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The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has awarded its Europa Prize to selected winners of the national Jugend forscht competition. Three teams of young researchers recently received the award at the Jugend forscht finals on 21 May 2023 in Bremen in various competition categories, in addition to their national prize. The aim of the DFG Europa Prize is to prepare the winners for the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Brussels in September.

The DFG Europa Prize was presented to the six Jugend forscht winners by DFG Secretary General Dr. Heide Ahrens, with each team receiving €1,000.

This year the DFG’s Europa Prize goes to three research teams.

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Emel Karahan (17) and Mert Kemal Uckan (16), who entered the competition for Hamburg, received the Europa Prize in addition to their national prize in the subject area of biology. The duo wrote a programme to simulate the effects of climate change on the course of evolution based on the example of cold-blooded animals. The young researchers developed a statistical model which allows environmental conditions to be changed. In this way, they were able to simulate how genetic predispositions of populations adapt to changing temperatures.

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In the field of technology, the jury selected Bavarian national winners Tim Arnold (16) and Felix von Ludowig (17). The pair programmed a smartphone app that makes it easy to plan and execute a wide variety of drone operations. To prepare an operation, the flight route is entered in the system. During the flight, the software checks whether the remote-controlled aircraft is following the planned routes and analyses images taken by the drone cameras. One particularly interesting feature is that the app also enables collaboration between multiple drones.

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Before being awarded the Europa Prize, young Berlin-based researchers Charlotte Klar (18) and Katharina Austermann (18) received the Chancellor’s Prize for the most original study. They investigated the conversion of heated carbon into pyrolytic graphite, in particular the resulting ability of the material to float above a chessboard-like array of magnets. They were able to show that the magnetic properties of the graphite can be manipulated using cold or heat.

The DFG established the prize in 2010 with the aim of highlighting the importance of internationalisation for a successful research career. For this reason, the young researchers will enter the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS), which this year is due to be held in Brussels from 12 to 17 September. In preparation, they will receive supervision and support from mentors. The latter are selected by the DFG from among the researchers in early career phases it provides funding for, such as those financed under the Emmy Noether Programme. Another aim here is to promote lasting links among the different generations of researchers.

Further information

For details of this year’s Jugend forscht winners, see:

• www.jugend-forscht.de

The Europa Prize winners successfully participated in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS).

• To press release (in German only)