Awards and Prizes

Illustration Preise und Auszeichnungen
© Uni MS - Robert Matzke

Prizes and awards not only recognise individual achievements, but also advance scientific progress by creating incentives for excellence and serving as inspiration for young talent. Science awards are particularly career-enhancing for early career researchers. They represent early recognition of outstanding research and often kickstart a successful scientific career. Awards put their recipients in the spotlight of their research community and open up a variety of networking opportunities. They also enable future research projects thanks to endowments and grant money.

Take your achievements or those of your colleagues to the next level by nominating yourself or a colleague for an award!

Overview of the award-winning researchers at the University of Münster

Calendar with Deadlines for Science Awards 2026 published

Logo of the campagne "Ausgezeichnet!"
© Safir / Goldmarie Design

Safir now provides you with a 2026 digital calendar that helps you stay on track with the deadlines for nominations for science awards.

You can download the calendar here.

Further information about our Ausgezeichnet! price campaign can be found  here.

Our services and support

Are you interested in nominating yourself or would you like to nominate a colleague for a science award? Then please get in touch with us. We at the SAFIR research funding support office would be happy to assist you with your award nomination. We offer the following services:

  • offering individual advice - from doctoral candidates to established academics - on tailor-made prize competitions and other awards such as academy memberships
  • providing information on current calls for applications for science prizes and awards
  • offering support obtaining the necessary documents for your nomination
  • reviewing your nomination documents strategically upon request
  • organising and hosting events on the subject of science prizes and awards. We would be happy to tailor these to your individual needs upon request.
  • networking with academics and administrators at the University of Münster who are responsible for science prizes in the departments and collaborative projects
  • benchmarking and scouting potential nominees for science prizes, whom the Rectorate is authorised to nominate

At the University of Münster, you can use the FIT information service (SSO login with your University user ID) and the ELFI research funding search service to  find suitable calls for proposals.

Current Calls

Förderpreis der Universitätsgesellschaft Münster
The University Society of the University of Münster awards the Förderpreis for particularly outstanding research achievements by young academics at this university. The prize is endowed with 10,000 euros.
Deadline: 30 November 2025

Augsburg Academic Prize for Intercultural Studies
The University of Augsburg, the Forum Interkulturelles Leben und Lernen (FiLL e.V.) and the City of Peace Augsburg jointly award the Augsburg Academic Prize for Intercultural Studies, which honors interdisciplinary and innovative qualification theses. It is endowed with 5,000 euros for habilitation theses or dissertations and 1,500 euros for master's or diploma theses.
Deadline: 5 December 2025

Roman Herzog Research Prize for Social Market Economy
The Roman Herzog Institute honors young researchers (doctorate not older than 3 years, max. 40 years old) who have dealt with the sustainability of the social market economy and thus the central regulatory issues of the 21st century in their doctorates or habilitations. Up to three prizes with a total endowment of up to 35,000 euros will be awarded.
Deadline: 31 December 2025

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is the most prestigious research funding award in Germany. The recipients receive prize money totalling 2.5 million euros which can be used at their discretion to finance their research projects. The nomination is submitted by the Rectorate. Therefore, please contact us well before the deadline (see below).
Deadline: 14 January 2026

German Thesis Award / Deutscher Studienpreis
The Körber Foundation honors early career researchers from all disciplines who have submitted an excellent dissertation of particular social significance in 2025. In addition to academic excellence, the Award primarily focuses on the broader social relevance of a particular piece of research. As such, the award encourages young scientists to highlight the value of their research to society and to discuss their work in public. The three top prizes are endowed with € 25,000 each; this makes the German Thesis Award one of the most highly endowed prizes awarded to young scientists in the country.
Deadline: 1 March 2026

Nominations with Rectorate endorsement

If you are interested in a nomination, please contact us at an early stage.

Deadline: 15 Jan. 2027 (tent.)

Deadline: 06 March 2026

Deadline: 30 Jan. 2026

Deadline: 14 Jan. 2026 

Deadline: Sept. 2026 (tent.)

Deadline:  May 2026 (tent.)

Deadline: Jun. 2026 (tent.)

Deadline: 15 Mar. 2026

Scientific Awards of the University Münster

Awarding of the 2024 rectorate prizes
© Uni MS - Christoph Steinweg

The University of Münster recognizes outstanding achievements of its academics and students in research, teaching and studies with highly endowed prizes. Nominations for these prizes are accepted at regular intervals.

Information on the University of Münster's Rectorate Prizes can be found here.