Academies of sciences and humanities

German academies of sciences and humanities honour young, usually junior researchers with prizes and medals and also award scholarships. Such support can involve funding for a research project or a personal prize. These research prizes constitute a special honour for the award-winner quite apart from any prize money involved. A personal application is usually not possible. The individual academies provide information about the respective procedures.

Here are some examples of prizes awarded by academies (there are also additional prizes linked with specific subject areas or research locations):

• The Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities awards the Nachwuchspreis der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Klasse (only in German) for outstanding academic work
• The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities bestows the Academy Prize of the Karl Thiemig-Stiftung for the Promotion of Young Researchers (only in German)
• The Association of Friends and Supporters of the Saxon Academy of Sciences awards a Young Scholars Prize (only in German)
• The Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz awards the annual Promotion Prize Biodiversity to a researcher who has produced an outstanding degree thesis in the field of biodiversity research
• The North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts awards the Karl Arnold Prize to young scientists, musicians and artists

Academies honour established scholars for their life’s work. Personal application is usually not possible. Academies award prizes for outstanding research work in the most varied subject areas.

Here are some examples of prizes and awards for established scholars:

• The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities awards the Academy Prize for outstanding achievements in any disciplinary field. The award includes prize money of 50,000 euros and may be awarded biennially
• The Gauss Professorship (only in German) of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities enables outstanding scholars from outside Germany – primarily astronomers, geophysicists, mathematicians and physicists – to complete a research stay in Göttingen
• The Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz awards the annual Joseph Breitbach Literary Prize, which is endowed with 50,000 euros, for German-language writing in all literary genres
• Every two years, the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg confers the Hamburg Science Award (only in German), which is generously endowed with 100,000 euros. The founder’s intention is to focus attention on research areas of societal significance