Overview of all Europa-Preis Prizewinners
- 2023: Emel Karahan, Mert Kemal Uckan, Tim Arnold, Felix von Ludowig, Charlotte Klar and Katharina Austerman
- 2022: Hannah Amrhein, Lena Fries, Hanna Fries, Johann Elias Stoetzer, Steven Gurgel and Vanessa Guthie
- 2021: Leonard Münchenbach, Leo Neff, Lukas Weghs and Marik Mülle
- 2019: Paul Kunisch, Thomas Derra, Felix Sewing, Alex Korocencev and Tilman Schot
- 2018: Marco David, Benedikt Stock, Abhik Pal, Anna Fleck, Adrian Fleck and Max von Wolf
- 2017: Philipp Sinnewe, Johannes Waller, Philipp Kessler, Matthias Grützner, Julian Egbert and Arne Geipe
- 2016: Tassilo Schwarz, Ivo Zell, Christian Schärf, Friedrich Wanierke and Paul Rathk
- 2015: Lukas Stockner, Anselm von Wangenheim, Jakob Dichgans, Daniel Riesterer and Lumen Haendle
- 2014: Adrian Huck, Rafael Quadbeck, Daniel Heid, Anselm Dewald, Philipp Mandler and Robin Brau
- 2013: Lennart Kleinwort, Michael Laue and Daniel Pflüge
- 2012: Alexander Emhart, Timm Piper, Jan Rapp and Timo Schmetze
- 2011: Daniel Sanusi, Xianghui Zhong, Fabian Henneke, Benjamin Walter, Gabriel Salg and Nicolas Scheidi
- 2010: Simon Schuldt, Luca Banszerus, Michael Schmitz and Andreas Lan
2023: Emel Karahan, Mert Kemal Uckan, Tim Arnold, Felix von Ludowig, Charlotte Klar, Katharina Austermann
This year the DFG’s Europa Prize goes to three research teams.
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.
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.
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.
2022: Hannah Amrhein, Lena Fries, Hanna Fries, Johann Elias Stoetzer, Steven Gurgel und Vanessa Guthier
This year the DFG’s Europa Prize goes to two research teams and one individual female researcher.
The three young Bavarian researchers Hannah Amrhein (17), Lena Fries (16) and Hanna Fries (16) received the Europa Prize in addition to winning the national prize in the field of chemistry. In the lab they came up with a method for recovering more than 80 percent of the valuable plant nutrient phosphorus from wastewater. For this purpose they used “electroflotation”, a method by which tiny flakes bind phosphates and transport them to the surface in an electric field. The method is apparently more effective than the process normally used in sewage treatment plants.
In the field of technology, the jury were most impressed by the duo Johann Elias Stoetzer (17) and Steven Gurgel (17) from Berlin, who expanded the capabilities of their 3D printer by adding industrial carbon black to plastic. In doing so, they succeeded in producing electrically conductive circuits that can be used as sensors to measure forces, contacts and bending processes. The young researchers were even able to print their 3D sensors on textile, thereby enabling a wide range of new applications.
Another young researcher to be awarded the Europa Prize was Vanessa Guthier (18) from Saxony-Anhalt who emerged as the winner in the field of earth and spatial sciences. She wrote programmes for the statistical analysis of data from catalogues relating to star clusters and gamma radiation resulting from the interactions between them. In this way she was able to demonstrate the conditions under which such radiation is produced. The results could help understand such phenomena even better in the future.
2021: Leonard Münchenbach, Leo Neff, Lukas Weghs and Marik Müller
This year the DFG Europa Prize goes to two research teams and two individual researchers. Two young researchers from Baden-Württemberg, Leonard Münchenbach (17) and Leo Neff (17), received the Europa Prize in addition to their national prize in the field of physics. They carried out investigations and modelling to look into how fast differently shaped strips of paper of a certain shape and size rotate when they fall, for which they developed a formula. They managed to do this by using a specially developed experimental set-up including a confetti can-non they built themselves.
In the field of earth and space science, Lukas Weghs (17) from North Rhine-Westphalia im-pressed the juries of both Jugend forscht and the Europa Prize. Weghs wrote an intelligent pro-gramme for a high-performance computer that helps identify the moons of exoplanets based on their brightness variations – something astronomers have not yet succeeded in doing for any of the approximately 4,000 known exoplanets.
Another individual researcher who achieved success in the Europa Prize awards was Marik Müller (17) from Brandenburg who carried out research in the field of biology. Based on the methods of molecular biology, he developed an inexpensive procedure to cleave the antibiotic florfenicol, which promotes the development of resistant germs, before it is released into the environment. Florfenicol is widely used in aquaculture and agriculture.
