Prof. Hernán Míguez (Buenos Aires, 1971), a graduate in Physics and a PhD from the Autonomous University of Madrid, is a Research Professor at the CSIC and works at the Institute of Materials Science in Seville, where he leads the Multifunctional Optical Materials group. He combines his research activity in fundamental aspects of the design, preparation and characterization of optical materials with collaboration with technology companies and research management tasks at the State Research Agency. He has been the beneficiary of a prestigious ERC Starting Grant, and has been awarded the “Excellent Young Group” prizes by the City Council of Seville and the “Royal Spanish Society of Physics-BBVA Foundation” in the “Physics, Innovation and Technology” category.

Prof. Míguez’s research focuses on both the fundamental and applied aspects of optical materials, with special emphasis on energy applications. He is a founding partner of several technology-based companies, all of which are currently active.

The CSIC Margarita Salas Medal recognises the career of researcher Hernán Míguez in supervising and training young researchers, both in the predoctoral and postdoctoral stages. An award promoted by the CSIC Postgraduate and Specialisation Department to recognise the supervision and training tasks of young professionals linked to the Council and the direction of doctoral theses.

The award invited those supervised or mentored at different stages of their professional life to nominate a mentor who had contributed significantly to the development of their professional careers. In the case of Hernán, the person who nominated him and coordinated the presentation of the documentation of all the endorsements (all of them former members of the MOM group, both thesis students and postdoctoral researchers), was Mauricio Calvo.

In this first call for applications, a total of 48 applications were submitted and a total of eight awards were given. To award these prizes, the jury analysed the evaluation of the work carried out by each candidate, based on the words of their own doctoral students.

_{The Multifunctional Optical Materials Group}

For Hernán, the award of this prize is supported by the career of the past and current members of his research group, who have achieved positions as scientists and technologists in companies, technology centres, research centres and prestigious universities (CSIC, Max Planck Institute, University of Cambridge, Nankai University, IIT, University of Seville, Autonomous University of Madrid, University of Córdoba, various CSIC centres, etc.). His first two thesis students have joined the CSIC with two ERC Starting Grant projects. “A prize for the training and supervision of young researchers, promoted by the same people whose work one has directed, is one of the most important and endearing recognitions that a scientist can receive. For this reason, the award of this prize is a source of great joy for me. I believe that, beyond the scientific articles or technological developments that we may have achieved, our main contribution to society is precisely to help channel the enthusiasm of these young people for science and provide them with the tools so that they can continue to build a better future for all,” highlights Míguez.

The award ceremony will be held this Friday, February 24, in the Auditorium of the CSIC Headquarters.