The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) at the University of Waterloo is Canada’s largest nanotechnology institute committed to United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Since 2018, WIN established the WIN Rising Star Award to recognize an emerging leader in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
It is a global award given to a full-time faculty member who has received their PhD in science/engineering within the past ten years of their receiving the PhD degree. The individual’s research interest must align with one or more of the thematic area(s) of WIN: Smart and Functional Materials; Connected Devices; Next Generation Energy Systems; and Therapeutics and Theranostics. Applicants cannot be currently employed by the University of Waterloo.
Award: It started with a award value of $10,000 CAD honorarium. Later, it was scaled back to $5,000 CAD honorarium. The award recipient presented a featured research seminar at the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Waterloo.
Since 2026, we have discontinued the WIN Rising Star Award. For more information, please contact Dr. Sushanta Mitra, Executive Director of WIN, via email, skmitra@uwaterloo.ca.
Past Rising Star Award Recipients
2025 Recipient: Yanwei Lum
Yanwei Lum, Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore
2024 Recipient: Fengwang Li
Fengwang Li, Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney
2023 Recipient: Samira Siahrostami
Samira Siahrostami, Associate Professor, Chemistry at Simon Fraser University
2022 Recipient: Letian Dou
Letian Dou, Charles Davidson Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering at Purdue University
2021 Recipient: Babak Anasori
Babak Anasori, Assistant Professor in Mechanical and Energy Engineering at Purdue University
2021 Recipient: Cao Thang Dinh
Cao Thang Dinh, Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering at Queen's University
2020 Recipient: Drew Higgins
Drew Higgins, Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering at McMaster University
2020 Recipient: Robert Hoye
2018 Recipient: Bruno Ehrler
WIN successfully makes the connection between fundamental science and application that solve a societal challenge
- Bruno Ehrler, Group Leader at Institute AMOLF
The award condition stipulates that the awardee must be available to receive the award in person when visiting the University of Waterloo. The seminar may be in-person. WIN will cover the economy fare journey of the awardee between Waterloo and their institution and up to two nights’ hotel stay in Waterloo. WIN reserves the right to give the award only to a deserving candidate, as outlined in the eligibility section, above.