2019: Paul Kunisch, Thomas Derra, Felix Sewing, Alex Korocencev and Tilman Schott
This year, the DFG’s Europa-Preis was awarded to two research teams and one individual researcher. Two young Bavarian researchers, Paul Kunisch (17) and Thomas Derra (16), received the Europa-Preis in addition to their national award in chemistry. They developed a novel, cost-efficient binding agent to fight oil spills on water. This involved impregnating pulp, cotton, sawdust and non-woven fabrics with a sizing agent from the paper industry, which allowed them to achieve a higher sorption capacity than that offered by traditional oil binding agents.
In the area of technology, Felix Sewing (18) and Alex Korocencev (18) from Baden-Württemberg impressed both the jury of Jugend forscht and the jury of the Europa-Preis. The two young researchers designed a hoverboard with four rotating discs which produce a strong opposing magnetic field in an underlying metal plate.
Constantin Tilman Schott (16) from Lower Saxony, who won in the area of mathematics/computer science, also received the Europa-Preis. He programmed software that can be used to measure important datum points at the base of the cranium in X-ray diagnostics. His programme uses artificial intelligence and achieves a very high level of accuracy.
2018: Marco David, Benedikt Stock, Abhik Pal, Anna Fleck, Adrian Fleck and Max von Wolff
This year the DFG’s Europa Prize goes to two research teams and one individual researcher. Three young researchers from Bremen – Marco David, Benedikt Stock and Abhik Pal – received the award in addition to the Presidential Award for an Exceptional Paper. They were the first to demonstrate highly complex mathematical proof by computer. Anna Fleck and Adrian Fleck from Fulda in Hesse won the Chancellor’s Award for the Most Original Paper as well as the DFG Europa Prize for their special joint protection made from edible starch. Max von Wolff from Mayen in Rhineland-Palatinate achieved outstanding success as an individual researcher. He received the Europa Prize along with the national prize in the subject area of physics for an apparatus that is capable of precisely measuring the size of raindrops.
Three winners of the Europa Prize were also honoured internationally at the 2018 European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS), which was held from 14 to 19 September in Dublin. Anna Fleck and Adrian Fleck received the first prize of €7,000. As a special award, Adrian Fleck also received an invitation to the 2018 Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar, during which he will attend this year’s Nobel Prize ceremony. Anna Fleck’s special award was an invitation to the 2019 London International Youth Science Forum. Max von Wolff likewise received a special award: a visit to an international conference sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA).
2017: Philipp Sinnewe, Johannes Waller, Philipp Kessler, Matthias Grützner, Julian Egbert and Arne Geipel
The DFG awarded its Europa Prize to six young researchers. This year the award went to one individual researcher and two research teams. Philipp Sinnewe, a pupil at the secondary school Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium in Lebach, Saarland, received the DFG award in addition to the Presidential Award for an Exceptional Paper. His project “Flying with less fuel” aims to develop more energy-efficient and climate-friendly aircraft engines. Johannes Waller and Philipp Kessler from Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg won both the national prize in the subject area of chemistry and the DFG Europa Prize for their research into what is known as Fehling’s solution. Matthias Grützner, Julian Egbert and Arne Geipel, pupils at the secondary school Herder-Gymnasium in Berlin, were also successful as a team. They received the Europa Prize along with the national prize in the subject area of physics for their study of water patterns created when a jet of water hits a rough surface.
All six winners of the Europa Prize were also honoured internationally at the 2017 European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS), which took place from 22 to 27 September in Tallinn. The third prize of €3,500 went to Julian Egbert, Arne Geipel and Matthias Grützner from Berlin. In addition, the latter received an invitation to spend a week at the Joint European Torus (JET) in Culham, UK as a special award. Philipp Kessler and Johannes Waller from Ludwigsburg were invited to spend a week at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, likewise as a special award. Philipp Sinnewe (18) received the Salvetti Foundation Special Award.
2016: Tassilo Schwarz, Ivo Zell, Christian Schärf, Friedrich Wanierke and Paul Rathke
This year, the DFG’s Europa Prize went to two individual researchers and one research team. Tassilo Schwarz, a pupil at the secondary school Johannes-Heidenhain-Gymnasium in Traunreut in Bavaria received the DFG award in addition to the Chancellor’s Award for the Most Original Paper. He developed a technique in the area of mathematics/computer science that is capable of detecting unwanted drones and determining their position. Ivo Zell, a pupil at the boarding school Schloss Hansenberg in Geisenheim, won the national prize in the subject area of physics and the Europa Prize for his research into fuel-saving aircraft: he designed a flying wing – an aircraft without a fuselage, wings or tail unit. Christian Schärf, Friedrich Wanierke and Paul Rathke, pupils at the Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium in Erfurt, were successful as a team. They won the Europa Prize in addition to the national prize in the subject area of chemistry, having succeeded in producing tiny ruby monocrystals in the laboratory.
