Awards & Distinctions
2025
INRS-EMT Best Doctoral Thesis Award
Dr. Xinyi Zhu
INRS-EMT Best Master’s Thesis Award
Afsaneh Shoeib
2024
INRS Director General’s Award of Excellence
Connor Rowe
INRS-EMT Best Master’s Thesis Award
Connor Rowe
Best Student Paper (finalist, MWP 2024)
Majid Goodarzi
Best Student Paper (finalist, MWP 2024)
Dr. Xinyi Zhu
2023
Tingye Li Innovation Prize for the most innovative work across the entire OFC conference
Benjamin Crockett
Best Student Paper (finalist, MWP 2023)
Majid Goodarzi
Corning Student Paper (finalist, OFC 2023)
Benjamin Crockett
2020
Brockhouse Canada Prize for interdisciplinary research in science and engineering
Prof. José Azaña (with Prof. Roberto Morandotti, INRS-EMT)
Optica Society Bernard J. Couillaud Prize for early-careers researchers (financially sponsored by Coherent Inc.)
Dr. Bo Li
Corning Outstanding Student Paper (finalist, OFC 2020)
Dr. Saikrishna Reddy Konatham
Corning Outstanding Student Paper (finalist, OFC 2020)
Benjamin Crockett
2019
INRS-EMT Best Master’s Thesis Award & International Outreach Award
Benjamin Crockett
Annual Best Paper Award at the Journal of Frontiers of Optoelectronics
Dr. Saket Kaushal
Best Student Paper Award at the OSA Advanced Photonics Congress
Dr. Saikrishna Reddy Konatham
2018
INRS-EMT Best Doctoral Thesis Award
Dr. Luis Romero Cortés
2016
Fellow of the Optical Society
Prof. José Azaña
INRS-EMT Best Doctoral Thesis Award
Dr. Reza Maram
Canada Governor General Gold Medal (finalist) & INRS Excellence Award in graduate studies
Dr. M. Rosario Fernández
Ericsson Prize to the Best Doctoral Thesis in Telecommunication Engineering by the Spanish National Association of Telecommunication Engineers
Dr. M. Rosario Fernández
2014
INRS-EMT Best Doctoral Thesis Award
Dr. Reza Ashrafi
2011-2021
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in “Ultrafast Photonic Signal Processing”
Prof. José Azaña
2011
Canada Governor General Gold Medal (finalist) & INRS Excellence Award in graduate studies
Dr. M. Hossein Asghari
2009
IEEE Microwave Prize from the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques (MTT) Society
Dr. Joshua Schwartz and Prof. José Azaña (with Prof. D.V. Plant, McGill Univ.)
2008
Canada Governor General Gold Medal at McGill Univ.
Dr. Joshua Schwartz
IEEE Photonics Society Young Investigator Award
Prof. José Azaña
2006
Best Student Paper Award at the 12th International Symposium on Antenna Technology and Applied Electromagnetism
Dr. Joshua Schwartz
Fellowships & Scholarships
2025-2027
NSERC Banting Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Gov. of Canada)
Benjamin Crockett (held at UBC)
2024-2028
FRQNT Doctoral Scholarship
Connor Rowe
2024
Student & Young Professionals Travel Grant (SUM 2024)
Dr. Xinyi Zhu
IEEE Photonics Society Student Travel Award (IPC 2024)
Benjamin Crockett
IEEE Photonics Society Graduate Student Scholarship
Benjamin Crockett
2023
SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship
Connor Rowe
IEEE Photonics Society Student Travel Award (SUM 2023)
Connor Rowe
SPIE D.J. Lovell Scholarship
Benjamin Crockett
IEEE Photonics Society Travel Grant (IPC 2023)
Benjamin Crockett
2022-2023
MITACS Scholarship for International Students
Mauricio Tosi
2022
IEEE Photonic Society Student Travel Award (IPC 2022)
Benjamin Crockett
Optica Society Student Leadership Conference Travel Award at the Frontiers in Optics+Laser Science
Connor Rowe
2021-2023
Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Gov. of Spain)
Dr. Luis Romero Cortés
2021-2022
Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship
Connor Rowe
2021
Bourse d’exemption des frais majorés (INRS-EMT)
Afsaneh Shoeib
2020
Bourse d’exemption des frais majorés (INRS-EMT)
Connor Rowe
OSA Travel Award (CLEO 2020)
Dr. Saikrishna Reddy Konatham
2019
MITACS Scholarship for International Students
Dr. Manuel Fernandez
2019-2024
NSERC Doctoral Research Scholarship (Gov. of Canada)
Benjamin Crockett
2018-2021
CSC Doctoral Scholarship (Chinese State Council)
Dr. Lei Yue
2018-2020
FRQNT Scholarship for foreign postdoctoral researchers (Gov. of Quebec)
Dr. Daniel Onori
NSERC Banting Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Gov. of Canada)
Dr. Reza Maram (held at McGill Univ.)
