Each year the prize is awarded to the best paper published in JFM with a first author who either has not yet received their PhD or has received their PhD within two years of the paper being published.

"Coating flows, where a viscous fluid adheres to a solid surface as it is withdrawn from a fluid reservoir, occur in a wide range of every day circumstances. Molefe et al make a significant advance in understanding such flows, by considering the effects of surface roughness on the thickness of the viscous film. Through a beautiful combination of sophisticated theoretical calculation, penetrating physical insight, and elegant, yet precise experimentation, Molefe et al develop a reduced model, with no fitting parameters, that well-predicts film thickness on periodic rough surfaces. This study, in the very best traditions of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics,  opens up a whole new approach to describing and optimising coating flows, and is a worthy winner of the JFM Emerging Scholar Prize for 2024."

This year’s winning paper, together with 10 runner-ups, (selected from nearly 400 eligible papers published in JFM) showcase the breadth and depth of excellent research being undertaken by students and early post-doctoral researchers in fluid mechanics.

"The winning entries show the outstanding quality of research being published in JFM by researchers early in their careers: I look forward to reading what they do next!"

 Colm-cille Caulfield Editor: Journal of Fluid Mechanics 

View all articles by the winners and runners-up in this collection

Runners-up deserving honourable mention

Ryo Araki

Araki, R., & Bos, W. J. T. (2024). Inertial range scaling of inhomogeneous turbulence. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 978, A9. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...

Francesca Mangani

Mangani, F., Roccon, A., Zonta, F., & Soldati, A. (2024). Heat transfer in drop-laden turbulence. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 978, A12. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...

Eoin Maguire

Maguire, E. S. F., Barker, T., Rauter, M., Johnson, C. G., & Gray, J. M. N. T. (2024). Particle-size segregation patterns in a partially filled triangular rotating drum. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 979, A40. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...

 Luca Lanzilao

Lanzilao, L., & Meyers, J. (2024). A parametric large-eddy simulation study of wind-farm blockage and gravity waves in conventionally neutral boundary layers. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 979, A54. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...

Nicolas Romeo

Romeo, N., Słomka, J., Dunkel, J., & Burns, K. J. (2024). Vortex line entanglement in active Beltrami flows. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 982, A12. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...

Magnus Paludan

Paludan, M. V., Dollet, B., Marmottant, P., & Jensen, K. H. (2024). Elastohydrodynamic interactions in soft hydraulic knots. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 984, A55.  https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...                            

Geng Wang

Wang, G., Lei, T., Yang, J., Fei, L., Chen, J., & Luo, K. H. (2024). Lattice Boltzmann modelling and study of droplet equatorial streaming in an electric field. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 988, A40. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...

Giulio Foggi Rota

Foggi Rota, G., Monti, A., Olivieri, S., & Rosti, M. E. (2024). Dynamics and fluid–structure interaction in turbulent flows within and above flexible canopies. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 989, A11. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...

 Tali Khain

Khain, T., Fruchart, M., Scheibner, C., Witten, T. A., & Vitelli, V. (2024). Trading particle shape with fluid symmetry: on the mobility matrix in 3-D chiral fluids. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 992, A5. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...

 Daehyun Choi

Choi, D., & Park, H. (2024). Mechanism of enhanced impulse and entrainment of a pulsed jet through a flexible nozzle. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 996, A6. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.20...