All five winners of the DFG’s Europa Prize also received international awards at the 2016 European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS), which was held from 15 to 20 September in Brussels. Ivo Zell received one of the three second prizes worth €5,000, along with a special award that entitles him to attend this year’s Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm. A second prize also went to Tassilo Schwarz, who also won a stay at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile as a special award. Paul Rathke, Christian Schärf and Friedrich Wanierke received the special award of €1,000 from the European Association for Chemical and Medical Science (EuCHeMS).
2015: Lukas Stockner, Anselm von Wangenheim, Jakob Dichgans, Daniel Riesterer and Lumen Haendler
This year the DFG’s Europa Prize went to two individual researchers and two research teams. Lukas Stockner received the award in addition to the Presidential Award for an Exceptional Paper: with the help of special computer graphics methods and mathematical-statistical applications, the pupil at Maria-Ward-Gymnasium in Altötting, Bavaria, developed a method for the photo-realistic display of light refractions, such as those to be seen in filled glasses and transparent gemstones. Anselm von Wangenheim of Schülerforschungszentrum Nordhessen in Kassel won the national prize in the subject area of physics and the Europa Prize for his construction of a robot that is able to stand stably on just one leg and move around. Jakob Dichgans, Daniel Riesterer and Lumen Haendler won both the Prize of the Federal Minister of Education and Research for the Best Interdisciplinary Paper and the Europa Prize. The three students from Überlingen in Baden-Württemberg constructed a plant that converts climate-damaging carbon dioxide into methane in an ongoing process that also serves as an energy storage system. The fourth Europa Prize was awarded in Ludwigshafen to Larissa Roth, Felicitas Kapler and Levin Winziger The team from the secondary school Hanns-Seidel-Gymnasium in Hösbach, Bavaria, developed a process for producing industrially important olefins such as ethene and propene from renewable raw materials.
No less than five winners of the Europa Prize were also honoured internationally at the 2015 European Union Contest for Young Scientists, which was held from 17 to 22 September in Milan. One of the three first prizes of €7,000 went to Lukas Stockner, who as a special award will also be able to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm in December. In addition to one of the three third prizes (€3,500), Anselm von Wangenheim received a special award from the European Space Agency (ESA) that will enable him to visit the ESA site in the Netherlands. Jakob Dichgans, Daniel Riesterer and Lumen Haendler also received a special award enabling them to attend the 2016 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) in the USA.
2014: Adrian Huck, Rafael Quadbeck, Daniel Heid, Anselm Dewald, Philipp Mandler and Robin Braun
No less than six young researchers had two reasons to be happy at the award ceremony of Germany’s national youth science competition “Jugend forscht” in Künzelsau: in two teams, they were awarded the national prize in their respective competition categories – and also received the DFG’s Europa Prize. The double award went firstly to the three students Adrian Huck, Rafael Quadbeck and Daniel Heid from Gengenbach in Baden-Württemberg. They received the Prize for the Best Interdisciplinary Paper, awarded by the Federal Minister of Education and Research, Professor Dr Johanna Wanka, for the development of a novel process for biogas desulphurisation. The other winning team, the three students Anselm Dewald, Philipp Mandler and Robin Braun from Hesse, constructed and programmed a six-legged walking robot that can be controlled via smartphone.
Two of the teams also presented their projects at the 26th International European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Warsaw from 19 to 23 September 2014. The European jury awarded a third prize of €3,500 to the “Hexapod” developed by Philipp Mandler, Robin Braun and Anselm Dewald. Adrian Huck, Daniel Heid and Rafael Quadbeck also received a special award.
2013: Lennart Kleinwort, Michael Laue and Daniel Pflüger
Three young researchers were doubly pleased at the 2013 award ceremony of Germany’s national youth science competition “Jugend forscht” in Leverkusen: they were national prize-winners in their respective competition categories – and also received the DFG’s Europa Prize. The double award went to Lennart Kleinwort, a pupil at the secondary school Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium in Würzburg, Michael Laue, who attends the secondary school Walter-Rathenau-Gymnasium in Bitterfeld, and Daniel Pflüger of the Johanneum in Lüneburg.
Lennart Kleinwort received the Presidential Award for an Exceptional Paper. The pupil from Würzburg received the award for his project “Free Geo” – a software that allows geometric figures to be displayed and modified on smartphones and tablets, which have become ubiquitous communication devices. Michael Laue was the national prize-winner in the subject area of chemistry for a process he developed to produce conductive carbon layers by chemically converting graphite oxide. Daniel Pflüger won the national prize in the subject area of physics. He used laser and a digital camera to investigate the complex wave development that occurs when a drop hits a water surface.
