Heidelberg physicist Prof. Dr. Klaus Blaum has been awarded the Gottfried WilhelmPrize German Research Foundation (DFG). The prize recognizes his work on physical constants and symmetries in nature, which is based on precision measurements using ions in electromagnetic traps. The aim of his research is to experimentally explore the limits of the Standard Model of particle physics. Klaus Blaum conducts research as director at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg and is an honorary professor at the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy at Heidelberg University. The award—the most prestigious research grant in Germany—comes with a prize of 2.5 million euros. 

At the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Klaus Blaum heads the “Trapped and Cooled Ions” division. Through his work, the scientist aims to determine the fundamental constants of physics more accurately and to gain a more precise understanding of the forces and symmetries of nature. To experimentally test the Standard Model of particle physics, the physicist traps individual ions in a superposition of electric and magnetic fields and measures their properties. With his precision experiments, the scientist has achieved “groundbreaking results” regarding the differences between matter and antimatter. For example, he succeeded in making the most accurate comparison to date of the charge-to-mass ratio of protons and antiprotons, as the German Research Foundation highlights. In atomic physics as well, Prof. Blaum has made an important scientific contribution with his investigations into the magnetic moment of an electron in a hydrogen-like tin ion. “In addition, he conducted the world’s most precise measurement of the maximum energy released in the radioactive decay of holmium-163—a significant result for global efforts to determine the absolute mass of neutrinos,” according to the DFG’s commendation. 

Klaus Blaum studied physics at the University of Mainz, where he also earned his doctorate. As a postdoctoral researcher, he moved to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2004, he took over as head of a Helmholtz Young Investigators Group at the University of Mainz. After completing his habilitation in 2006, he was appointed director of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg a year later. Since 2008, he has been teaching as an honorary professor at Heidelberg University. Prof. Blaum has received two highly endowed grants from the European Research Council (ERC), two ERC Advanced Grants, and has been honored with, among other awards, the Stern-Gerlach Medal from the German Physical Society and thePrize European Physical Society. Prof. Blaum is a member of Academy of Sciences and Humanities Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities a member of Academy of Sciences and Humanities German National Academy of Sciences and Humanities , and Academy of Sciences and Humanities as a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Humanities . 

The Gottfried WilhelmPrize Germany’s most prestigious research award—has been presented annually by the German Research Foundation since 1986. Up to ten prizes, each worth 2.5 million euros, may be awarded each year. The 2026 awards go to three female laureates and seven male laureates, including Klaus Blaum. He was Prize for the Prize by Heidelberg University. Julia Mahamid, Ph.D., a structural biologist conducting research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, is also among the recipients. Previous recipients include physicist Prof. Dr. Wolfram Pernice (2025), as well as classical philologist Prof. Dr. Jonas Grethlein and neuropharmacologist Prof. Dr. Rohini Kuner (both 2024). Established in 1985, the Leibniz Program aims to honor outstanding scientists, expand their research opportunities, and facilitate the employment of highly qualified researchers in the early stages of their careers. The awards ceremony for this year’s prizes will take place on March 18, 2026, in Berlin.

[Press release from Heidelberg University, December 11, 2025]

Links:

Prof. Dr. Klaus Blaum – 2026 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize Laureate | DFG

Klaus Blaum: Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics