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
Prof Dr Ana Pombo from the Department Biology was awarded the 2024 for the year 2025 with the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize.
Prize winners page DFG:Link
Press release HU: Link
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.
| 2024 | Ana Pombo, HU Berlin, Institut für Biologie und Max Delbrück Center, Berlin. Pressemitteilung HU: Link |
| 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 |
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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
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2016 |
Christoph Möllers, Berlin - Public Law / esp. Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law. Press release of the HU: Link
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| 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 |
| 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
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
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.
Petra Anders
Prof Dr Petra Anders from the Department of Education Studiews was awarded the 2025 Communicator Prize.
Announcement on the DFG website: Link
Press release HU Berlin: Link
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
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
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