The three winners were also successful at the 2013 European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) that was held from 19 to 24 September. Lennart Kleinwort received one of the second prizes of €5,000 each for his software “Free Geo”, Daniel Pflüger received one of the third prizes of €3,500, and Michael Laue was the winner of a special EUCYS award: a one-week research stay at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble.
2012: Alexander Emhart, Timm Piper, Jan Rapp and Timo Schmetzer
Four young researchers had two reasons to be happy at the 2012 award ceremony of Germany’s national youth science competition “Jugend forscht” in Erfurt: they were named national prize-winners in their respective competition categories – and received the DFG’s Europa Prize as well. The double award went to Alexander Emhart, who attends the secondary school Kreisgymnasium Riedlingen, Timm Piper of the secondary school Martin-von-Cochem-Gymnasium in Cochem, and Jan Rapp and Timo Schmetzer both at the secondary school Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium in Ostfildern.
Alexander Emhart won Germany’s national youth science competition “Jugend forscht” in the subject area of chemistry. The young chemist from Baden-Württemberg received the award for his project “Hydrogen in pure form”, in which he developed an electrolysis cell that cleanly separates hydrogen from other gases produced during the fermentation of biomass. Timm Piper was the national winner in the subject area of physics, receiving the prize for his project “New insights into the microcosm"” Jan Rapp and Timo Schmetzer, whose subject is mathematics/computer science, received the Prize of the Federal Minister of Education and Research for the Best Interdisciplinary Paper. In an “Electronic Balancing Act”, they investigated a plate that can be tilted by motors, thereby enabling a ball to be balanced by computer control.
At the 2012 European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Bratislava, Slovakia, Jan Rapp and Timo Schmetzer were awarded one of three second prizes worth €5,000. Alexander Emhart received a special award of €3,000 from the Slovakian Minister of Education, while Timm Piper won a one-week research stay at the Joint European Torus nuclear fusion experimental facility in Culham, UK.
2011: Daniel Sanusi, Xianghui Zhong, Fabian Henneke, Benjamin Walter, Gabriel Salg and Nicolas Scheidig
Six young researchers in the subject areas of mathematics/computer science, physics and chemistry were doubly pleased at the 2011 award ceremony of Germany’s national youth science competition “Jugend forscht” in Kiel. They were not only awarded first prize in their respective subject areas as national winners but also won the DFG’s newly created Europa Prize. Danial Sanusi, Xianghui Zhong and Fabian Henneke, pupils at Kippenberg-Gymnasium in Bremen and national winners in the subject area of mathematics/computer science, were also handed the DFG’s Europa Prize by DFG Vice President Professor Bernd Scholz-Reiter, for their project “Multidimensional colour theory: colourings of the n-dimensional space”. For the subject area of physics, Benjamin Walter of the secondary school Gymnasium Franziskaneum in Meißen received the award for his research into the production of graphite, while in the subject area of chemistry, the two national winners Gabriel Salg and Nicolas Scheidig from Hanns-Seidel-Gymnasium in Mösbach won the prize for their research into a mouthwash that even makes the smell of garlic disappear.
At the 23rd European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Helsinki, Benjamin Walter received a second prize of €5,000. Two special awards will give Gabriel Salg and Nicolas Scheidig international insights into the world of science: they have been invited to spend a week researching at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements in Geel, Belgium. Meanwhile, Danial Sanusi, Xianghui Zhong and Fabian Henneke will be able to attend the 2012 Intel ISEF Student Competition in Pittsburgh, USA.
2010: Simon Schuldt, Luca Banszerus, Michael Schmitz and Andreas Lang
Young German researchers Simon Schuldt, Luca Banszerus and Michael Schmitz were prize-winners at the 22nd European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Lisbon, each receiving a second prize of €5,000. Simon Schuldt also received a special award for originality from the European Patent Office EPO. The fourth young German researcher, Andreas Lang, also won the Special Prize from Portugal.
The young scientists are all national winners of the 2010 edition of Germany’s national youth science competition “Jugend forscht”: Simon Schuldt in the subject area of technology with “Aircraft of the future – a practically oriented school project”, Luca Banszerus and Michael Schmitz in the area of physics, where he succeeded in providing graphite with electrical contacts to produce micro-sensors for nanotechnology, and Andreas Lang in the area of mathematics/computer science for his research into swarm intelligence. It was their success in winning the newly endowed DFG Europa Prize that enabled them to participate in the EUCYS in Lisbon.