Awards for Doctoral Dissertations

DECHEMA e.V. – Doktoranden-Preis für Naturstoff-Forschung (Doctoral Award for Natural Products Research)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

 

Area of studies:
Natural substances (structures, biosynthesis, chemical synthesis and reactions, new methods)

 

Terms of application:
Dissertation must be completed and have been rated at least "magna cum laude". Degree shall date back no longer than twelve months. Self-nomination and proposal are possible.

 

Prize money:
EUR 500

 

Deadline:
November 30, 2024

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hämatologie und Medizinische Onkologie (German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology) – Doctoral Prize

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award
 

Area of studies:
Medicine, pharmacy or biology

 

Terms of application:
The applicant may on the day of the deadline not have reached the age of 30. If several authors are involved, it must be clearly identified by the authorship in the abstract, who has applied for the award. Applications must contain an assurance that all the co-authors of the works submitted agree with the application for the doctoral prize.

 

Prize money:
EUR 3,000

 

Deadline:
July 31, every year
 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Deutsche Immobilien Akademie (DIA) (German Real Estate Academy (DIA)) – Forschungspreis für Immobilienwirtschaft – International (Research Prize for the Real Estate Industry – International)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

 

Area of studies:
Real estate industry

 

Terms of application:
The submitted projects should in regard to content relate to a macro- or microeconomic topic of the real estate industry. Those interested can contact the KIT Research Office.

 

Prize money:
Dissertation, habilitation theses and other outstanding scientific works: EUR 2,500
Diploma and magister theses: EUR 1,000

 

Deadline:
July 31, 2024. No deadline for 2025 yet.


▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Dr. Bertold Moos Stiftung (Dr. Bertold Moos Foundation) – Dr. Bertold Moos Wissenschaftspreis (Dr. Bertold Moos Science Prize)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

 

Area of studies:
Linguistics, didactics, philosophy / ethics, historical sciences

 

Terms of application:
Funding is provided particularly for outstanding research achievements in these fields: dissertations, research projects in basic research or applied research and projects in teaching with scientific standards. As selection criteria will be used in particular: innovation potential, scientific and social relevance, potential use of the project.

 

Prize money:
EUR 10,000

 

Deadline:
January 19, 2025

 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Dr. Wilhelmy-Stiftung (Dr. Wilhelmy Foundation) – Dr. Wilhelmy VDE-Preis (Dr. Wilhelmy VDE Prize)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

 

Area of studies:
Electrical engineering, information technology

 

Terms of application:
In addition to being "cum laude" the dissertation must have a high relevance for the science or business location Germany. The prize is awarded exclusively to electrical engineers who have not exceeded the age of 35 when submitting their dissertation. Only proposals from the German-speaking countries will be considered.

 

Prize money:
EUR 3,000, up to three prizes a year

 

Deadline:
May 31, 2024. No deadline for 2025 yet

▶ read more 

▲ back to top

 

 

Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University) – German Simulation and Gaming Award

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award, postdocs

 

Area of studies:
Teaching and learning methods regarding "simulation and gaming"

 

Terms of application:
Papers are eligible, which were submitted at a European university since January 01 of 2018. Self-nominations and proposals by third parties are possible.

 

Prize money:
Prizes of EUR 1,000, EUR 750 and EUR 500

 

Deadline:
Applications possible anytime.

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

EWB Florence – Tattarillo International Thesis Award

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

 

Area of studies:
Every faculty

 

Terms of application:
The objective of the Award is to stimulate the interest of students and international academia community in sustainability topics in the “South of the World”, namely the realities where a group of individuals have no access to resources for their own realization within the social context of belonging.

 

Prize:
2x EUR 1,000

 

Deadline:
February 28, every year
 

▶ read more

▲ back to top
 

 

Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Statistische Bundesamt) – Gerhard Fürst Award

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

 

Area of studies:
Topics with reference to official statistics

 

Terms of application:
The award recognizes outstanding papers on theoretical topics with a close connection to the remit of official statistics or empirical publications which make intensive use of data of official statistics. These can be theses from field of theoretical statistics or from social and economic statistics as well as treatises in economics or social science.

