Alfried Krupp Prize

Alfried Krupp Prize

Since 1986, the Foundation has awarded the Alfried Krupp Prize (Alfried Krupp-Förderpreis) to young university professors in the natural sciences and engineering (including medicine) who have excellent scientific qualifications and outstanding research achievements. The prize is one of the most important awards for young scientists in Germany.

Candidates holding a permanent or fixed-term professorship at a university within the Federal Republic of Germany (first appointment to a W2 or W3 professorship) can be nominated for the prize. They should not be older than 38 years. The prize is endowed with EUR 1.1 million. The prize winners are able to use the funding in an unbureaucratic way to create optimal working environments independently of public funding: for example, they can set up and enhance laboratories and workstations, attend symposia and specialist congresses and finance scientific staff and special research groups. A lump sum of EUR 150.000 from the funding will be made available to the university to cover indirect costs (overhead).

Objective and target group

The funding programme is aimed at young university professors in the natural sciences and engineering fields (including medicine) with excellent scientific qualifications and outstanding research achievements. The aim is to support promising researchers at an early stage of their scientific careers in developing and implementing new ideas. The Alfried Krupp Prize is intended to create room for freedom; therefore specific project descriptions are not a prerequisite for its awarding. 

Candidates may be nominated whose aptitude for research and teaching has been confirmed by their first appointment to a permanent or fixed-term professorship (W2 or W3) at a university in the Federal Republic of Germany. Holders of a Heisenberg professorship (W2 or W3) can also be nominated. Junior professors or professors at universities of applied sciences, technology institutes and colleges cannot be considered.

As a rule, the nominated candidates should not be older than 38 years.

Nomination and selection process

Individuals, research institutions and universities are eligible to submit nominations. Self-applications are excluded.

In principle, only one candidate per university should be nominated. This approach is intended to encourage universities to focus on a single nomination.

Nominations are reviewed by the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, and, if necessary, the Foundation obtains supplementary external expert opinions. The final decision on the prize is made by the Foundation. Legal claims of any kind relating to the awarding of the prize are excluded. The selection process is confidential. Information on the reasons for the decision will not be provided.    

Online application portal

Applications for the prize may only be submitted via the digital application portal of the Krupp Foundation.

Insights into the prize ceremonies