Leibniz Prize awarded
Germany’s most prestigious research award marks its 40th anniversary by honouring ten researchers, each of whom receives 2.5 million euros in prize money.
Berlin (d.de) – The German Research Foundation (DFG) yesterday awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize for the 40th time. Four female and six male researchers were selected from 142 among nominees. Of the ten prizewinners, two work in the humanities and social sciences, three in the life sciences, four in the natural sciences and one in the engineering sciences. The winners will each receive 2.5 million euros in prize money. They can use this to fund their own work for up to seven years, allowing them to pursue their research freely and without bureaucratic constraints.
The award ceremony was preceded by an event to mark the 40th anniversary of the programme, to which all previous award winners were invited. A total of 428 Leibniz Prizes have been awarded since the programme was established in 1986, with 455 nominees receiving the award in total, including 377 male and 78 female researchers. After receiving the most important distinction for research in Germany, two female Leibniz Prize winners and ten male Leibniz Prize winners have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize.