Assoc. Prof. Mehmet Özkan was awarded two of the prestigious young scientist awards in Turkey in a single year, namely, the Outstanding Young Scientist Award (GEBİP) award from the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) and the Science Academy Young Scientist Award (BAGEP) from the Science Academy. BAGEP is funded solely by donations and provides 10.000 TL per year for two years; GEBİP provides 30.000 TL per year for two years and is awarded to scientists working in Turkey under the age of 39 in the fields of engineering and social, natural and health sciences.