Mentoring award prepares young researchers for the European competition round in Kiel

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Europa-Prize 2026 - Group Picture

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The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has awarded its Europa-Preis (Europe prize) to three winners of the national Jugend forscht competition. The DFG’s aim in awarding the prize is to highlight the importance of international cooperation and networking for a successful career in research. DFG Secretary General Dr. Heide Ahrens presented the award at the final Jugend forscht round in Herzogenaurach on 31 May. The event was also attended by Federal Minister for Education Karin Prien, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche and Matthias Hauer, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The DFG’s Europa-Preis aims to prepare three young researchers for the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) that will be held at the University of Kiel in September, which will be the first time the contest is hosted in Germany since 1993. Each winner receives €1,000 in prize money.

Mentors provide subject-specific support for the Jugend forscht winners in their preparations for the European competition. The DFG selects these mentors from among the researchers in early career phases who are in receipt of DFG funding, for example under the Emmy Noether Programme. Another aim here is to promote lasting links among the different generations of researchers.

The recipients of the Europa-Preis are: 

Jamila-Cate Tran (20) from Lower Saxony, first prizewinner in the research area of biology with her project on SGLT2 inhibitors. These are known to reduce blood glucose in people with diabetes and to protect the kidneys and the heart following kidney transplantation. Jamila-Cate Tran wanted to find out whether the medicines are also beneficial for non-diabetic transplant recipients. To this end, she analysed the treatment data of over 1,600 individuals that is available on the international TriNetX database, comparing people who first started taking SGLT2 inhibitors a few years after the operation with a group of patients who did not take any SGLT2 inhibitors. Her statistical analysis showed that SGLT2 inhibitors can have a positive effect also in patients who do not suffer from diabetes. Severe kidney problems were reduced by 36 percent, and the mortality rate was 45 percent lower. 

Vincent Nack (19) from Bavaria won the cross-disciplinary prize from the Federal Research Minister with his project from the working world category. The prize was awarded for the first time this year to recognise the most innovative project. Vincent Nack developed an AI-powered system to prevent telephone fraud. The system, for which a patent application has been filed, detects all forms of deception in real-time to protect potential fraud victims. To this end, the raw data of the call is processed locally using software which Vincent Nack programmed himself, and the content of the talk is then converted into text. This text is analysed immediately to detect any fraudulent content. The system will warn the user with an acoustic signal and terminate the call as soon as fraud is detected. Harmless calls, on the other hand, are not interrupted. The system’s fully automated approach is meant to allow for easy use, especially for senior citizens.

Tim Kammel (18) from North Rhine-Westphalia received the Federal Chancellor’s cross-disciplinary prize for the most original project for his work in the area of physics. He explored the seemingly straightforward operating principle of hourglasses that were used, for example, for navigation at sea in the past. Using simple materials, Tim Kammel created a test set-up for experimentation with various opening and funnel types. His numerous measurements showed that the time the sand needs to run through the hourglass depends on the amount of sand, the opening size and the shape of the funnel. He also found that the speed at which the sand moved remained constant, regardless of how much sand there was left in the funnel. The reason for this is that the sand grains support each other which leads to steady pressure on the opening. In addition, Tim Kammel found out that even very small changes to the diameter of the opening will have a considerable impact on how long it takes the sand to flow through it. His results could contribute to a better understanding of technical processes, such as emptying large grain silos.

Further Information

Further information on the 2026 prizewinners will soon be available on the DFG’s Europa-Preis web page(interner Link).

For details of this year’s Jugend forscht winners, see: www.jugend-forscht.de(externer Link) (available in German only).