Yara’s Birkeland Prize 2025 goes to Dr. Maria Markova
26 September 2025, Norway: Established in 2009 to celebrate Kristian Birkeland’s pioneering spirit, the Yara Birkeland Prize in Physics and Chemistry is awarded annually to a Ph.D. candidate from a Norwegian university. The winner is awarded 100.000 NOK.
Honoring a legacy of innovation
“Presenting the Yara Birkeland Prize highlights Yara’s commitment to pioneering research. By honoring scientific excellence, we celebrate the spirit of innovation that drives progress for both society and the planet,” said Per Knudsen, VP Technology, Yara.
In 1905, Kristian Birkeland’s groundbreaking research laid the foundation for Norsk Hydro and later Yara International, the world’s first company to manufacture fertilizer on an industrial scale.
Today, Yara continues to honor Birkeland’s legacy through its commitment to innovation and technological advancement in its mission to feed the world and protect the planet.
In 2009, Yara established the Birkeland Prize in Physics and Chemistry to celebrate its cofounder’s spirit of ingenuity. This prestigious award is given annually to a Ph.D. candidate from a Norwegian university whose research embodies Birkeland’s inventive approach, focusing on environmental and technological progress.
2025 prize winner: Dr. Markova
Dr. Markova’s thesis explores pygmy dipole resonances (PDR) in atomic nuclei. Her research not only deepens our understanding of fundamental nuclear structures but also sheds light on their role in stellar nucleosynthesis: the process by which stars create heavier elements.
By examining how low-lying resonances enhance the gamma-ray strength function, Dr. Markova demonstrates how this phenomenon increases neutron capture rates in hot stellar environments, thereby facilitating the formation of heavier elements.
Her work bridges nuclear physics and astrophysics, connecting microscopic phenomena with cosmic-scale processes.
The Birkeland Lecture
Alternating annually between physics and chemistry, the prize is presented at the Birkeland Lecture, an event first launched in 1987 through a collaboration between Yara International, the University of Oslo, The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, and the Norwegian Space Centre.
The award ceremony took place at The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (in Norwegian: Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi): a prestigious scholarly society that promotes scientific research and scholarship in Norway, across a wide range of disciplines.
Every year, a researcher in geophysics or space research is invited to give the lecture in areas that were central to Kristian Birkeland’s own research. This year, the Birkeland Lecture was held by Dr. Madhulika Guhathakurta, an Indian-American astrophysicist and scientist.
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