The Award of Excellence in Natural Sciences of the Academy of Athens for the year 2020 was given to Dr. Costas Galiotis, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras and Collaborating Faculty Member of the Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences of the Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT) for his research in the areas of materials science and technology and in particular for his great contribution to a deeper understanding of the structure and mechanical properties of graphene. The ceremony, initially scheduled for March 24, was canceled due to restrictive measures for the coronavirus pandemic.