In November 2025, MDPI announced the establishment of the Michele Parrinello Award. This new award will celebrate the significant contributions of senior academics in the field of computational physical science.

Here, we provide an overview of Professor Michele Parrinello’s key achievements, alongside the award itself and its important eligibility requirements.

Professor Michele Parrinello’s enduring impact

Professor Michele Parrinello is an Italian Physicist known for his innovative and exceptional contributions to the field of computational physical science.

His role in the development of the Car-Parrinello method, alongside Roberto Car, stands as one of his most influential contributions to the field of molecular dynamics. Moreover, he is similarly celebrated for his role in the creation of the Parrinello–Rahman method, with Aneesur Rahman, and also his recent work in metadynamics.

Professor Michele Parrinello holds an extensive list of awards. Among his many accolades, he has been awarded the Rahman Prize, the Dirac Medal, and most recently the Erwin Schrödinger Institute for Mathematics and Physics Medal.

He is also a member of numerous academies and learned societies, highlighting the global influence of his work. These positions include the German Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, the British Royal Society, and the Italian Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.

Now with an award named in his honor, Professor Parrinello’s remarkable career will serve as a source of inspiration for scholars, encouraging them to strive for excellence and innovation in their fields.

“Do not be afraid of new things. I see it many times when we discuss a new thing that young people are scared to go against the mainstream a little bit, thinking what is going to happen to me and so on. Be confident that what you do is meaningful, and do not be afraid, do not listen too much to what other people have to say.” – Professor Michele Parrinello.

As Professor Michele Parrinello noted, staying curious about new things and having the courage to pursue them are key to a fulfilling research career.

See the full interview with Professor Michele Parrinello.

The Michelle Parrinello Award

The award’s recipient will receive a monetary prize of 50,000 EUR, a commemorative medal, and a certificate.

Professor Michelle Parrinello’s work has been characterised by its interdisciplinary impact, ranging from materials science to chemistry and computational biology. Accordingly, the award welcomes nominees from a range of related fields such as physics, chemistry, and materials science.

The nomination deadline is 31 March 2026, with the winner announcement following on 31 July 2026.

You can access the nomination form here. For more information on the award’s nomination details, visit the Michele Parinello Award homepage.

Award committee

Professor Xin-Gao Gong studied with Professor Michele Parrinello’s research group in Italy during his early career. Since 2000, he has been a professor in the Department of Physics at Fudan University in China. Additionally, he was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2017.

Professor Xin-Gao Gong’s research focuses on computational physical sciences and condensed matter physics. His work continues to shape these fields, particularly through his contributions to materials theory and simulation. He also leads the Institute for Computational Physical Sciences at Fudan University, which collaborates in supporting the Michele Parrinello Award.

“We hope the Michele Parrinello Award will recognize scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of computational condensed matter physics and at the same time set a benchmark for the younger generation, providing clear direction for their pursuit—this is precisely the original intention behind establishing the award.” – Professor Xin-Gao Gong.

This award is primarily aimed at senior researchers. However, Professor Xin-Gao Gong maintains that the Michele Parrinello Award will still provide great inspiration for early career academics. Much like how Professor Michele Parrinello provided him with inspiration in the early stages of his career, Professor Xin-Gao Gong is optimistic that this award will help establish a target for junior researchers to aspire to.

See the full interview with Professor Xin-Gao Gong.

MDPI Sustainability Foundation

Committed to advancing sustainable development through scientific progress and global collaboration, the MDPI Sustainability Foundation continues to drive MDPI’s mission of supporting researchers.

In addition to the Michele Parrinello Award, the foundation oversees the delivery of the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and the Tu Youyou Award.

MDPI celebrates and rewards outstanding research

Recognizing, celebrating, and rewarding the exceptional work of academic lies at the heart of MDPI’s mission to foster open scientific exchange.

Read our blog article covering everything you need to know about MDPI’s awards program.