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

New campaign launched: Ausgezeichnet!

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

Do you want to draw attention to your research and open up new career opportunities for yourself? Then consider the possibility of receiving recognition through a science award! A nomination is more than a step toward receiving an award, it’s also recognition of extraordinary academic achievement and a gesture of appreciation. Seize the opportunity to distinguish your own work or the research efforts of your colleagues.

Click here for the campaign website.

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

Science Prize of the Düsseldorf Industry Club & the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts
The Industrie-Club Düsseldorf awards the Science Prize in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia every two years in cooperation with the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts. The Science Prize aims to bridge the gap between basic research and innovation in application and is awarded alternately in the disciplines of physics, chemistry, medicine and physiology. It is endowed with 20,000 euros.
Deadline: 30 June 2025

Tang Prizes
The international Tang Prize was established by the Taiwanese businessman Samuel Yin to distinguish individuals for their scientific and socio-political achievements. It comprises four categories, namely Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology and Rule of Law. A cash prize of NT $50 million (approx. US $1.7 million) is allocated to each category. In addition, up to NT $10 million can be tapped within five years for a research project proposed by the respective award winner. Should there be multiple winners (up to three) in the same category, the prize money and grant are divided equally.
Deadline: 15 September 2025

Hector Research Career Development Award
The Hector Fellow Academy supports the career development of W1 assistant professors (with or without tenure track) and junior research group leaders in similar positions in the natural or engineering sciences, medicine or psychology (max. seven years into their postdoc phase). The researchers selected for this honour become members of the Hector Fellow Academy's network of top scientists for five years. They receive 25,000 euros, funding to set up a doctoral position and the opportunity to apply for further funding.
Deadline: 30 October 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

Nominations with Rectorate endorsement

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

Deadline: 15 Jan. 2027 (tent.)

Deadline: Feb. 2025 (tent.)

Deadline: Jan. 2026 (tent.)

Deadline: 15 Jan. 2026 (tent.)

Deadline: 31 Aug. 2025

Deadline:  May 2026 (tent.)

Deadline: 15 Jun. 2025

Deadline: 15 Mar. 2026

Deadline: 1 Sep. 2025

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.