Career milestones

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Prof. László L. Kiss is an astrophysicist with a broad range of interests. Born ethnic Hungarian in Yugoslavia, he left the country in 1991 to study physics at the University of Szeged in Hungary, where his MSc (1996) and PhD (2000) degrees were awarded. He moved to Australia in 2002, working as a Research Fellow at the University of Sydney in the following seven years. In 2009, Prof. Kiss was one of the first winners of the newly established "Lendület" Fellowship scheme of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, aimed at attracting young Hungarian researchers to return to their home country. Since then he has become a prominent leader in Hungarian astronomy, got elected as Corresponding Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and was appointed as the Director of the Konkoly Observatory in Budapest from January 1st, 2016 to December 31st, 2018. Since January 1st, 2019, he has been the Director General of the Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences.

Details as of January 1st, 2019:

Name: László L. Kiss
Place and date of birth: Subotica - YU, 08/08/1972
Citizenship(s): Hungarian, Australian, Serbian
Family status: married (twice), father of three
Languages: Hungarian, English (ECL Advanced), German and Serbian
Current position(s):
Research Professor & Director General
MTA Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences (Hungary)
Honorary Senior Research Fellow
University of Sydney (Australia)
Scientific qualifications and degrees:
19/06/1996: MSc in Physics, József Attila University, Szeged, Hungary
30/06/2000: summa cum laude PhD in Physics, University of Szeged, Hungary
11/06/2008: Doctor of Science, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
06/05/2013: Corresponding Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Previous positions:
1999-2002: Research Fellow, adjunct professor, University of Szeged
2002-2009: Research Fellow (Level A-C), University of Sydney, Australia
2009-2018: Research Advisor/Professor, Konkoly Observatory, Budapest, Hungary
2016-2018: Director of the Konkoly Observatory
Leadership experience:
  • 2016-2018: Konkoly Observatory, Director
  • Since 2012: ELTE-MTA CSFK Gothard-Lendület Research Group, PI (20 people)
  • Since 2010: Piszkéstetői Observatory, technical director
  • 2010-2011: Konkoly Observatory, deputy director
  • Since 2009: Lendület Research Group (14 people)
  • Since 2006: Editor-in-Chief of the www.csillagaszat.hu news website (10-12 contributors)
Service to the community:
  • Since March 2018: Member of the Hungarian Accreditation Committe (MAB)
  • Since November 2015: European Space Agency, Science Program Committee, Hungarian representative
  • Since 2015: International Astronomical Union, Hungarian National Representative & member of the IAU Finance Committee
  • Since 2013: CHEOPS Science Board, Hungarian member
  • Since 2013: OPTICON Working Group 13, member
  • Since 2011: member of the Astronomy and Space Physics Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
  • Since 2010: Astronomy and Astrophyics Board of Directors, Hungarian member (2012-2018: member of the Executice Committee, 2014-2018: Vice Chair of the BoD)
  • 2010-2013: OPTICON Time Allocating Committee, member
  • 2008-2014: Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium, member of Working Group Chair (Mira and Semiregular stars)
  • 2007-2009: Australian Time Assignment Committee and Anglo-Australian Time Assignment Committee, member
  • Since 2006: Editor-in-Chief, www.csillagaszat.hu
  • 2000-2015: Referee for 11 journals, 70+ articles
  • Membership in professional organizations: International Astronomical Union, Hungarian Astronomical Association, Eötvös Lóránd Physical Society, Public body of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
  • Regular appearances in media
Prizes, awards:
  • 2019: Széchenyi Prize
  • 2012: Academia Europeae, elected member
  • 2011: Eötvös Loránd Physical Society, Detre László Prize
  • 2009: MTA Lendület Young Researchers' Fellowship
  • Since 2009: Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Sydney
  • 2002: Hungarian State Eötvös Fellowship
  • 2000: Bolyai János Research Fellowship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Supervision:
  • Since 1997: over 40 students supervised (BSc, MSc, PhD)
  • 8 PhD degrees awarded
  • 2 current PhD student
Fellowships, grants:
  • 2000-2002: Bolyai János Research Fellowship, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
  • 2000-2002: OTKA Grant T032258, Co-I
  • 2001-2003: OM FKFP Grant 0010/2001, PI
  • 2001-2003: OTKA Grant T034615, Co-I
  • 2002: Hungarian State Eötvös Fellowship
  • 2003-2006: OTKA Grant F043203, PI (closed in 2004)
  • 2003-2006: OTKA Grant T042509, Co-I
  • 2002 Dec - 2005 March: Postdoctoral Fellow in Stellar Oscillations, University of Sydney
  • 2005 April - 2008 April: University of Sydney Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  • 2003-2008: Denison Travel Grants, School of Physics, University of Sydney
  • 2008 May - 2010 Dec: University of Sydney RAVE Fellow
  • 2009: „Stellar oscillations as a tool to identify planet hosting stars”, Australian Academy of Science/Scientific Visits to the USA Travel Grant
  • 2009: „CYCLOPS - A Better Way to Find Extrasolar Planets”, ARC LIEF, Co-I
  • 2009: University of Sydney Bridging Grant, PI
  • 2009-2012: OTKA Grant K76816, Co-I
  • 2009-2014: MTA Lendület Young Researchers' Fellowship, PI
  • 2010-2013: OTKA-NKTH FP7 Marie Curie Mobility grant, PI
  • 2011-2014: FP7 Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme grant, Co-I
  • 2011-2015: OTKA Grant K83790, Co-I
  • 2013-2016: OTKA Grant K104607, Co-I
  • 2013-2014: TÁMOP scientific dissemination grant, Co-I
  • 2014-2015: ESA PECS Contract for CHEOPS feasibility studies, PI
  • 2016-2020: GINOP Cosmic effects and risks, PI
  • 2018-2021: CAMELOT MTA-KEP, PI

Total grant income to date: approx. 5.3M EUR.