Awards and Prizes

Illustration Preise und Auszeichnungen
© Uni MS - Robert Matzke

Prizes and awards not only recognise individual achievements, but also advance scientific progress by creating incentives for excellence and serving as inspiration for young talent. Science awards are particularly career-enhancing for early career researchers. They represent early recognition of outstanding research and often kickstart a successful scientific career. Awards put their recipients in the spotlight of their research community and open up a variety of networking opportunities. They also enable future research projects thanks to endowments and grant money.

Take your achievements or those of your colleagues to the next level by nominating yourself or a colleague for an award!

Overview of the award-winning researchers at the University of Münster

Our services and support

Are you interested in nominating yourself or would you like to nominate a colleague for a science award? Then please get in touch with us. We at the SAFIR research funding support office would be happy to assist you with your award nomination. We offer the following services:

  • offering individual advice - from doctoral candidates to established academics - on tailor-made prize competitions and other awards such as academy memberships
  • providing information on current calls for applications for science prizes and awards
  • offering support obtaining the necessary documents for your nomination
  • reviewing your nomination documents strategically upon request
  • organising and hosting events on the subject of science prizes and awards. We would be happy to tailor these to your individual needs upon request.
  • networking with academics and administrators at the University of Münster who are responsible for science prizes in the departments and collaborative projects
  • benchmarking and scouting potential nominees for science prizes, whom the Rectorate is authorised to nominate

At the University of Münster, you can use the FIT information service (SSO login with your University user ID) and the ELFI research funding search service to  find suitable calls for proposals.

Current Calls

Roman Herzog Research Prize for Social Market Economy
The Roman Herzog Institute honours early career researchers no older than 40 years of age with a doctorate earned within the past three years. To be eligible, their doctorates or habilitations must address the sustainability of the social market economy and thus the central regulatory issues of the 21st century. Up to three prizes with a total endowment of up to 35,000 euros are awarded annually.
Deadline: 31 December 2024

Academy Prize
The Academy Prize of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences is awarded in recognition of outstanding scientific achievements in any disciplinary field. The award includes prize money of 50,000 euros and may be awarded biennially. The nomination is submitted by the Rectorate. Therefore, please contact us well before the deadline (see below).
Deadline: 15 January 2025

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is the most prestigious research funding award in Germany. The recipients receive prize money totalling 2.5 million euros which can be used at their discretion to finance their research projects. The nomination is submitted by the Rectorate. Therefore, please contact us well before the deadline (see below).
Deadline: 15 January 2025

Alfried Krupp Award
This award by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation recognises the excellent research achievements of first-time university professors (W2 and W3, up to the age of 38) who possess outstanding academic qualifications and work in the natural scientific or engineering fields (including medicine). The prize, worth 1.1 million euros, is intended to enable the award winners to create an optimal working environment for themselves. The nomination is submitted by the Rectorate. Therefore, please contact us well before the deadline (see below).
Deadline: 28 February 2025

German Thesis Award
The Körber Foundation honors early career researchers from all disciplines who have submitted an excellent dissertation of particular social significance in 2024. In addition to academic excellence, the Award primarily focuses on the broader social relevance of a particular piece of research. As such, the award encourages young scientists to highlight the value of their research to society and to discuss their work in public. The three top prizes are endowed with € 25,000 each; this makes the German Thesis Award one of the most highly endowed prizes awarded to young scientists in the country.
Deadline: 1 March 2025

Nominations with Rectorate endorsement

If you are interested in a nomination, please contact us at an early stage.

Deadline: 15 Jan. 2025

Deadline: 28 Feb. 2025

Deadline: Jan. 2026 (tent.)

Deadline: 15 Jan. 2025

Deadline: 31 Aug. 2025

Deadline: 31 May 2025 (tent.)

Deadline: 15 Jun. 2025

Deadline: 15 Mar. 2025

Deadline: 1 Sep. 2025

Scientific Awards of the University Münster

Awarding of the 2024 rectorate prizes
© Uni MS - Christoph Steinweg

The University of Münster recognizes outstanding achievements of its academics and students in research, teaching and studies with highly endowed prizes. Nominations for these prizes are accepted at regular intervals.

Information on the University of Münster's Rectorate Prizes can be found here.