Charles Defforey Scientific Grand Prize
Call for applications
Application deadline: February 28, 2026
Title: The Challenges of Scientific Instrumentation
Theme:
Science cannot progress without scientific instrumentation, and it is through a constant dialogue between scientific questions and technological advances that knowledge advances. Today's scientific instruments are complex assemblies of precision mechanics, electronics, optics and computer science, yet reducing their size while maintaining reliability and robustness remains an ongoing challenge. Conversely, technological advances are also making it possible to design very large instruments with greater sensitivity.
These new instruments are opening up immense prospects, enabling ever more precise, in situ, real-time or even distributed measurements.
A fundamental paradox of scientific measurement is that the act of observing can alter the system being observed. This intrusion, particularly critical in the quantum domain, requires minimizing this disturbance, or adapting the measurement strategy.
A scientific result is only valid if it is reproducible. Measurement traceability represents an ongoing logistical challenge. With the increasing digitization of instruments, the volume of data generated is becoming colossal. Beyond signal acquisition, the challenge shifts to processing, storage and interpretation. Analysis algorithms, machine learning are now becoming essential components of instrumentation, nevertheless introducing their own biases and uncertainties that need to be assessed.
The purpose of this award is to encourage advances in scientific instrumentation, in relation to the fundamental questions that researchers are asking.