state research award

Since 1989, the Academy has been awarding the State Research Prize in collaboration with the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts.

This Prize the scientific achievements of outstanding researchers from a wide range of disciplines. Since 1999, theState Research Prize (external link)has been divided into two research categories. One Prize given for outstanding basic research, and the other for excellent applied research. Past recipients come from a wide variety of fields—ranging from biology to finance, from paleoanthropology to research on artificial intelligence.

With a total prize fund of 200,000 euros, the State Research Prize is the most highly endowed Prize in Germany. Each research category is awarded 100,000 euros.

The award winners

year	Award winners
2024	Prof. Dr. Christiane Werner, Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg Prof. Lena Maier-Hein, Ph.D., DKFZ Heidelberg, Department of Intelligent Medical Systems
2022	Prof. Dr. Anke-Susanne Müller, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Prof. Dr. Stefan Pfister, Heidelberg Pediatric Oncology Center
2020	Prof. Dr. Anna Köttgen, University Medical Center Freiburg Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Rammensee, University of Tübingen
2018	Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schölkopf, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Prof. Dr. Andreas Trumpp, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg
2016	Prof. Dr. Fedor Jelezko, University of Ulm Dr. Georg Gdynia, University of Heidelberg
2014	Prof. Christian Koos, Ph.D., Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Prof. Dr. Katerina Harvati-Papatheodorou, University of Tübingen
2011	Prof. Dr. Peter Sanders, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Prof. Dr. Peter Auer, University of Freiburg
2010	Prof. Dr. Detlef Weigel, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen Prof. Dr. Rupert Handgretinger, University of Tübingen
2009	Prof. Dr. Joachim Burghartz, University of Stuttgart Prof. Dr. Jörn Leonhard, University of Freiburg
2008	Prof. Dr. Jürg Leuthold, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Pfanner, University of Freiburg Prof. Dr. Wolfram Pyta, University of Stuttgart
2007	Prof. Dr. Britta Nestler, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences Prof. Dr. Markus Oberthaler, University of Heidelberg
2006	Prof. Dr. Dieter H. Wolf, University of Stuttgart Dr. Martin Walther Dr. Robert Rehm Joachim Fleissner Dr. Johannes Schmitz
2005	Prof. Dr. Rolf Stürner, University of Freiburg Prof. Klaus Martin Wegener, KIT and Karlsruhe Research Center
2004	Prof. Dr. Herta Flor, Central Institute for Mental Health, Mannheim Prof. Dr. Josef Wieland, University of Konstanz
2003	Dr. Eva Schlecht, University of Hohenheim Prof. Dr. Martin Dressel, University of Stuttgart
2002	Research group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics in Freiburg Dr. Márc Kelemen Dr. Rudolf Kiefer Dr. Michael Mikulla Dr. Martin Walther Prof. Dr. Doris Wedlich, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
2001	Prof. Dr. Monika Fludernik, University of Freiburg Prof. Dr. Christof Niehrs, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg
2000	Prof. Dr. Thomas Schimmel, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Prof. Dr. Michael Frotscher, University of Freiburg Prof. Dr. Angelos Chaniotis, University of Heidelberg
1999	Prof. Dr. Eberhard P. Hofer and Dr. Christian Rembe, University of Ulm Prof. Dr. Reinhart Ahlrichs, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
1998	Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bühler, University of Mannheim
1996	PD Dr. Regine Hengge-Aronis, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz; currently at Freie Universität Berlin
1995	Prof. Dr. Peter Herrlich, Research Center for Technology and the Environment, Karlsruhe Prof. Dr. Margot Zöller, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg
1994	Prof. Dr. Willi Jäger, University of Heidelberg
1993	Prof. Dr. Ina Rösing, University Hospital Ulm Prof. Dr. Dietmar Vestweber, University of Münster
1992	Research Group at the University of Stuttgart, Department of Process Engineering: Prof. Dr.-Ing. E.D. Gilles Prof. G. Eigenberger, Ph.D. (Eng.) Prof. Dr.-Ing. H.G. Fritz Prof. M. Reuß, Ph.D. (Eng.) Prof. K. Stephan, Ph.D. (Eng.) Prof. Dr.-Ing. M. Zeitz
1991	Prof. Dr. Bert Sakmann, Max Planck Institute, Heidelberg
1990	Prof. Wolfgang Raible, University of Heidelberg, now: University of Freiburg
1989	Prof. Erik Jayme, University of Heidelberg

The prize foundation

Since 1989, the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities the State Research Prize in collaboration with theMinistry of Science, Research, and the Arts (external link). Since 1999, the Prize has been Prize . Since then, half of the prize money has been allocated to basic research and the other half to applied research.

In 2016, the awards program was expanded to include the Prize Courageous Science (internal link) —the only one of its kind in Germany—which is announced and awarded alongside the State Research Prize.

The award ceremony

The State Research Award was presented almost without exception every year until 2011. This was followed by a restructuring, as a result of which the Prize could Prize be presented again Prize 2014. Since then, the State Research Award has been presented on an alternating annual basis with theState Teaching Award (external link).

Potential candidates are nominated by the state’s scientific institutions. The award is decided by an interdisciplinary jury composed of renowned scientists and the presidents of the Max Planck Society and the German Research Foundation. The Academy chairs the jury.

The Prize be awarded to multiple people at the same time.

Contact

The Prize sponsored bythe Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts in Baden-Württemberg (external link) in collaboration with the Academy.