Master Prize of the GDCh Division of Photochemistry

Since 2025, the GDCh Division of Photochemistry has awarded a prize for an outstanding master’s thesis in the field of photochemistry/spectroscopy to support early-career researchers.

The award includes a certificate and prize money of 500 euros and will be presented at an online symposium taking place in mid-November 2025 for the final selection of the prize winner. Following an initial review of the application documents by the selection committee, up to four early-career researchers will be invited to this symposium to present their master’s thesis to a wider audience. Following the online presentations, the award will be decided by a selection panel appointed for this purpose and representing the Division of Photochemistry. The prize may be shared.

The prize is not currently open for applications (next call for proposals: end of 2026).

The 2025 Master’s Awards were presented to Annika Pax and Maximilian Schick on 5 November 2025 on the occasion of the online symposium “Master Award 2025”.

Annika Prax
In recognition of her outstanding Master’s thesis, completed in the working group of Prof. Dr. Friedrich Temps at Kiel University, entitled “Time-Resolved Vibrational Absorption Spectroscopy of Electronically Excited Pyrimidine Nucleobase Derivatives”.

Maximilian Schick
In recognition of his outstanding Master’s thesis, completed in the working group of Prof. Dr. Jens Bredenbeck at Goethe University Frankfurt, entitled: “The Lipid and The Light: Probing Ultrafast Dynamics in Photoswitchable Membranes using VIS-Pump IR-Probe Spectroscopy”.