International Forum of Fire Research Directors Awards

The International FORUM of Fire Research Directors has selected the recipients for the 2019–2020 Sjölin and mid-career researcher awards.

THE FORUM SJÖLIN AWARD

The FORUM Sjölin Award recognizes an outstanding contribution to the science of fire safety or an advance in the state of the art in fire safety engineering practice of extraordinary significance. It is presented to the individual or group whose efforts are primarily responsible for or traceable to the specified advance. The prize consists of a plaque and an honorarium. Recipients of the award are selected annually and the awards are delivered at the triennial symposia of the International Association for Fire Safety Science, IAFSS.

The FORUM selected Prof. Brian Y. Lattimer, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), as the recipient of the 2019 Sjölin Award in recognition of his research in a wide range of fire science areas, including advanced modeling and simulation techniques, robotic systems for emergency response, material response in fires, heat transfer, and combustion product transport. He has pursued the use of new, advanced technology and approaches to provide innovative solutions in the area of fire. For example, he has adapted machine learning techniques to create new methods for generating real-time solutions for computationally expensive problems, and led the development of advanced robotic systems to assist in fire emergency response. The FORUM especially acknowledges Prof. Lattimer’s contributions in the area of material pyrolysis and structural response due to fire including building materials, composites, and metals. His research efforts on the heat transfer from fires and in providing new techniques to separate radiative and convective heat transfer are greatly appreciated.

The FORUM selected Prof. Haukur Ingason, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and Lund University, as the recipient of the 2020 Sjölin Award. With this award the FORUM is recognizing more than twenty-five years of international contributions to fire safety science. Prof. Ingason has performed outstanding experimental fire research both at large and small scale, for example tunnel and rack-storage fires as well as evaluation of heat flux in various configurations. His main impact can be seen in the areas of design fires, smoke movement, visibility in smoke, sprinkler/water mist systems, the influence of ventilation on fire development, and improving fire services operations. The FORUM especially acknowledges Prof. Ingason’s pioneering research in tunnel fire science. His work on tunnel fires has contributed to making this field a major research area, and his findings are now used for defining design fires for underground construction worldwide.

THE FORUM MID-CAREER RESEARCHER AWARD

The FORUM Mid-Career Researcher Award recognizes exceptional achievement and demonstrated leadership in the fields of fire safety science or fire protection engineering made by those in mid-career. It is intended to honor an individual, who is between the ages of 35 and 50 at the time of nomination. The prize consists of a plaque and an honorarium. Recipients of the award are selected annually and the awards are delivered at the triennial symposia of the IAFSS.

The FORUM selected Prof. Guillermo Rein,Imperial College London,as the recipient of the 2019 Mid-Career Researcher Award. With this award, the FORUM is recognizing his outstanding achievements in several fields of fire safety science, centering on heat transfer, combustion and fire fundamentals. His work has been instrumental in reducing the worldwide burden of accidental fires and protecting people, their property, and the environment. The FORUM especially acknowledges Prof. Rein’s contributions in three subjects: how polymers and wood ignite so that we can prevent fires from starting, how engineers can design better structures that resist fire, and how wildfires spread and can be fought.

The FORUM selected Prof. Thomas Rogaume, Institut  Pprime (UPR 3346 CNRS, université de Poitiers, ISAE-ENSMA), Institut des Risques Industriels, Assurantiels et Financiers (IRIAF), University of Poitiers, as the recipient of the 2020 Mid-Career Researcher Award. With this award, the FORUM is recognizing his outstanding research activities in fire safety, conducted in the area of multiscale and pyrolysis modelling. His research team on experimental and numerical pyrolysis phenomena during fires has produced a large number of publications and several PhD theses since 2005. The FORUM especially acknowledges Prof. Rogaume’s versatile teaching achievements in the fields of combustion and fire safety, as well as waste management, air pollution, air treatment, and environmental management.

The International Forum of Fire Research Directors (FORUM) is a group of directors or technical leaders of comparable stature of fire research organizations throughout the world.  Its aim is to reduce the burden of fire (including the loss of life and property, and effects of fire on the environment and heritage) through international cooperation on fire research.

 

Dr. David Sheppard

Chair of the FORUM Award Committee

Dr. Tuula Hakkarainen

Chair of the International FORUM of Fire Research Directors