GDCh Prizes

This is where talent is discovered, careers are supported and outstanding scientific achievements are recognised. The GDCh honours excellence in chemistry – from school-leaving qualifications to internationally leading research. The awards include the prestigious GDCh prizes, grants provided by foundations, Division Awards, as well as special awards for school pupils and students. Discover all the GDCh prizes, scholarships and funding opportunities and get to know the many different faces of chemistry!

Our Award Winners – The GDCh Prizes 2025

Reinhard Matissek, formerly of the Food Chemistry Institute of the German Confectionery Industry (LCI), Cologne

Joseph König commemorative coin

Lauren Niu, Center for Functional Fabrics, Drexel University & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania

Mario-Markus Prize

Peter Hommelhoff, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Otto Hahn Award

Daniel Eggerichs, Ruhr University Bochum

Price for bioconversion of renewable raw materials

Jean-Marie Lehn, Strasbourg

Primo Levi Prize

Peter Seeberger, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam

Richard Willstätter Award for Chemical Biology

Roland A. Fischer, TU Munich

Wilhelm Klemm Prize

Siegfried Waldvogel, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim an der Ruhr.

Wöhler Award for sustainable chemistry

Give chemistry a face

By nominating someone, you help shape the image of chemistry and show what—and above all, who—makes chemistry possible!

To the tenders

Updated guidelines

New: Teams can now also be nominated for GDCh awards. In addition, patents are now assessed as equivalent to publications in journals.

Award Guidelines

Equal opportunities

The mission statement ensures that the GDCh can act quickly, individually and flexibly – while always being guided by who it is, what it stands for and which objectives and values shape its actions. As an overarching framework, it applies to all bodies and Divisions of the GDCh. It provides guidance internally and clearly shows externally what the GDCh stands for.

Equal Opportunities Mission Statement

Commissions

For the selection of the awardees, the GDCh appoints highly qualified committees. They work on the basis of the GDCh award guidelines – equal opportunities are a central component of the decision-making process. The final decision is made by the Board of the GDCh.

Commissions

An overview of the GDCh prizes

The GDCh recognises outstanding achievements in chemistry – across the entire spectrum: from A for analytical chemistry to W for science journalism. Whether in research, innovation, communication or related disciplines such as the history of chemistry: achievements that truly make a difference are honoured here – with prizes that enjoy a high standing in the professional community. Some GDCh prizes can look back on more than a century of tradition, while others were only established in recent years. What they all have in common is that they make excellent scientific achievements visible. Discover which award is the best fit and nominate someone whose achievements merit this recognition.

Adolf von Baeyer Memorial Medal

Organic Chemistry

Adolf von Baeyer Memorial Medal

Albrecht-Kossel Award

Biochemistry

Albrecht-Kossel Award

August Wilhelm von Hofmann Memorial Medal

Outstanding Achievements by Foreign Chemists

August Wilhelm von Hofmann Memorial Medal

Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award

Early-career chemists

Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award

Carl Duisberg Plaque

Services for the GDCh

Carl Duisberg Plaque

Emil Fischer Medal

Organic Chemistry

Emil Fischer Medal

Erich Hückel Award

Theoretical Chemistry

Erich Hückel Award

Fresenius Award

Analytical Chemistry

Fresenius Award

GDCh Award for Biocatalysis

Biocatalysis

GDCh Award for Biocatalysis

GDCh Prize for Journalism, Literature and Science Communication

Science journalism, literature and science communication

GDCh Prize for Journalism, Literature and Science Communication

Gmelin-Beilstein commemorative coin

history of chemistry, chemistry information and chemical literature

Gmelin-Beilstein commemorative coin

Heinz Schmidkunz Prize

Chemistry Didactics

Heinz Schmidkunz Prize

Hermann Staudinger Award

macromolecular chemistry

Hermann Staudinger Award

Hildegard Hamm Brücher Award for equal opportunities in chemistry

Equal opportunities in chemistry

Hildegard Hamm Brücher Award for equal opportunities in chemistry

Horst Pracejus Prize

Chirality

Horst Pracejus Prize

Joseph König commemorative coin

food chemistry

Joseph König commemorative coin

Liebig commemorative coin

Complete chemistry

Liebig commemorative coin

Marianne Baudler Prize

Inorganic Chemistry

Marianne Baudler Prize

Mario Markus Prize for Ludic Science

Ludic Natural Sciences

Mario Markus Prize for Ludic Science

Price for bioconversion of renewable raw materials

Bioconversion of renewable resources

Price for bioconversion of renewable raw materials

Wilhelm Klemm Prize

Inorganic Chemistry

Wilhelm Klemm Prize

Wöhler Award for sustainable chemistry

sustainable chemistry

Wöhler Award for sustainable chemistry

GDCh Awards with Other Organisations

Some GDCh awards are presented in close collaboration with other scientific societies or in cooperation with companies. This creates strong partnerships that advance chemistry: Strong together for chemistry! These awards are also presented in various fields of chemistry and recognise outstanding achievements.

