in Theoretical Physics and Young Researcher in
Experimental Physics, each with 4,000 euros prize money, are reserved for
researchers of exceptional scientific talent aged under 30 at the time of the award
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call. This time round the prize winners were Eva María Fernández Sánchez and
David Ciudad Río-Pérez.
David Ciudad Río-Pérez is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Condensed Matter
Group at the University of Leeds (United Kingdom). His area of research is
spintronics, “a fascinating topic”, Ciudad affirms, “because it lets you study basic
physical phenomenon, but at the same time holds out great practical interest for
industrial applications”. His research is ultimately connected to the development of
quantum computation devices.
Eva María Fernández Sánchez is currently employed at the Instituto de Ciencia de
Materiales de Madrid (ICMM) belonging to the Spanish National Research Council
(CSIC). Despite her youth, she has already authored numerous publications in
high-impact international journals.
The award in the category Best article on physics published in the Revista
Española de Física went to Fernando Barreiro, Claudia Glasman, José del
Peso and Juan Terrón.
The award for the Best article on physics teaching in the Revista Española
de Física was granted to Andrés Cassinello.
PHYSICS IN SPAIN
As the following tables show, physics is among the scientific disciplines in which
Spanish researchers are most productive. Data from the Web of Science database
– tracking over 9,000 journals worldwide selected for their scientific quality –
compiled by the ACUTE group of the CSIC’s Scientific Information and
Documentation Center, the production of physics in Spain puts it fourth in the
national ranking behind other traditionally prolific disciplines.
Spain (WoS 1999-2007)
14000
12000
10000
8000
Clinical Medicine
Biomedicine
Medicine
6000
Engin., Technology
Physics
4000
Agriculture, Biology,
Environment
Chemistry
t
Mathematics
2000
Social Sciences
Humanities
Sciences
sMultidisciplinary
0
1999
9
2000
2001
2002
2003
4
2004
2005
2006
2007
And we are also talking about science of the highest quality to judge by the impact
ratings of the ISI Web of Knowledge, which give the publications of Spanish
physicists an impressive score of 26, a long way in front of remaining disciplines.
Physics production in Spain, finally, corresponds to 3.21% if the worldwide total.
SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION AND IMPACT
Introducción
Global:
3.25% of world production
Data published
September 3
2007
Source: ISI
Data: 2002-2006
Area
% prod.
impact
? impact
6.14
4
2.2
Agrarian Sciences
6.11
10
0.4
Mathematics
4.88
-7
1.2
Microbiology
4.63
-19
0.8
Chemistry
4.28
4
0.6
Space Sciences
Plant and Animal Sciences
4.17
1
2.0
Environment and Ecology
3.87
-6
2.2
Economics
3.50
-37
0.0
Physics
3.21
26
2.8
Biology and Biochemistry
3.09
-22
2.2
Materials Science
2.97
5
1.4
Pharmacology
2.95
-15
2.6
Neurosciences
2.93
-13
1.8
Engineering
2.87
8
0.6
Information Technology
2.80
-19
1.8
Immunology
2.80
-21
1.8
Molecular Biology
2.80
-17
3.2
Earth Sciences
2.78
-10
1.2
Clinical Medicine
2.65
6
4.2
Psychology and Psychiatry
2.15
-29
3.6
Social Sciences
1.11
-5
0.0
For further information contact the BBVA Foundation Press Office
(+34 91 537 66 15 and +34 94 487 46 27)
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