On 20 January 2009, Dr Svend-Age Biehs was awarded the 2008 Weser-Ems Science Prize by the OLB Foundation for his dissertation on "Theory and applications of thermally induced near-field effects". After being awarded the "1st prize for a doctoral thesis", he presented the main features of his work in the presence of Science Minister Lutz Stratmann.


With his dissertation, which was written in the "Theory of Condensed Matter" working group, Dr Biehs made pioneering contributions to understanding the mode of operation of the scanning thermal microscope, a new type of tool for surface research, which was also developed at the Oldenburg Institute of Physics in the "Energy and Semiconductor Research" working group.

Dr Biehs, who is currently still working as a postdoctoral researcher in Oldenburg, will embark on a two-year research stay at the renowned Institute d'Optique in Palaiseau near Paris in April.

The Weser-Ems Science Prize, which is awarded every two years in the categories "Theses" and "Dissertations", is the most highly endowed scientific award in the North-West region.