Research prizes
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Prize Winners at Kiel University
Nobel Prizes
We have been researching and teaching at the CAU at the highest level for over 350 years. The 20th century was a period of ground-breaking inventions – also in Kiel. Seven Nobel Prize winners researched and worked here. However, genius did not always go hand in hand with humanity.
Bust gallery Kiel University’s Nobel prize winners
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, established in 1985, is the most important research award in Germany. It is awarded to outstanding researchers who have made fundamental and excellent achievements in their research fields on a national and international scale and are expected to shape the research landscape in Germany for the long term through further top-level scientific achievements in the future.
Eight Gottfried Wilhelm-Leibniz Prize winners research or researched at the CAU. Most recently, Kiel-based agricultural scientist Prof. Dr. Christian Jung, Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding, won the prize in 2005.
Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize
Since 1977 the renowned Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize has been awarded by the DFG (German Research Foundation) to early career researchers who have developed their own independent careers after obtaining their doctoral degrees. Prof. Dr Worm, who was trained in marine sciences in Kiel, won the prize in 2004
Prizes for Young Researchers
The university is aiming to increase the number of external prizes won by young researchers while at the same time awarding its own internal dissertation-based, faculty-based and other prizes to its own excellent young and early career researchers. The clusters of excellence and priority research areas also award prizes and distinctions to their own young researchers.
Further information about external prizes for young researchers and internal prizes for young researchers.
Kiel University’s prizes
The university, the faculties and the priority research areas award prizes and honours, such as the university medal or the Ferdinand-Tönnies Medal (in German) to deserving individuals in recognition of their special achievements.
The priority research area Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science (KiNSIS) honours external experts through its annual Diels-Planck Lecture. This prize is awarded to an outstanding and leading researcher in the field of nano and surface science. The prize winner is chosen and invited to Kiel by KiNSIS members.
Since 2009 the Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences has awarded the Johann-Heinrich-von-Thünen-Medal in Gold to individuals who have used their scientific knowledge to make particularly outstanding achievements in agriculture in and around Europe. In addition, since 2004 the Golden Honorary Pin has been awarded every two years to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the faculty.
Kiel University awards internal prizes to promote early career researchers, general researchers and students, which are targeted exclusively at CAU members. These range from prizes for specific subjects or faculties through to university-wide prizes such as the gender research prize for dissertations and theses.
Prizes for Research, Teaching, Transfer and Scientific Communication – Research Prize Coordination Office at the Research Department
The university promotes and supports researchers with applications and nominations for scientific prizes for research, university teaching, transfer activities and scientific communication to ensure their success. The research prize coordination office was set up for this purpose. It coordinates and structures nomination and preselection processes between those involved. Interested individuals, potential candidates and nominators are informed in a targeted manner and by mailing list about current invitations to apply for research prizes and are advised on the application or nomination process. It also coordinates, formulates and verifies documentation on prizes that have been awarded in the CAU Research Information System.
