Major Luís Marques, with his paper "Development of a Portable Neutron Detection System for Security and Defence Applications," published in Springer in 2023 (DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-7689-6_24), has once again awarded with the "2023 Scientific Research Award in Military Sciences" in the field of Military Techniques and Technologies. Major Luís Marques is a doctoral student supervised by Professors Pedro Vaz (C2TN) and Alberto Vale (IPFN/DEEC).

In this paper, the development and testing of a portable neutron detection system, based on a plastic scintillator and photomultiplier sensors, is presented, aimed at detecting special nuclear materials (e.g., plutonium) and other neutron sources used in industry and research.

The solution presented was born from the developments and advancements achieved within the scope of the R&D project FRIENDS (Fleet of Drones for Radiological Inspection, Communication, and Rescue - https://www.ipfn.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/FRIENDS/), led by Professors Alberto Vale and Rodrigo Ventura (ISR/DEEC) and with the collaboration of Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) and Mining Development Company (EDM).

The "Scientific Research Award in Military Sciences" is given annually by the Military University Institute and aims to recognize scientific research works in five fundamental areas of Military Sciences, including the field of "Military Techniques and Technologies."