Announcements

MDPI is honored to announce the recipients of the 2025 Best Paper Awards, celebrating exceptional research for its scientific merit and broad impact. After a rigorous evaluation process conducted by Academic Editors, this year’s awards showcase papers that stand out for their innovation, relevance, and high-quality presentation.

Out of a highly competitive pool, 396 winning papers have been recognized for their exceptional contributions. We congratulate these authors for pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines.

At MDPI, we are dedicated to broadening the reach of innovative science. To learn more about the award-winning papers and explore research projects in your field of study, please visit the following links:

• Biology and Life Sciences;
• Business and Economics;
• Chemistry and Materials Sciences;
• Computer Sciences and Mathematics;
• Engineering;
• Environmental and Earth Sciences;
• Medicine and Pharmacology;
• Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities;
• Physical Sciences;
• Public Health and Healthcare.

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the global research community and enhance academic dialogue, MDPI journals regularly host award programs across diverse scientific disciplines. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and whose work drives the advancement of their fields.

Explore the Best Paper Awards open for participation, please click here.

The conference is organized by the MDPI journal Optics (ISSN: 2673-3269, Impact Factor: 1.6) and chaired by Prof. Dr. Costantino De Angelis from the Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Italy and Prof. Dr. Thomas Seeger from the Institut Fluid - und Thermodynamik, Lehrstuhl für Technische Thermodynamik, Universität Siegen, Germany. It will take place virtually from 25 to 27 March 2026, Central European Time.

Latest schedule:
New abstract submission deadline: 16 January 2026;
New abstract acceptance notification date: 10 February 2026;
Registration deadline: 23 March 2026;
Conference date: 25–27 March 2026.

To register for the event, please click on the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/IOCO2026?section=#registration.

Topics of interest:
S1. Biomedical Optics
Session Chairs:

• Dr. Giuseppe Trusso Sfrazzetto, Department of Chemical Science, University of Catania, Italy;
• Dr. Francesco Chiavaioli, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IFAC), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.

S2. Optoelectronics and Optical Engineering
Session Chair:

• Prof. Dr. Yuriy Garbovskiy, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, USA.

S3. Geometrical Optics
Session Chair:

• Dr. Davide Rocco, Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Italy.

S4. Photonics and Optical Communications
Session Chair:

• Dr. Jiahao Huo, School of Computer and Communication Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, China.

S5. Laser Sciences and Technology
Session Chair:

• Dr. Guido Toci, National Institute of Optics, National Research Council of Italy, Italy.

S6. Quantum Optics
Session Chair: Dr. Andrea Salamon, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.

We look forward to welcoming you to this no-fee conference.

If you have already registered, we thank you.

Prof. Dr. Costantino De Angelis, Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Italy;
Prof. Dr. Thomas Seeger, Institut Fluid - und Thermodynamik, Lehrstuhl für Technische Thermodynamik, Universität Siegen, Germany

Conference Secretariat
ioco2026@mdpi.com

Following from our two previous successful editions, we invite you to submit your abstracts and participate in the 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers, taking place from 2 to 7 August 2026 in Jeju, South Korea.

Organized by MDPI and the open access journals Sensors, Micromachines, AI Sensors, Micro and Remote Sensing, this in-person conference will once again bring together experts and participating researchers who will share insights and innovations in sensors, sensing technology, transducers and artificial intelligence.

Start preparing your abstracts:
Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your work to peers and leading experts in AI-enhanced sensing systems and transducers. We will be announcing the session topics at AIS 2026 soon.

Find out more about the instructions for authors: https://sciforum.net/event/AIS2026?section=#instructions.

Find out more about the publication opportunities available for authors: https://sciforum.net/event/AIS2026?section=#Publicationopportunities.
Please feel free to share the information about this conference to your colleagues and students.

We look forward to welcoming you in Jeju!

The organizing committee of the 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers (AIS 2026).

Our portfolio of journals available for publishing up-to-date research in immediate open access format has been further expanded. In the first quarter of 2026, nine new journals released their inaugural issues and three transferred journals released their first issue as part of MDPI, covering the subjects of clinical medicine, chemistry, computer science & mathematics, engineering, environment & ecology, and social sciences & psychology.

We extend our gratitude to the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members who will shape the future course of these brand-new journals. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you would like to create a new journal, you are welcome to send an application here or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com).

MDPI is excited to announce a special webinar in celebration of World Quantum Day on 14 April 2026. This event aims to promote public understanding of quantum science and technology and to highlight their profound impact on modern society.

