The journal Nanomaterials has recognized NETL research physical scientist Scott Crawford as a 2025 exceptional reviewer for his contributions to the publication’s peer review process during the second quarter of 2025.

Nanomaterials is an international, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary and open access scholarly journal, which the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) publishes semimonthly online. The journal publishes reviews, regular research papers, communications and short notes relevant to any field of study that involves the science and application of nanomaterials.

According to the journal, the exceptional reviewer program recognizes and honors scholars who have delivered consistently exceptional review reports to the global scientific community. The recognition demonstrates that Crawford is an accomplished researcher who uses expertise gained at the Lab to provide valuable feedback to other researchers around the world.

The journal only selects three peer reviewers globally during each quarter. In addition to Crawford, other researchers selected for the second quarter as exceptional reviewers are Thomas Blaudeck of the Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes at Chemnitz University of Technology in Chemnitz, Germany; and Riccardo Scarfiello of the Institute of Nanotechnology at the University of Salento in Lecce, Italy.

Crawford is a member of NETL’s Materials Characterization team and his research focuses on materials science — work that has resulted in the development of a device to detect trace concentrations of rare earth elements, which are essential for the manufacture of many energy technologies. His areas of interest include nanotechnology, photoluminescence, quantum sensing and rare earths. 

Crawford first joined the Lab as a Mickey Leland Energy Fellow in 2017 and then returned in 2019 as a post-doctoral research associate. He joined the Materials Characterization team as a federal researcher in 2023.

Based in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI is a publisher of fully peer-reviewed, open access journals with a focus on robust and rapid editorial processes. MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. MDPI fosters open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines.

With additional offices in Beijing, Wuhan, Tianjin and Nanjing (China), Barcelona (Spain), Belgrade and Novi Sad (Serbia), Manchester (UK), Tokyo (Japan), Cluj and Bucharest (Romania), Toronto (Canada), Kraków (Poland), Singapore (Singapore), Bangkok (Thailand) and Seoul (Republic of Korea), MDPI has published the research of more than 330,000 individual authors and its journals receive more than 25 million monthly webpage views.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory dedicated to advancing the nation's energy future by creating innovative solutions that strengthen the security, affordability and reliability of energy systems and natural resources. With laboratories in Albany, Oregon; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, NETL creates advanced energy technologies that support DOE’s mission while fostering collaborations that will lead to a resilient and abundant energy future for the nation.