Award recognizes lifetime achievements in research

Abu Dhabi, August 1, 2015 – Dr. Panče Naumov, associate professor of chemistry at NYU Abu Dhabi, has been awarded the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany. The award is conferred in recognition of research achievements to date and to researchers who are expected to continue producing cutting-edge work in the future.  

Award winners are invited to spend a period up to one year cooperating on a long term research project with colleagues at a research institution in Germany. Dr. Naumov plans to expand his research efforts in solid-state research with the Robert E. Dinnebier group at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research (MPI) in Stuttgart and with the Thomas Klapötke’s research group at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich. Dr. Naumov will perform joint research in Germany for six months, increasing collaboration between the Naumov, Dinnebier and Klapötke’s research groups, and setting the stage for future academic exchange between NYUAD, MPI and LMU.

Prof. Dr. Pance Naumov, associate professor of chemistry at NYUAD said: “The award is an important acknowledgment for my efforts to raise the profile of materials science research at NYUAD and in the country, but it also is a recognition for the efforts that NYUAD as an institution has made in the past years to position itself at the forefront of the research milieu. I am very honored to be able to work with a research and support team of highly motivated and dedicated professionals who are working together and striving for excellence. The stimulating environment at NYUAD, the strong administration support, and the possibility to network with other research institutions in the country and the region is an excellent setting to continue toward those goals. By receiving the award, I get the opportunity to further internationalize our research by collaboration with some of the leading research institutions in Germany, although we already have developed an extended collaborative network. This opens additional opportunities for work on joint projects, exchange of staff and students and joint use of the research facilities.”

Dr. Naumov, whose breakthrough work in material science at NYUAD  is helping to create more efficient and smart materials, holds a PhD in chemistry and materials science from Tokyo Institute of Technology (2004) and a BSc (with honors) in synthetic chemistry from Sts. Cyril and Methodius University in Macedonia (1997). 

Dr. Naumov has authored over 150 publications that have been cited over 2,000 times with a Hirsch index of 22 (a measure of the productivity and citation impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar). He has been a member of the review panels in several foundations and councils, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the European Research Council (ERC), the American Chemical Society (ACS) and several national funding organizations, and he is a reviewer of over 50 international journals. He is active member of a number of scientific societies and associations, including the American Chemical Society, The Royal Society of Chemistry, European Crystallographic Association, Crystallographic Society of Japan, The Japanese Photochemistry Association, and others.

On an annual basis, The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation grants up to 100 Humboldt Research Awards to renowned international academics around the globe in recognition of their academic record fundamental discoveries, new theories or insights that have had a significant impact on their research discipline.