Ars legendi Faculty Prize

university teaching

Ars legendi Faculty Prize

Arfvedson Schlenk Award

Lithium chemistry

Arfvedson Schlenk Award

Award for Excellent Supervisors of Chinese PhD Students

Supervision of Chinese doctoral students

Award for Excellent Supervisors of Chinese PhD Students

Carl-Roth Award

Early-career researchers

Carl-Roth Award

Otto Hahn Award

Special Merits

Otto Hahn Award

Primo Levi Prize

Commitment to humanitarian causes

Primo Levi Prize

Richard Willstätter Award for Chemical Biology

Chemical Biology

Richard Willstätter Award for Chemical Biology

Wilhelm-Ostwald Young Talent Award

Interdisciplinary research

Wilhelm-Ostwald Young Talent Award

Foundation Awards

Foundations

Your contact for prices and awards

Questions about prices, awards or nominations? Write to me.

Dr. Ralph Wieneke

Chemistry – (Y)Our Passion, (Y)Our commitment

r.wieneke@gdch.de

+49 69 7917 311

GDCh Prizes

Equal opportunities

An overview of the GDCh prizes

GDCh Prizes

GDCh Prizes

Our Award Winners – The GDCh Prizes 2025

Armido Studer, University of Münster

Sabrina Gensberger-Reigl, FAU Erlangen

Christoph Kerzig, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Karl Reuter, Freiburg im Breisgau

Anna F. Tiefel, University of Regensburg

Maximilian Wohlgemuth, Ruhr University Bochum

Kathrin Breuker, University of Innsbruck

Ilka Parchmann, IPN Kiel

DiSenSu team

Varinder K. Aggarwal, University of Bristol

Konrad Grob, formerly of the Zurich Cantonal Laboratory

Reinhard Matissek, formerly of the Food Chemistry Institute of the German Confectionery Industry (LCI), Cologne

Lauren Niu, Center for Functional Fabrics, Drexel University & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania

Peter Hommelhoff, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Daniel Eggerichs, Ruhr University Bochum

Jean-Marie Lehn, Strasbourg

Peter Seeberger, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam

Roland A. Fischer, TU Munich

Siegfried Waldvogel, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim an der Ruhr.

Give chemistry a face

Updated guidelines

Equal opportunities

Commissions

An overview of the GDCh prizes

Adolf von Baeyer Memorial Medal

Albrecht-Kossel Award

August Wilhelm von Hofmann Memorial Medal

Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award

Carl Duisberg Plaque

Emil Fischer Medal

Erich Hückel Award

Fresenius Award

GDCh Award for Biocatalysis

GDCh Prize for Journalism, Literature and Science Communication

Gmelin-Beilstein commemorative coin

Heinz Schmidkunz Prize

Hermann Staudinger Award

Hildegard Hamm Brücher Award for equal opportunities in chemistry

Horst Pracejus Prize

Joseph König commemorative coin

Liebig commemorative coin

Marianne Baudler Prize

Mario Markus Prize for Ludic Science

Price for bioconversion of renewable raw materials

Wilhelm Klemm Prize

Wöhler Award for sustainable chemistry

GDCh Awards with Other Organisations

Ars legendi Faculty Prize

Arfvedson Schlenk Award

Award for Excellent Supervisors of Chinese PhD Students

Carl-Roth Award

Otto Hahn Award

Primo Levi Prize

Richard Willstätter Award for Chemical Biology

Wilhelm-Ostwald Young Talent Award

Foundation Awards

Your contact for prices and awards

Chemistry for a better world

GDCh Prizes

GDCh Prizes

Our Award Winners – The GDCh Prizes 2025

Armido Studer, University of Münster

Sabrina Gensberger-Reigl, FAU Erlangen

Christoph Kerzig, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Karl Reuter, Freiburg im Breisgau

Anna F. Tiefel, University of Regensburg

Maximilian Wohlgemuth, Ruhr University Bochum

Kathrin Breuker, University of Innsbruck

Ilka Parchmann, IPN Kiel

DiSenSu team

Varinder K. Aggarwal, University of Bristol

Konrad Grob, formerly of the Zurich Cantonal Laboratory

Reinhard Matissek, formerly of the Food Chemistry Institute of the German Confectionery Industry (LCI), Cologne

Lauren Niu, Center for Functional Fabrics, Drexel University & Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania

Peter Hommelhoff, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Daniel Eggerichs, Ruhr University Bochum

Jean-Marie Lehn, Strasbourg