Pierre-Yves Bard received the Dolomieu Prize on 28 October 2025.
© BRGM
BRGM's Dolomieu 2025 Prize pays tribute to all of Pierre-Yves Bard's scientific research devoted to understanding and modelling the effects of earthquakes, and to reducing seismic risks.
The award was made during a formal session of the Académie des Sciences on 28 October 2025.
A career dedicated to understanding seismic risks
Pierre-Yves Bard is a Research Director and Chief Engineer at the Institut des Sciences de la Terre (ISTerre, UMR CNRS, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Université Gustave Eiffel and IRD).
He is one of France's most widely acknowledged specialists in applied seismology and seismic engineering. His research aims to relate the fundamental understanding of ground motion to the operational needs of earthquake prevention and protection.
His research, both fundamental and applied, has had a profound influence on the way in which seismic risk is taken into account in spatial-planning policies, earthquake regulations and urban safety management. It is a perfect illustration of the ability of French research to combine academic excellence with societal goals.
Recognition of the scientific community
Over the course of his career, Pierre-Yves Bard has made major advances in three key areas:
- The probabilistic assessment of seismic hazards: he has helped to define and refine the seismic zone determination methods used in France and Europe, integrating uncertainties about seismic sources and ground motion to improve forecasting models.
- The study of site effects and local amplification: he has demonstrated how local geology and topography can amplify tremors, particularly in sedimentary basins such as that of Grenoble, thereby significantly modifying the intensity of ground motion.
- The modelling of strong ground motion: his research integrates subsurface characteristics, topographic effects and the spatial variability of ground to obtain more realistic predictions of impacts on infrastructure and populations.
It was awarded during a formal session of the Académie des Sciences on 28 October 2025.
© BRGM
In relating seismology research to civil engineering in the service of the community, Pierre-Yves Bard embodies the scientific rigour that the Dolomieu Prize is designed to honour. His research has led to tangible improvements in seismic risk prevention, by contributing scientific insight to support public policy-making.
A prestigious prize to reward scientific excellence and applications in geoscience
Awarded annually by the Académie des Sciences, the Dolomieu Prize symbolises recognition of French excellence in geoscience and the importance of its disciplines in meeting contemporary environmental and societal challenges.
BRGM, founder of the Dolomieu Prize
Created in 1998 as a tribute to the geologist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu, the prize is one of the most eminent distinctions in the field of Earth sciences. It rewards outstanding scientific work in geoscience, either fundamental or applied (as this year).