2017-2019
Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Gov. of Spain)
Dr. M. Rosario Fernández
FRQNT Scholarship for Master studies (Gov. of Quebec)
Benjamin Crockett
2017-2018
Postdoctoral Scholarship – Chinese Science Council
Dr. Xiao-Zhou Li
2016-2020
FRQNT Scholarship for foreign doctoral students (Gov. of Quebec)
Dr. Saikrishna Reddy Konatham
2016-2018
FRQNT Scholarship for foreign postdoctoral researchers (Gov. of Quebec)
Dr. Mohamed S. Seghilani
2014-2015
FRQNT Scholarship for foreign postdoctoral researchers (Gov. of Quebec)
Dr. Lei Lei
2013-2015
FRQNT Scholarship for foreign postdoctoral researchers (Gov. of Quebec)
Dr. Maurizio Burla
2012-2016
FRQNT Scholarship for foreign doctoral students (Gov. of Quebec)
Dr. Reza Maram
FRQNT Scholarship for foreign doctoral students (Gov. of Quebec)
Dr. Hamed P. Bazargani
2012-2015
CSC Doctoral Scholarship (Chinese State Council)
Dr. Bo Li
2011-2013
NSERC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Gov. of Canada)
Dr. M. Hossein Asghari (held at the UCLA, USA)
2009
IEEE-Photonics Society PhD Student Grant
Dr. M. Hossein Asghari
2008-2010
NSERC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Gov. of Canada)
Dr. Joshua Schwartz
2006-2011
FRQNT Scholarship for foreign doctoral students (Gov. of Quebec)
Dr. M. Hossein Asghari
2006-2008
FRQNT Scholarship for foreign postdoctoral researchers (Gov. of Quebec)
Dr. Yongwoo Park
KSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (Korean Science Foundation)
Dr. Tae-Jung Ahn
2004-2008
NSERC Doctoral Research Scholarship (Gov. of Canada)
Dr. Joshua Schwartz
Distinctions for Published Works
2024
CLEO Highlighted Talk and Invited Talk Upgrade
Afsaneh Shoeib et al. (presented by Prof. José Azaña), Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO), Paper: AM1A.5 (May 2024)
2023
Featured Article in the APL Future Luminary Collection
Benjamin Crockett et al., APL Photonics, pp. 066108 (1-18) (Jun. 2023)
2022
Research work selected by the Optica society for inclusion in “Optics in 2022”, highlighting the most relevant scientific achievements in the field of Optics (broadly defined) during 2022
Benjamin Crockett et al., Optics and Photonics News, p. 49 (Dec. 2022)
Press release by the INRS of published research work with worldwide reach; featured in many prominent scientific news outlets and magazines worldwide, with an estimated potential reach of at least 8,4 million readers by May 2022 (figures provided by the Optica society), including articles in Phys.org, Eurekalert, Physics World, Science Daily, Azo Optics, TechBriefs etc.
Benjamin Crockett et al., Optica, pp. 130-138 (Jan. 2022)
2020
Research work selected by the Optica society for inclusion in “Optics in 2020”, highlighting the most relevant scientific achievements in the field of Optics (broadly defined) during 2020
Dr. Saikrishna Reddy Konatham et al., Optics and Photonics News, p. 37 (Dec. 2020)
2019
Research work selected by the Optica society for inclusion in “Optics in 2019”, highlighting the most relevant scientific achievements in the field of Optics (broadly defined) during 2019
Dr. Christian Reimer et al., Optics and Photonics News, p. 42 (Dec. 2019)
Research work selected by the Optica society for inclusion in “Optics in 2019”, highlighting the most relevant scientific achievements in the field of Optics (broadly defined) during 2019
Dr. Mohamed Seghilani et al., Optics and Photonics News, p. 49 (Dec. 2019)
2018
International press release by the Optica society of published research work with worldwide reach; featured in many (>100) prominent popular and scientific news outlets, magazines and radio/tv stations worldwide, with an estimated potential reach of at least 53,6 million readers by July 2018 (figures provided by the Optica society)
Dr. Luis Romero Cortés et al., Optics, pp. 779-786 (Jun. 2018)
Research work selected by the Optica society for inclusion in “Optics in 2018”, highlighting the most relevant scientific achievements in the field of Optics (broadly defined) during 2018
Dr. Luis Romero Cortés et al., Optics and Photonics News, p. 61 (Dec. 2018)
2017
Research work selected by the Optica society for inclusion in “Optics in 2017”, highlighting the most relevant scientific achievements in the field of Optics (broadly defined) during 2017
Dr. Luis Romero Cortés et al., Optics and Photonics News, p. 37 (Dec. 2017)
2016
Featured Article selected by the Optica society for inclusion in “Optics in 2016”, highlighting the most relevant scientific achievements in the field of Optics (broadly defined) during 2016
Dr. Hugues G. de Chatellus et al., Optics and Photonics News, p. 51 (Dec. 2016)
2015
Research work selected by the Optica society for inclusion in “Optics in 2015”, highlighting the year’s most significant achievements in optics
Prof. José Azaña et al., Optics and Photonics News, pp. 18-19 (Dec. 2015)
2014
Featured Article selected by the Optica society for inclusion in “Optics in 2014”, highlighting the year’s most significant achievements in optics
Dr. Bo Li et al., Optics and Photonics News, p. 33 (Dec. 2014)
2011
Featured Article in the review article on ‘Ultrafast Pulse Characterization’ methods by Rick Trebino in Laser Focus World (May issue)
Dr. M. Hossein Asghari et al., Optics Express, pp. 16526-16538 (May 2011)
2010
Featured Article in the “Encyclopaedia Britannica 2011 Book of the Year – Events of 2010” as one of the most remarkable scientific advances of the year in “Physical Sciences – Physics”
Prof. José Azaña et al., Nature communications, p. 29 (Jun. 2010)
Featured Article in the article ‘Technology Review 2010’ of Laser Focus World (December issue)
Dr. M. Hossein Asghari et al., Optics Letters, pp. 1191-1193 (Dec. 2010)
2009
Featured Article in the ‘Newsbreaks’ section of Laser Focus World (June issue)