Date: 14 April at 2:00 p.m. CEST | 8:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 894 4233 6040
Webpage: https://sciforum.net/event/MWQDW2026-3

Register now for free:

Program:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic and institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Davi Geiger, Courant Institute, New York University, USA;
• Dr. Michael C. Parker, University of Essex, UK.

MDPI is excited to announce a special webinar in celebration of World Quantum Day on 14 April 2026. This event aims to promote public understanding of quantum science and technology and to highlight their profound impact on modern society.

Date: 14 April at 8:00 a.m. CEST | 2:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 831 5594 6905
Webpage: https://sciforum.net/event/MWQDW2026-2

Register now for free:

Program:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic and institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Dario Ferraro, University of Padova & ThinkQuantum, Italy;
• Dr. Lock Yue Chew, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;
• Dr. Marco Avesani, Physics Department, University of Genoa, Italy.

MDPI is excited to announce a special webinar in celebration of World Quantum Day on 14 April 2026. This event aims to promote public understanding of quantum science and technology and to highlight their profound impact on modern society.

Date: 14 April at 4:00 a.m. CEST | 10:00 a.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 873 5663 7014
Webpage: https://sciforum.net/event/MWQDW2026-1

Register now for free:

Program:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic and institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Ken Wharton, Department of Physics and Astronomy, San Jose State University, USA;
• Dr. Ruth E. Kastner, University of Maryland, College Park, USA;
• Dr. Anindita Maiti, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Canada;
• Dr. Pavan Hosur, University of Houston, USA.

MDPI will be attending the 2026 American Control Conference (ACC 2026) in New Orleans, USA, which will take place from 26th to 29th May 2026. ACC is the annual conference of the American Automatic Control Council (AACC), the U.S. national member organization of the International Federation for Automatic Control (IFAC). National and international society co-sponsors of ACC include the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), IEEE Control Systems Society (IEEE-CSS), Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), International Society of Automation (ISA), Society for Modeling & Simulation International (SCS), and Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics (SIAM).

The following open access journals will be represented:

• Automation;
• Drones;
• Electronics;
• Aerospace;
• Applied Sciences;
• Applied System Innovation;
• Eng;
• Processes;
• Vehicles;
• Actuators;
• Modelling;
• Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Analyses — Advanced Methods for Science, Engineering, and Technology;
• Logistics;
• Machines;
• World Electric Vehicle Journal.

If you are attending the conference, please feel free to visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://acc2026.a2c2.org/.

We are delighted to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 Tu Youyou Award. Named after Nobel Laureate Tu Youyou, whose discovery of artemisinin has saved millions of lives, this award recognizes researchers whose work advances the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry, while also contributing to human health.

Prize

– CHF 100,000;
– A medal;
– A certificate.

The monetary prize will be shared equally should there be multiple recipients.

Who May Be Nominated?

– Scientists with outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

Nominees must be individuals; team or group nominations are not permitted. Nominations are valid only for the current award cycle.

Who May Submit a Nomination?

– The director of the nominee’s host research institution or recognized scientists within the field.

Self-nominations will not be considered.

Nomination Materials

– A biographical sketch;
– A detailed description of the nominee’s contributions;
– 5–10 representative academic publications;
– A list of academic honors, awards, and funded projects;
– A nomination letter signed by two nominators.

How to Submit?

Submit nominations online via the following link: https://tuyouyouprize.org/nomination

Important Dates

– Nomination Deadline: 31 October 2026
– Winner Announcement: March 2027

For further information, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website (https://tuyouyouprize.org/). For any inquiries, please contact the Tu Youyou Award Team at tuyouyouaward@mdpi.com.

MDPI is pleased to announce our participation in the 39th Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition, which will be held from 21 to 24 June 2026, in Long Beach, California, USA.

Organized and hosted by the Electric Drive Transportation Association, the 39th Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS39) is the premier showcase for industry innovation and is the longest-running international conference devoted to electric transportation and technologies.

The EVS series began in 1969 as an academic forum for global networking and the exchange of technical information. As electric drive technologies progressed from classrooms and laboratories to the marketplace, the EVS expanded into both an academic and business-oriented event.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the event:

• Applied Sciences;
• Vehicles;
• Future Transportation;
• Batteries;
• Electricity;
• Electronics;
• Eng;
• Inventions;
• Logistics;
• Automation.

If you are attending the 39th Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exhibition, we warmly invite you to visit our booth #625. Our representatives will be available to discuss publishing opportunities, open access benefits, and our commitment to advancing materials research.