Outstanding research: University of Münster presents impressive portraits!

Outstanding research: University of Münster presents impressive portraits!

On March 9, 2025, the Communications and Public Relations Department at the University of Münster published the publication “Twelve Months, Twelve People – Portraits 2024”. This annual series aims to highlight individuals who have achieved outstanding achievements over the past year. Those portrayed include a biologist who leads an important collaborative project on memory research, a student who was awarded the university medal for his long-term commitment, and a theologian who received the renowned Leibniz Prize. This initiative is intended to make visible and recognize the diverse successes and expertise at the university uni-muenster.de reported.

In addition to the publication, the university also shows the remarkable achievements of its scientists in the research landscape, particularly through the awarding of ERC grants. This European Research Council funding line is divided into different categories to support different career stages.

ERC grants and their categories

The ERC Advanced Grants are aimed at established scientists who have demonstrated outstanding achievements over the last ten years. An example is Univ.-Prof. Dr. Lydia Sorokin, who leads the project “B3M – Breaking into the brain – basement membranes and the perivascular niche” (2022 – 2027). The ERC Consolidator Grants are intended for young scientists. This also includes Univ.-Prof. Dr. Seraphine Valeska Wegner, who is funded with her project “Lighthouse – Light as a signal for nonchemical cell-to-cell communication in synthetic and biological cell communities” (2025-2030), like medizin.uni-muenster.de described in detail.

In addition, ERC Starting Grants are awarded, which are aimed at aspiring researchers who are at the beginning of an independent career. An example is Dr. Daniel Kluger, who oversees the project “DYNABODY – A Multimodal Framework for Body-Brain Dynamics in Health and Disease” from 2025 to 2030. Another project by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Seraphine Valeska Wegner, “ARTIST – Artificial cell-cell interactions for light switchable cell organization and signaling” (2018 – 2024), is remarkable.

Important prizes and awards

In addition to scientific achievement, awards play a central role in the career development of researchers. The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation awards the Alfried Krupp Sponsorship Prize for first-time university professors in the natural sciences and engineering up to the age of 38. With an endowment of 1.1 million euros, an optimal working environment is to be created. The nomination is made by the Rectorate, with a deadline of February 28, 2025 uni-muenster.de summarizes.

The Körber Foundation's German Study Prize is aimed at early career researchers and awards three prizes of 25,000 euros each for outstanding dissertations. The focus here is on the social relevance of the research work, which must be submitted by March 1, 2025. The Life Sciences Bridge Award is aimed at young researchers in the life sciences and offers up to three prizes of 100,000 euros each. This is intended to support creative postdocs and is possible until April 30, 2025.

Another important prize is the Heinz Maier Leibnitz Prize, which is awarded to scientists at an early stage in their careers. This prize is worth 200,000 euros and is intended to encourage people to continue their academic careers. Here, too, the nomination is made by the Rectorate, with a deadline of May 14, 2025. Finally, note the Holberg International Memorial Prize, which is awarded to outstanding contributions in the humanities and social sciences and includes an endowment of NOK 6,000,000.