 

Prize money:
Prize for dissertation EUR 5,000

 

Deadline:
September 30, every year
 

▶ read more

▲ back to top
 

 

Forschungspreis Bio-Lebensmittelwirtschaft 2019/20 (Research Prize Organic Food Industry 2019/20)

Target group:
Graduates or doctoral researchers with a thesis (Bachelor, Master or dissertation)

 

Area of studies:
Organic food: production, processing, marketing or aspects such as environmental and social compatibility.

 

Prize money:
Bachelor's thesis EUR 2,000, Master's thesis EUR 3,000, dissertation EUR 5,000.

 

Deadline:
October 1, 2024 ▶ online. Contact: ▶ office Lebensmittelkunde und Qualität

▲ back to top
 

 

Foundation fiat panis – Hermann Eiselen-Science Award

Target group:
Doctoral researchers who graduated from a European university, younger than 40 years

 

Area of studies:
Young professionals who deal with improving the food situation in developing countries

 

Prize money:
EUR 30,000

 

Deadline:
no new deadline for 2023

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Fraunhofer IOF – Applied Photonics Award

Target group:
Graduates or doctoral researchers with a thesis in the field of applied photonics (bachelor, master or dissertation)

 

Area of studies:
Optics and photonics (new optical technologies, e.g. in environmental protection and sustainable operations)

 

Prize money:
Best Bachelor thesis EUR 1,000, best Master thesis EUR 2,000, best dissertation EUR 3,000

 

Deadline:
June 30, 2024
 

▶ read more

▲ back to top
 

 

Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (Wolf-Erich-Kellner-Gedächtnisstiftung) – WEK Prize

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

 

Area of studies:
Works from the humanities, social sciences, law and economics on "basics, history and politics of liberalism in German, European and non-European areas"

 

Terms of application:
By self-nomination written works may be submitted with min. 100 pages in German, English or French, which have not been published until the end of the call for proposals.

 

Deadline:
May 31, every year


▶ read more

▲ back to top
 

 

Freudenberg-Gruppe – Freudenberg Award – Mobility

(until 2019 Carl Freudenberg Award).
 

Target group:
KIT graduates or doctoral students with final theses (dissertations as well as master's and diploma theses).
 

Area of studies:
Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering
 

Terms of application:
The selection process is coordinated at the ▶ Institute of Product Engineering. The potential award winners do not apply themselves, but are proposed by their professors. Each nominating professor is automatically a reviewer for the other institutions. The award winners are determined on the basis of the expert opinions. The award ceremony takes place every two years during the Carl Benz Memorial Lecture and is organized by the ▶ KIT Mobility Systems Center.
 

Prize:
10,000 euros (in total for the first three places).
 

Deadline:
The prize is awarded every two years. The call for applications is usually sent out at the beginning of July.
 

▶ read more
 

▲ back to top

 

 

Freudenberg-Gruppe – Karl-Freudenberg-Preis

Target group:
Young scientists
 

Area of studies:
Natural sciences, especially chemistry and biology
 

Terms of application:
Researchers should not be older than 35 years and the proposed work should have been published or submitted for publication within the last two years. Self-application is not possible. All university teachers and heads of institutes in Baden-Württemberg as well as all members of the Mathematical and Natural Sciences Class of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities are eligible to submit proposals.
 

Prize:
10,000 euros
 

Deadline:
September 30 every year
 

▶ read more
 

▲ back to top
 

 

Friedrich-und-Elisabeth-Boysen-Stiftung (Friedrich and Elisabeth Boysen Foundation) – Science Award Environment Engineering

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

Area of studies:
The prize is awarded for an outstanding dissertation in the field of environmental technology with special consideration of engineering solutions for the reduction of pollutants and noise and optimization of energy consumption.
 

Terms of Application:
Only university lecturers of KIT may submit suggestions. A self-application is not possible. The suggestions are to be submitted only in digital form to the Karlsruhe House of Young Scientists (KHYS). Your contact person is ▶ Nadja Mazko.

