Ever-growing demand for a 
universal tool for quantum chemistry

Prof. Frank Neese is honored as “Highly Cited Researcher” 

Every year, the American company Clarivate Analytics honors the “Highly Cited Researchers”. These are researchers who have a particular influence in their field. Frank Neese, director at the MPI für Kohlenforschung, has been on this list since 2015.

Frank Neese, Director at the Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung, is once again among the “Highly Cited Researchers” honored annually by the American company Clarivate Analytics.

Whether a scientist is successful depends on various factors. How often peers cite his work is one of those factors. This is precisely what the Clarivate award aims to recognize. The list, which this year includes around 6,900 researchers from all possible disciplines, honors people who exert a certain influence in their research areas, the company explains.

“Through rigorous selection criteria and comprehensive analysis, we recognize researchers whose exceptional contributions are shaping the future of science, technology, and academia,” the company states in a press release. The methodology for compiling the ranking is constantly being developed so that all researchers meet certain standards.

Neese has now demonstrated that he meets Clarivate's standards for several years in a row: he has been on the Highly Cited Researcher list in the field of chemistry without interruption since 2015. His success is certainly linked to the ever-growing demand for the quantum chemistry program ORCA, which Neese and his team are developing at the MPI für Kohlenforschung.

ORCA is a universal tool for quantum chemistry with a particular focus on spectroscopic properties and metal ions – the latter are particularly difficult to describe quantum mechanically, but play an essential role in catalysis and materials science. Academic use of ORCA is free of charge, for commercial purposes the program is marketed by the company FACCTS. ORCA Version 6.0 was only launched this summer.

Clarivate also sorts its ranks by country and institution or university: Most of the top-ranked institutions are in the United States, followed by China. German scientists are in fourth place, after those from the United Kingdom.

In an international comparison, the Max Planck Society performs well overall: in the ranking of universities and research institutions, the Max Planck Society comes in at ninth place. According to Clarivate Analytics, only American, British and Chinese universities are more influential within their community than Max Planck.