NIMS Award 2020 Goes to Prof. Hiroshi Julian Goldsmid and Prof. Kunihito Koumoto

The NIMS Award 2020 will be given to two scientists who have conducted groundbreaking research in the field of “materials for thermal energy conversion and thermal management.” Prof. Goldsmid identified bismuth telluride as a practical material for Peltier cooling for the first time in the world in 1954. Bismuth telluride is still the preferred thermoelectric material with sufficiently high energy conversion efficiency near room temperature today. Prof. Koumoto pioneered a new class of thermoelectric materials based on the principle of “nanoblock integration” which paved the way to not only high performance environmental-friendly thermoelectric materials but also flexible inorganic-organic hybrid thermoelectric materials. Both research results have had a profound influence on society through commercialization and innovation of thermoelectric devices playing essential roles in the core technology to support the IoT Society.

The Award Ceremony and the Award Winning lecture will take place as a part of NIMS WEEK 2020, which will be held online on November 27.

Since 2007, the NIMS Award has been given to researchers around the world in recognition of their outstanding achievements in materials science and technology. This year’s recipients were selected by a selection committee comprised of staff members at NIMS and scientists from other organizations based on nominations from top scientists around the world in the area of “Materials for Environment and Energy.”

NIMS WEEK is an annual event hosted by NIMS consisting of an Academic Symposium and a Showcase. The participants can encounter “cutting edge materials research” through a variety of activities, such as the NIMS Award symposium to honor the award recipients and the exhibitions of the latest materials research at the NIMS Showcase. However, NIMS WEEK 2020 will be held online for the first time ever on Friday November 27, 2020, due to safety concerns regarding COVID-19. (It may also be cancelled/postponed or its programs may be changed due to unforeseen circumstances related to COVID-19.)