Award-winning individuals

Seven young scientists from Baden-Württemberg were honored for their work this year with a total prize value of €70,000. The donated prizes are intended to encourage researchers in the early stages of their careers and support their scientific work.
The prizes were awarded during a ceremony at the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences' annual celebration on May 24.

A short film was made about the award winners, which you can watch on YouTube at this link:https://youtu.be/PIptVj2RPJE?si=2yWU92ghwvy6187j(external link)

The Academy Prize(internal link), established in 1984 by the Association for the Promotion of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences to mark the 75th anniversary of the Heidelberg Academy's founding, will be awarded to PD Dr. Marlon Barbehön in 2025. In his award-winning study, Barbehön focuses on the concept of "time," which plays a major role in socio-political discourses such as sustainability or questions about the (proper) use of time. In addition to fundamental questions and an exploration of the construct of "time," its terminology, and its relationship to politics, the award winner uses his political theory of temporality to examine case studies of how social and political discourse influences our understanding of "time." Marlon Barbehön has been conducting research since April 2024 as the head of a DFG-
e project at the Institute for Political Science at Heidelberg University.

The Karl Freudenberg Prize(internal link) was established in 1986 by the globally active technology company Freudenberg Group on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Prof. Dr. Karl Freudenberg. It is awarded for scientific work in the field of natural sciences – in particular chemistry and biology. 
This year, chemist Dr. Maximilian Baur is being awarded the Karl Freudenberg Prize for his dissertation at the University of Konstanz. The central theme of his dissertation is the incorporation of small amounts of keto groups into the polymer chain of polyethylenes during their catalytic synthesis. With his work, he has solved this challenge in research and thus enabled an important scientific step forward. Mr. Baur achieved this breakthrough thanks to an intelligent catalyst design and suitable reaction conditions, which he made possible by constructing a precisely tailored reactor system. The molecular structure of the chains was elucidated by isotope labeling. Beyond these analyses, Mr. Baur showed that his keto-modified polyethylenes are on par with commercial polyethylene (HDPE) in terms of processability and material properties. He also demonstrated that his materials are degradable by light. This desirable property is relevant because it can reduce the problematic high persistence of polyethylene—the most widely used plastic—in the environment.

In recognition of the great importance of cultural and social science research, Witzenmann GmbH established the Walter Witzenmann Prize(internal link) in 1997 to promote young scientists in Baden-Württemberg. The prize honors work that addresses important social and cultural changes and/or the possibilities and effects of technological transformation and, in the case of historical work, demonstrates a connection to the present. This year, theologian Dr. Simon Linder (University of Tübingen) is being awarded the Walter Witzenmann Prize for his dissertation "Eine streitende Kirche in digitaler Gegenwart" (A Contested Church in the Digital Present). In it, the prize winner draws on Michel Foucault's discourse analysis to develop a concept of "culture of debate" based on several recent discourses within and outside the church. On this basis, he elaborates on how synodality and a culture of debate can be shaped for theologians and the church in the digital age, and tests his theory against current social and ecclesiastical events.

The Viktor & Sigrid Dulger Foundation Ecology Prize(internal link) is awarded to promote scientific work in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering that deals with environmental problems and their solutions.
One such environmental problem is large glass surfaces on buildings, which are modern and allow plenty of sunlight in, but are also energy inefficient, quickly overheat, and require considerable cleaning effort and reduced privacy. Dr. Gan Huang, who is receiving this year's award, has developed a new polymer-based metamaterial that protects against glare, repels water and dirt, and, while allowing most sunlight to pass through, does not heat up and remains on average 6°C cooler than its surroundings. This groundbreaking invention could become a central component of energy-efficient construction in the future. Huang is Principal Investigator of the Helmholtz Investigator Group and Head of the Hybrid Solar Technologies Lab at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

In order to encourage young scientists and ensure that outstanding scientific achievements receive the recognition they deserve, entrepreneur Dr. Dr. h.c. Manfred Fuchs has established a research award to promote young scientists in Baden-Württemberg. In 2025, the Manfred Fuchs Prize(internal link) will go to tenure-track professor Dr. Pascal Friederich (KIT) for his work on the use of artificial intelligence in the development of new chemical materials. The background to this is the sheer endless number of possible materials that can be obtained by combining chemical substances and the great relevance of materials with application-specific properties. Friederich's promising approach is to combine existing knowledge and large amounts of data with machine learning and algorithms in order not only to develop suitable materials, but also to simulate their properties in detail. This accelerates existing processes and has the potential to deliver solution-oriented chemical molecules and materials for new drugs or green technologies. 

The prize, made possible by Manfred Lautenschläger through his foundation, specifically benefits the humanities and cultural sciences, which he sees as orientation sciences for our present day with a focus on history, society, and culture. It is intended to be both a "recognition" and a "driving force" for young researchers. This year's Manfred Lautenschläger Prize(internal link) goes to Dr. Maike Hausen for her dissertation in modern and contemporary history. She is editorial director at the State Agency for Civic Education in Stuttgart and a lecturer at the Universities of Tübingen and Mannheim.

In her dissertation, the historian examines the consequences of the decision taken by Great Britain in the 1960s to abandon its military presence in Southeast Asia, which at the time led to a crisis perception in the former settler colonies of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. She analyzes the subsequent national upheavals from a transnational perspective and, based on this case study, identifies key processes of the postcolonial era, such as the reorientation of foreign and security policy and the development of independent national policies.