Prize:
EUR 5,000

Deadline:
The deadline for this award has expired. The next call for applications is expected in spring 2025.

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI) (German Informatics Society (GI)) – GI Dissertationspreis (GI Dissertation Award)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

Area of studies:
Computer sciences

Terms of application:
University nominates dissertation, contact at KIT: ▶ Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ina Schäfer. Dissertations are eligible for which the day of the oral examination lies in the period from January 1, until December 31 of the previous year. A repeated application for the same thesis is not permissible.

Prize money:
EUR 5,000

Deadline:
February 14, 2025 (official submission deadline)


▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Gips-Schüle-Stiftung (Gips Schüle Foundation) – Gips-Schüle-Nachwuchspreis (Gips Schüle Newcomer Award)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

Area of studies:
Mathematics, computer science, science and technology

Terms of application:
Participation is open to young scientists who 1. have completed their doctorate in Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg on a topic that can be assigned to the context of "technology for people", 2. have completed their doctoral thesis between July 2017 and today, 3. were not older than 35 at the time of completion of their doctoral thesis. Applications in English are possible.

Prize money:
1. prize: EUR 10,000
2. prize: EUR 5,000
3. prize: EUR 2,500

Deadline:
January 24, 2025
 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres – Helmholtz Doctoral Award

Target group:
Doctoral researchers at a Helmholtz Center

Area of studies:
The Helmholtz Association will award the doctoral prize in two different tracks in each research field: outstanding knowledge-driven research (track A) and outstanding application-oriented research (track B). The respective original strength of a doctoral thesis can be emphasized in the nomination by choosing the appropriate track.

KIT can nominate excellent young researchers in the following four research fields: Earth and Environment, Energy, Information and Matter.

Terms of application:
Young scientists who distinguish themselves by scientific excellence during their doctoral studies as well as by personal commitment and who have a connection to the Helmholtz mission in their research are eligible for nomination. Doctoral researchers are not allowed to apply themselves.

KHYS is coordinating the nomination process for KIT. Your contact person at KHYS is ▶ Nadja Mazko.

Amount of funding:
One-time cash prize in the amount of EUR 5,000 plus accordingly to the track selected the opportunity to spend up to six months abroad at an international research institution (track A) or a funding for a Helmholtz Field Study Fellowship of up to three months (track B).

Deadline:
The next call for applications is expected in late summer/fall 2025.

► read more

▲ back to top

 

 

H. Wilhelm Schaumann Stiftung (H. Wilhelm Schaumann Foundation) – Dissertationspreis (Dissertation Award)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers at German-language universities and universities of applied sciences

Area of studies:
Animal and agricultural sciences

Terms of application:
For scientific achievements: proposal by deans of faculties; for theses: proposal by the directors of the institutes of animal nutrition after written demand

Prize money:
EUR 1,000

Deadline:
Applications may be submitted at any time.


▶ read more 

▲ back to top

 

 

Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen – ifa Research Award on Foreign Cultural Policy

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

Area of studies:
Topics at the interface between culture and foreign policy

Terms of application:
The proposed thesis must have been accepted and graded as a dissertation in an EU country between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year. Dissertations published during this period are also accepted. The place of publication may be outside the EU, provided that the dissertation has been accepted and graded in an EU country. The thesis must be in German or English. It is desirable that the topic of the dissertation is relevant to foreign cultural policy practice.

Prize money:
EUR 3,000

Deadline:
March 31, every year
 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

James Dyson Foundation – James Dyson Award

Target group:
Graduates who have graduated no more than four years ago

Area of studies:
Product design, industrial design, engineering

Terms of application:
Candidates may submit footage, photos and drawings of their ideas and a project description via online upload on the website of the James Dyson Award. The competition entries go through several application stages.

