Marsilius-Kolleg Science and Communication: New Class of Young Marsilius Fellows
10 December 2025
Twelve researchers collaborate on an interdisciplinary research project at the Marsilius Kolleg – public symposium in July 2026
In order to work on an interdisciplinary research project and develop related activities in the field of science communication, twelve early-career researchers have been admitted to the Marsilius Kolleg of Heidelberg University as Young Marsilius Fellows. Selected for their academic excellence, they form the fifth class of the fellowship program. The joint research studies on the focal theme BACK & FORTH will feed into a group-organized symposium in July 2026, at which they will present the results of their work to the public.
The fifth class of Young Marsilius Fellows consists of Dr Nina Benz (law), Dr Joachim Brenner (economic and social history), Dr Pilar Valero Fernández (applied linguistics), Lucia Härer (astrophysics), Dr Yijie Huang (history of science), Dr Steffen Knoblauch (geoinformatics), Dr Ann-Christine Link (economic and social geography), Dr Miriam Neuhausen (English linguistics), Dr Ann-Christin Pfeifer (medical psychology), Dr Carmen Wintergerst (political science), Dr Martin Würtz (life science) and Dr Edmund Yeboah (global health). The Marsilius Kolleg supports and accompanies the Fellows in organizational matters, by offering guidance and advice, and by providing specific suggestions from the field of science communication, particularly in the context of the Nature Marsilius Visiting Professorship for Science Communication.
Young Marsilius Fellowships are primarily awarded to post-doctoral researchers at Heidelberg University and non-university research institutions in Heidelberg and the region, but may also go to advanced doctoral candidates. The fellows receive a budget of 5,000 euros for their research and for academic career development. The Marsilius Kolleg launched the fellowship program in 2021 to recognize young researchers who particularly want to engage in science communication alongside the interdisciplinary direction of their work. The annually awarded fellowships are given an overall theme, which relates to the focal theme of one of the editions of the research magazine “Ruperto Carola” published by Heidelberg University. The topic BACK & FORTH was selected for the current class of fellows.
The Marsilius Kolleg, directed by theologian Prof. Dr Friederike Nüssel and genome researcher Prof. Dr Michael Boutros, aims to bring together selected researchers from different scholarly cultures. Its purpose is to promote research-related dialogue between the humanities, law and social sciences, on the one hand, and the natural and life sciences, on the other.