Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Research Awards - prizewinners of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

The excellence of Humboldt-Universität is the result of the outstanding research carried out by its academics. Numerous researchers have already been honoured with high-ranking national and international science awards.

Nobel Prize

The Alfred Nobel Prize was awarded for the first time in 1901 and is the most important science prize in the world. 30 Nobel Prize winners have conducted research in the fields of chemistry, physics, literature and medicine, including at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin: Link

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize

The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize has been awarded annually by the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 1986 and is the most important award for research funding in Germany. The prize is awarded in response to proposals from the scientific community and following an international review. The Leibniz Prize is awarded for a period of seven years.

Current award winners

 

Steffen Mau

Prof Dr Steffen Mau from the Department of Social Sciences was awarded the 2021 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize.

Prize winners page DFG: Link

Press release HU: Link

 

Andreas Reckwitz

Prof Dr Andreas Reckwitz from the Department of Social Sciences was awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize in 2019. The Leibniz funding runs from 2020 to 2028.

Prize winners page DFG: Link

Press release HU: Link

 

 

Leibniz Prize winners since 1998

Here you will find all Humboldt-Universität researchers who have been honoured with the Leibniz Prize since 1998.

 

List of Leibniz Prize winners 🖉

 

2021

Steffen Mau, Berlin - Empirical Social Research/Macrosociology. Press release HU: Link

2019

Andreas Reckwitz, European University Viadrina (Frankfurt/Oder) - Sociology. Since 2020 at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Press release HU: Link

2018

Alessandra Buonanno, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Potsdam. Honorary Professor at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin since 2017. Press release HU: Link

2016

Emmanuelle Charpentier, Berlin - Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology. Honorary Professor at the Institute of Biology at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Press release idw: Link

 

2016

Christoph Möllers, Berlin - Public Law / esp. Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law. Press release of the HU: Link

 

2015

Steffen Martus, Berlin - Modern German Literature from the 18th Century to the Present. Press release of the HU: Link

2014

Artemis Alexiadou, Stuttgart - Linguistics
(now Humboldt University of Berlin)

2013

Peter Hegemann, Berlin - Experimental Biophysics, UniCat member

2012

Michael Brecht, Berlin - Animal Physiology/ Systems Neurobiology and Neural Computation, Speaker of the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN)

2010

Peter Fratzl, Potsdam/Berlin - Director of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces Potsdam/Golm and Honorary Professor at the Institute of Physics at Humboldt University since 2004

2006

Dominik Perler, Berlin - Theoretical Philosophy

2001

Christoph Markschies, Heidelberg - Theology (now Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

2000 Dieter Lüst, Berlin - Theoretical Physics (until 2004 Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
1998

Nikolaus P. Ernsting, Berlin - Physical Chemistry together with Klaus Rademann, Berlin - Physical Chemistry

1998

Regine Hengge, Konstanz - Microbiology (now Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

 

 


Heinz Maier-Leibnitz-Preis (Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize)

The Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize has been awarded annually by the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 1977 to scientists at an early stage of their careers for outstanding scientific achievements. The award winners can use the prize money for up to three years for further scientific research.

 

Current award winners

 

Fig.: Julia Thiel
Christopher Degelmann

Dr Christopher Degelmann, Visiting Professor of Ancient History at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, has won the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize 2024.

Press release HU Berlin: Link

 

 

Fig.: MPI für Mathematik in den Naturwissenschaften
Nicolas Perkowski

Prof Dr Nicolas Perkowski from the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics and the Department of Mathematics at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin received the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize in 2019. Since 2019 at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Press release HU Berlin: Link

 

 

 

 

 


Communicator Award

The "Communicator Award - Science Award of the Donors' Association" is awarded by the DFG to scientists or teams from all disciplines who make their work accessible to a broad public in a particularly effective way and are committed to a dialogue between science and society.

 

Steffen Mau

Prof Dr Steffen Mau from the Institute of Social Sciences was awarded the 2023 Communicator Prize.

Announcement on the DFG website: Link

Press release HU Berlin: Link

 

Fig.: David Ausserhofer HU-Bildarchiv
Robert Arlinghaus

Prof Dr Robert Arlinghaus from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and the Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences was awarded the Communicator Prize in 2020.

Announcement on the DFG website: Link

Press release HU Berlin: Link

 

 

 


Berliner Wissenschaftspreis of the Governing Mayor

With the Berliner Wissenschaftspreis, the Governing Mayor of Berlin honours particularly innovative research approaches in a Berlin research field.

 

Artemis Alexiadou

Prof Dr Dr h.c. Artemis Alexiadou from the Department of German Studies and Linguistics and Director of the Leibniz-Zentrum Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft has been awarded the Berliner Wissenschaftspreis by the Governing Mayor of Berlin in 2024.

Press release HU Berlin: Link

 

Fig.: Phillipp Plum, HU Berlin
Mira Sievers

Prof Dr Mira Sievers from the Berlin Institute of Islamic Theology has received the Governing Mayor of Berlin's Young Researcher Award 2021

Press release HU Berlin: Link

 

 

 

 

 


More awards

Honours and awards of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Humboldt-Universität (HU) honours meritorious achievements by its members and by people in academic and public life. This includes the following honours:

  • Honorary Senator
  • Humboldt University Medal
  • Honorary doctorate
  • Humboldt Award
  • Award for good teaching at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
  • Caroline von Humboldt Award
  • Caroline von Humboldt Professorship

To the awards of the Humboldt University: Link

 

Dissertationspreis Adlershof (PhD Award Adlershof)

Since 2002, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the scientific network of the non-university research institutions located in the technology park Berlin Adlershof (IGAFA) and WISTA Management GmbH have jointly awarded the annual Dissertationspreis Adlershof, which is endowed with 3,000 Euros. The target group is young researchers who have completed their doctorate in Adlershof with at least a "very good" (magna cum laude: Link