The Unibund Invites to Festive Concert with Award Ceremonies

For 104 years, the Universitätsbund Würzburg has been supporting the diversity of research and teaching at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU): it funds selected projects and initiatives and presents awards to outstanding academics.

This year's award winners will be honoured at a festive concert to which the entire public is invited. The concert will take place on Thursday, 13 November 2025, at 7.00 pm (entry from 6.30 pm) in the Neubaukirche in Würzburg. Admission is free.

World Premiere at the Festive Concert

The JMU Academic Orchestra will provide the musical accompaniment for the evening. Among other things, it will play the Masquerade-Suite by Aram Chatschaturja. It will also present the world premiere of the symphony orchestra version of the concerto "Reflection" by composer Hubert Hoche. Soloist and JMU student Lovis Haury will play the marimba. The orchestra will bring the evening to a musical close with "Satchmo! - A Tribute to Louis Armstrong" by Ted Ricketts.

The Award Winners

Prizes totalling 268,000 euros will be awarded at the festive concert, including the Würzburger Förderpreis für Forschung und Transfer from the Wittenstein Foundation and the Vogel Foundation Dr. Eckernkamp, which is endowed with 100,000 euros for the first time. A press release from the Universitätsbund explains what the individual award winners are being honoured for:

Würzburger Förderpreis für Forschung und Transfer from the Wittenstein Foundation and the Vogel Foundation Dr. Eckernkamp, 100,000 euros

The StrokeCap project team led by Professor Volker Behr, Chair of Experimental Physics V, receives the prize. With StrokeCap, the team is developing a tool for mobile stroke diagnostics.

Forschungsförderpreis of the Vogel Foundation Dr. Eckernkamp, 30,000 euros

Professor Andrea Reiter, Chair of Psychotherapy and Intervention Psychology, and Professor Katja Bertsch, Head of the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, receive the 30,000 euro research sponsorship award. The researchers are being honoured for their evaluation of a treatment programme to promote social skills for adolescents and young adults.

HIRI Fellowship from the Vogel Foundation Dr. Eckernkamp, 30,000 euros

Vincent Lau, a doctoral student at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg, has been awarded the HIRI Fellowship. His doctoral thesis focusses on the development of innovative RNA-based molecular tools for the modulation of bacterial metabolic pathways.

Bätz-Preis, 25,000 euros

Professor Thomas Wurmb, Clinic and Polyclinic for Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Pain Therapy at the University Hospital of Würzburg, for his project "Mobile Notfallsonographie: Pilotprojekt zur Optimierung der präklinischen Versorgung durch Ultraschalldiagnostik am Notfallort".

Universitäts-Förderpreis der mainfränkischen Wirtschaft, 25,000 euros

Dr. Sebastian Hammer, Chair of Experimental Physics VI, receives the prize for his prototype of a microtransmission spectrograph for the optical characterisation of novel materials

Sonderforschungsförderpreis Digitalisierung from the Vogel Foundation Dr. Eckernkamp, 20,000 euros

Dr Elisa Bazzechi and Dr Marcel Danner, both from the Institute of Classical and Ancient Studies, were awarded the Sonderforschungsförderpreis Digitalisierung for their project "Image, Space and Cultural Identity - From Archaeological Findings to VR Reconstruction of Late Ancient Pictorial Spaces".

Sonderforschungsförderpreis Medizin from the Vogel Foundation Dr. Eckernkamp, 20,000 euros

Professor Anna Lippert from the Institute of Systems Immunology receives the Sonderforschungsförderpreis Medizin for her project "MechCARs- stiffness optimised Immune Cells for enhanced cancer therapy".

Förderpreis „Beste zahnmedizinische Promotionsarbeiten“ from the Dr Wahler Family Foundation, 5,000 euros each

Dr. Tabea Kottmann and Dr. Vivien Isabel Frommer are honoured with the Dr. Wahler Foundation Förderpreis for their doctoral theses.

Röntgenpreis, 5,000 euros

Dr. Erik Frank from the Chair of Animal Ecology and Tropical Medicine at the Biocenter is awarded the Röntgenpreis of the Dipl.-Ing. Walter Preh Foundation. The prize honours young researchers who have completed their doctorate and do not yet hold a lifetime professorship.

Albrecht Fürst zu Castell-Castell-Preis für nachhaltiges Handeln, 3,000 euros

Professor Ann-Christin Pöppler from the Institute of Organic Chemistry receives the prize for her course "Grüne und Nachhaltige (Organische) Chemie".