Research Prizes The Lautenschläger Research Prize
Prize-winner 2023: Prof. Dr Christine Selhuber-Unkel
How can highly efficient processes, such as are found in “living nature”, be transferred to materials science? With the aim of combining the best properties from nature and technology, Prof. Dr Christine Selhuber-Unkel conducts research at the interface of materials science and biophysics. Putting to use her varied scientific expertise, she succeeds, inter alia, in combining cells with synthetic systems, which is expected to give rise to so-called biohybrid “living materials” in the future. For her accomplishments, she is being honoured with this year’s Lautenschläger Research Prize.
The Lautenschläger Research Prize for Junior Researchers
The Lautenschläger Research Prize for Junior Reseachers is endowed with 25,000 euros and is intended to promote excellent young researchers in the long term. The prize is awarded to habilitants, junior research group leaders and junior professors who can demonstrate outstanding scientific achievements and particularly innovative research approaches. The prize money is intended to support young researchers in their personal scientific development and their research activities.
Prize-Winner 2023: Dr Victoria Ingham
The Lautenschläger Research Prize for Junior Researchers for 2023 goes to Heidelberg biologist Dr Victoria Ingham. The 33-year-old heads a research group at the Centre for Infectious Diseases of Heidelberg University Hospital where she investigates whether, and if so, to what extent an increasing burden of insecticides and rising insecticide resistance impact on the spread of infectious agents. Victoria Ingham explores this question using the example of Malaria, which continues to be one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, and its most common host, the Anopheles mosquito.
Three essentials for a research prize: a renowned university, a generously endowed award and a donor
The Lautenschläger Research Prize of Heidelberg University dates from 2001 and is awarded to outstanding scientists or scholars actively engaged in research. It is endowed with 250,000 euros. The award is designed to support recipients in the realisation of incipient or ongoing research projects and more especially to encourage international cooperation in the relevant field and the involvement of upcoming generations of scholars and scientists in those projects.
Recipients of the Prize will be either internationally respected members of Heidelberg University itself or researchers from elsewhere with a distinctive and intensive record of academic collaboration with the University.
Scientists and scholars from all disciplines are eligible for the Prize, whether they are active in the sciences and medicine, the arts and humanities or the social sciences. In terms of eligibility, no distinction is made between application-oriented and basic research.
Quotes
Greeting by the Rector
“The Lautenschläger Research Prize honors top-class international research conducted either at Heidelberg University or in cooperation with our researchers. Worth 250,000 euros, it is the most valuable prize endowed by a private donor. An interdisciplinary board made of globally connected experts guarantees its high scientific and scholarly quality. The prize is open to researchers from all disciplines, as befits Heidelberg University’s profile as an excellent comprehensive university. My warmest thanks go to the award donor, our Honorary Senator Dr. h. c. Manfred Lautenschläger, for his impressive engagement.”
Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior
The Donor
"Top-quality research is costly, scientists and scholars invest time and know-how, the community profits from it. I want to support this process of give and take to the tune of a quarter of a million euros. We can draw a parallel to the way things work in private enterprise. Someone has a good idea and the courage to branch out on his own. Give him financial support and he’ll know exactly what to do with it. I imagine things are much the same for a scholar or scientist. He may be, say, a quarter of the way to completing a research project. If he gets the Prize, it will be a very welcome influx of funds. Or someone may hit on some exciting findings during his routine research work and need extra money to follow the matter up."
Dr h.c. Manfred Lautenschläger
About Manfred Lautenschläger
Manfred Lautenschläger, born in Karlsruhe in 1938, is chairman of the supervisory board of MLP-AG, Heidelberg. His special affinities with this city and its University date back to his student days, part of which he spent in Heidelberg. In 1998 he was made an Honorary Senator of Heidelberg University. His aim in donating this award is to encourage research and help provide the financial resources it requires.
Research Prize Winners
Table
2020 | Prof. Dr Hannah Monyer | Neurobiology |
2018 | Prof. Dr Karlheinz Meier | Experimental Physics |
2015 | Prof. Dr Axel Michaels | Classical Indology |
2013 | Prof. Dr Ralf Bartenschlager | Molecular Virology |
2011 | Prof. Dr Joachim Wittbrodt | Developmental Biology |
2009 | Prof. Dr Eva Grebel | Astronomy |
2007 | Prof. Dr Matthias Hentze | Molecular Medicine |
2005 | Prof. Dr Tonio Hölscher | Classical Archeology |
2003 | Prof. Dr Peter Krammer | Immunogenetics |
2001 | Prof. Dr Johanna Stachel | Particle & Nuclear Physics |
Junior Research Prize Winners
Table
2020 | Dr Felix Joos | Theoretical Computer Science |
2018 | Dr Claudia Backes | Physical Chemistry |