Prize money:
GBP 10,000 (or the corresponding amount in local currency)

Deadline:
July 17, 2024


▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Joachim Herz-Stiftung (Joachim Herz Foundation) – Deutscher Wirtschaftspreis (German Economics Award)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers

Area of studies:
Interdisciplinary perspectives on economics and business administration

Terms of application:
The prize honors scientists who broaden the perspectives of economics and business administration with interdisciplinary approaches and methods and develop new approaches to solutions. The awards go to scientists working at a research institution in Germany. The prize is awarded in a variety of research areas. In 2018, scientists in health economic research were honored. In 2018, the prize will be awarded for outstanding labor economics research.

Prize:
Best research work by an established scientist, endowed with EUR 150,000. Best contributions from young scientists, endowed with EUR 25,000 (1st place), EUR 15,000 (2nd place) and EUR 10,000 (3rd place)

Deadline:
Deadline for 2025 is not published yet.

 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

KIT Stiftung (KIT Foundation) – ARCADIS award for Earth and Environmental Research

Target group:
Doctoral researchers

Area of studies:
Earth and Environmental Research

Terms of application:
Awards are given for outstanding master's theses and doctoral dissertations prepared at KIT institutes with a focus on geosciences and environmental sciences.

Prize money:
EUR 1,000

Deadline:
no new deadline 

 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Körber Stiftung (Körber Foundation) – German Thesis Award (Deutscher Studienpreis)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

Area of studies:
All

Terms of application:
Dissertation "magna" or "summa cum laude" in German or English language, which was completed the year before the deadline date and is of particular importance for society.

Prize money:
Three top prizes of EUR 25,000 each, six second prizes of EUR 5,000

Deadline:
March 1, every year

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Otto Haxel Award for Physics

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award, postdocs.

 

Area of studies:
Physics incl. Geophysics and Meteorology

 

Terms of application:
The Otto Haxel Award for Physics has been awarded since 2017 in cooperation with the German Physical Society for the three best dissertations in physics at the Universities of Göttingen and Heidelberg and at KIT, the three places where Otto Haxel worked.

 

Prize money:
3 prizes per year: 1 x EUR 6,000; 1 x EUR 4,000; and 1 x EUR 2,000.

 

Application:
Nominations are made by the KIT Faculty of Physics. Currently, PhDs of the years 2021 and 2022 are treated. If necessary, please contact your supervisors of the PhD.

 

Deadline:
There is no deadline.

 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Roman Herzog Forschungspreis (Roman Herzog Research Award) – Social Market Economy (Soziale Marktwirtschaft)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers

Area of studies:
All dealing with the theme of "Social Market Economy".
Interdisciplinary contributions are most welcome.

Terms of application:
The Roman Herzog Research Award recognizes three outstanding dissertations or habilitations, which provide essential scientific approaches to the further development of the successful model "social market economy". The submitted research should include a sound analysis of the current relevant regulatory issues. At the time of application, applicants should be no older than 40 years and the research no older than three years. Self-nominations as well as proposals by the faculties and institutes are possible.

Prize money:
EUR 20,000, EUR 10,000 and EUR 5,000 Euro

Deadline:
December 31, 2024

For further information, please visit the website of the KIT Research Office (FOR).
 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Schaeffler FAG Stiftung (Schaeffler FAG Foundation) – Innovation Award

Target group:
Scientists, participation of individuals or groups possible, also scientific institutes, companies or similar institutions

Area of studies:
Scientific-technical field related to bearings technology

Terms of application:
Doctoral theses in German or English which were completed no earlier than 3 years before the application deadline may be submitted.

Prize money:
EUR 20,000 in total

Deadline:
July 31, every year
 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Soroptimist Club Karlsruhe – Erna-Scheffler-Förderpreis (Erna Scheffler Award)

Target group:
Female doctoral researchers of KIT

To be submitted are:

• a cover letter

• a curriculum vitae of the candidate with a list of publications

• certificates (including graduation diploma)

• a printed copy of the dissertation or diploma or master's thesis

• a brief justification of the proposal as well as the referees' opinions

Proposals should be sent to the Equal Opportunity Business Office. Contact is ▶ Sarah Wenz.

Prize money:
The prize is endowed with EUR 5,000: EUR 4,000 for a doctoral thesis and EUR 1,000 for a diploma or master’s thesis.

