idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The Joachim Herz Foundation in Hamburg awards the Joachim Herz Award to scientists who are developing resource-saving biotechnologies for a fossil-free future. The research award honors early-career researchers whose projects transcend disciplinary boundaries with a prize of 500,000 euros. Applications for this year’s award can be submitted until March 31, 2025.
This year, the Joachim Herz Foundation will provide more than five million euros in total in funding for practice-oriented research projects with a concrete benefit for a fossil-free future.
Sustainable environmental technologies are crucial in helping to solve key societal challenges such as resource scarcity and climate protection. Resource-conserving biotechnologies play a key role here: these use biological systems and organisms to conserve natural resources and generate sustainable substitutes.
“With the Joachim Herz Award, we would like to recognize outstanding scientists who are using interdisciplinary approaches to develop new processes for sustainable biotechnologies. From microbial material conversion to biotechnological processes for carbon sequestration, there are numerous possibilities here. As a foundation, we want to support those with the courage to rethink the future. We want to work with excellent researchers to help them realize the full potential of their innovative ideas”, says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst, Chair of the Joachim Herz Foundation.
At a glance: Funding, requirements, application
The Joachim Herz Award is awarded in the amount of 500,000 euros and is given in support of interdisciplinary research projects that use biotechnologies to contribute to concrete solutions for a more sustainable future. The award also includes the financing of a multi-day conference which is planned by the awardwinners in support of their project and held in 2026 together with the Joachim Herz Foundation.
The award is aimed at early-career scientists with a doctorate from the natural sciences and engineering who work in a practical and interdisciplinary manner. Both individuals and research teams working at universities or research institutions in Germany can take part.
Applications and nominations for the Joachim Herz Award are possible until March 31, 2025. The award ceremony will take place in Hamburg on September 30, 2025. The Joachim Herz Award is awarded annually, alternating between the natural sciences and economics.
Further information and the application form can be found at https://www.joachim-herz-stiftung.de/joachim-herz-award.
Harnessing research for a fossil-free future
Many of today's problems - from climate change and the energy crisis to the scarcity of resources - are characterized or triggered by our dependence on fossil fuels. Science is already providing promising solutions, but the pace of bringing these into practical application remains too slow. The Joachim Herz Foundation is contributing over five million euros in funding in 2025 to help innovative, promising research projects for a fossil-free future make their way from the laboratory to social and economic application more quickly. This funding will be used to support research projects into resources, materials and technologies and is issued as support to individual scholars and research teams as well as in the form of a research award. Further information can be found at: https://www.joachim-herz-stiftung.de/fossil-free-future
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