Dr Elisa Felicitas Arias, the former Director of the BIPM Time Department, has received the European Frequency and Time Forum (EFTF) Marcel Ecabert Award 2018 in recognition of her initiative and leadership in the development and realization of international atomic time. The award was presented during a plenary session of the EFTF 2018 in Turin (Italy) in April 2018.

Dr Arias promoted many initiatives as the Director of the BIPM Time Department over the last 18 years, including rapid UTC (UTCr) and multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) time transfer. She also undertook significant liaison activities with various international organizations, national metrology institutes, RMOs, and other institutions to discuss and define the correct use of time scales and the international value of the unique reference time scale, Coordinated Universal time (UTC).

Dr Arias retired from the BIPM in November 2017.