Deadline:
The prize is awarded every two years. The last award ceremony took place in October 2023. The press release ▶ Erna Scheffler Award for young female researchers at KIT is available in German only. We will inform you here as soon as we know the new application period.


▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft und Baden-Württemberg Stiftung (Donors' association for the promotion of humanities and sciences in Germany and Baden-Wuerttemberg Foundation) – Fellowships für Innovationen in der Hochschullehre/ Junior-Fellowships (Fellowships for Innovations in Higher Education/ Junior Fellowships)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers

Area of studies:
Teaching at university level

Terms of application:
The fellowships are individual, personalized support that gives the fellows the freedom and resources they need to carry out their development projects. In a tandem fellowship, two people share the funding. The allocation of several fellowships for a single development project is excluded.

Applications can only be submitted via the university administration.

Prize money:
EUR 15,000 (Junior-Fellowships)

Deadline:
(KIT internal). Documents must be submitted to KONTAKT. All applicants have the opportunity to receive individual feedback from PEBA on request. Those interested can contact ▶ Katrin Heß (PEBA)
 

▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (Foundation of German Industry) – Klaus Murmann Fellowship Programme

Target group:
Doctoral researchers who are volunteers

Area of studies:
All

Terms of application:
Funding is available for German and foreign junior researchers who have completed a university degree and are admitted to a doctorate at a state or state-recognized university in Germany, Switzerland or another EU country. However, a complete doctorate abroad can only be funded if you can assure active, regular participation in one of the domestic or foreign scholarship holder groups. You have social commitment and social competence.

Prize money:
Up to three years, EUR 1,350 plus EUR 100 research grant and up to EUR 155 family grant.

Deadline:
Applications are possible again in May 15, 2024
 

▶  read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Stiftung Industrieforschung (Foundation Industrial Research) – Prize for scientific studies

Target group:
Doctoral researchers

Area of studies:
Technical / business administration fields

Terms of application:
Self-nomination or proposal by a cooperating company possible, development in close cooperation with one or more medium-sized companies

Prize money:
EUR 15,000 (usually divided into three prizes)

Deadline:
At its meeting in November 2017, the Foundation's Board of Trustees decided not to invite applications for the award from 2018 onwards. This makes the awarding of the prize at the Petersberg Industrial Dialogue 2018 (for the year 2017) the last one for the time being.


▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Umweltstiftung der Sparkasse Karlsruhe Ettlingen (Environmental Foundation of the Sparkasse Karlsruhe Ettlingen) – Sparkassen-Umwelt-Preis (Sparkasse Award for environmental research)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers and diploma or master's graduates

Area of studies:
All of them. Outstanding scientific work that serves the public good, in particular the solution of environmental problems, will be honored.

Terms of application:
The invitation to tender is issued by the KIT Climate and Environment Center. Applications should be submitted to the office of the KIT Climate and Environment Center via the respective supervisors. Applicants should generally have completed their work after July 1, 2019. Please note that the submitting supervisors are asked to review two of the submitted pieces of work.

Prize money:
EUR 15,000

Deadline:
No new deadline for 2023


▶ read more

▲ back to top

 

 

Verband der Metall- und Elektroindustrie Baden-Württemberg e.V. (Baden-Wuerttemberg Employers’ Association of the Metal and Electrical Industry) – Südwestmetall-Preis (Südwestmetall Prize)

Target group:
Doctoral researchers, dissertation award

Area of studies:
The award recognizes outstanding work that is important for the industrial world of work and/or its socio-political framework conditions.

Terms of application:
In 2024, candidates who completed their doctorate between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024 could be nominated. Self-nominations are not possible. Please contact the respective KIT department. Each KIT department (faculty) may submit a maximum of two proposals. The nominations of the KIT faculties have to be submitted to Karlsruhe House of Young Scientists (KHYS). Your contact person at KHYS is ▶ Nadja Mazko.

Prize money:
EUR 5,000

Deadline:
The next call for applications is expected in late summer/fall 2025.

 

▶ read more

▲ back to top