Description & Rules
The Hirschfeld is the most prestigious award in the field of near infrared spectroscopy. It was inaugurated by the Technicon Corporation to mark their gratitude for the many contributions to NIR analysis made by the late Tomas Hirschfeld, who unfortunately died in 1986 at a relatively young age.
Tomas Beno Hirschfeld was brought up in Uruguay, and was honoured as a chemical engineer by that country in 1996 by means of a specially issued postage stamp. He was also a famous spectroscopist, and worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the USA, and at Block Engineering in Cambridge, Massachussets. His pioneering research in NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy is widely recognised, but he is also remembered with much respect and affection, by those who were privileged to know him, as a teacher and friend.
Since the Bran+Luebbe company took over Technicon in the late 1980's, they have continued to sponsor the Hirschfeld Award each year until 2003. Since 1992, the task of inviting nominations and selecting the annual winner has been performed by the Chairman's Advisory Committee of ICNIRS. The Chairman-Elect of ICNIRS is responsible for organising this process.
The winner of the Hirschfeld Award needs to have made a significant contribution to the growth of NIR technology. Eligibility is not restricted to senior scientists: graduate or post-graduate students who have done unique work in the field are also eligible. The award is open to academic or industrial researchers from any country, with the only restriction that the candidate must not be a direct employee of an instrument company.
The award is presented each year alternatively at IDRC-Chambersburg the even years and at the ICNIRS the odd years and the winner receives a monetary prize, a plaque and travel expenses to attend the relevant NIR conference. The winner is expected to make a keynote presentation.
With the withdrawal of Bran+Luebbe from the NIR business, negotiations have been carried out for another company to continue the sponsorship of this important award and BUCHI accepted to take over. ICNIRS is confident that the award will continue into the future.
NIRSolutions by Buchi sponsors Hirschfeld Award
 In 2004, NIRSolutions by Büchi have agreed to sponsor the Tomas Hirshfeld Award! Büchi have a significant commercial presence in the area of NIR instrumentation and since 2001, the Büchi NIRAwards have been made annually for outstanding contributions to NIR spectroscopy.
(http://www.buchi.com/Terms-and-Conditions.635.0.html)
The additional sponsorship of the Hirschfeld Award gives Büchi a major presence in the recognition of NIR advances and underlines their commitment to the development of this technology.
The first Büchi-sponsored Hirschfeld Award has been presented at PITTCON in 2004. Buchi continued to sponsor the Hirschfeld Award until now and ICNIRS looks forward to working with them for a long time to come.
Tomas Hirschfeld Award 2011
The THA 2010 will be celebrated at IDRC2010 ( 14th International Diffuse Reflectance Conference, July 31 - August 6, 2010, at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, USA.- http://www.idrc-chambersburg.org/) and the nominee is Dr. Jim Reeves. More information about can be found on the ICNIRS website (http://www.icnirs.org/awardees.php). We need now to look forward to next year's recipient.
Nominations are now being invited by ICNIRS for the 2011 Tomas Hirschfeld Award. This award sponsored by BÜCHI Labortechnik AG (CH) is made in recognition of contributions to the enhancement of Near Infrared Spectroscopy. It is made on the basis of excellence in research conducted be a scientist of international standing.
"The winner of the Hirschfeld Award needs to have made a significant contribution to the growth of NIR technology. Eligibility is not restricted to senior scientists: graduate or post-graduate students who have done unique work in the field are also eligible. The award is open to academic or industrial researchers from any country, with the only restriction that the candidate must not be a direct employee of an instrument company"
The award will be presented at the NIR 2011 ICNIRS Conference ( 15th International Conference on Near Infrared Spectroscopy - 13-20 May 2011, Cape Town, South Africa - http://www.nir2011.org/) and the award is open to all practicing NIR scientists who are not direct employees of any NIR or other optical instrument manufacturers. The final nomination package must include:
- a letter of nomination;
- a one page summary of contributions to the enhancement of NIR spectroscopy (these are to be written by the nominator and all further requirements will be requested from the nominated individual),
- four most relevant literature or patent citations,
- a short bibliographic note with a recent photograph.
At this stage, all that is required is item 1 above but please note that all nominations must have the agreement of the nominated person. The letters, faxes or emails must be sent to the Chair-Elect Ana Garrido-Varo by no later than 31 October 2010.
Contact details are as follows:
Prof. Dr. Ana Garrido-Varo pa1gavaa@uco.es
ICNIRS Chair-elect
Campus de Rabanales
Edificio Producción Animal
14071 Córdoba (Spain)
tel. 0034212221
fax. 0034218436
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