New Sponsorship Award at the University

From 2025, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) will be awarding the "Baldwin and Inge Knauf Prize for Excellent Scientific Achievements". It serves to promote young scientists at the JMU and is intended to strengthen the idea of excellence and competitiveness in all scientific fields.

University President Paul Pauli expressed his delight at the official signing of the contract with the entrepreneurial couple Baldwin and Inge Knauf on Wednesday, 27 November 2024, in the university's Senate Hall: "We would like to express our sincere thanks for this substantial funding and are particularly pleased that it reflects our broad range of subjects as a comprehensive university by being divided into four funding areas."

Baldwin Knauf described former University President Alfred Forchel, who was also present at the signing ceremony, as the "midwife" of the collaboration. Forchel had brokered the contact between the University Board and the entrepreneurial couple.

Annual Funding of 200,000 Euros

From 2025, the newly established prize will be awarded annually in four categories: Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences. Each prize is endowed with 50,000 euros, which can be used flexibly to further develop an academic career.

Baldwin and Inge Knauf are particularly looking forward to the "agony of choice" of selecting the respective prizewinners from a list of nominees put forward by the University Board.

Baldwin Knauf, who ran the family business Knauf Gips KG together with his cousin Nikolaus between 1969 and 2007, once studied business administration at JMU himself. He received his diploma from the University of Würzburg 60 years ago - a certificate that for him was "the driving licence for professional life."

Together for an Excellent Future

On the occasion of his recently celebrated 85th birthday, the idea for the sponsorship award was born as a way of giving something back.

In the face of various crises in the German economy, it is important to "mobilise all forces in order to remain competitive on the global market." Baldwin and Inge Knauf see the sponsorship awards "as an incentive for excellent research and teaching and our personal contribution to an excellent university and therefore also to an excellent Germany."

With the keyword excellence, the entrepreneur hit the bull's eye: University President Paul Pauli also recalled the "constant competition, especially in the context of the Excellence Strategy", which JMU is also facing. "An award like this, which makes the excellent achievements of young researchers at our university visible and expresses our special commitment to young scientists, sets us apart." The origin of the funding continues to show the great appreciation from the regional economy, said Pauli.

Professor Caroline Kisker, Vice President for Research and Academic Career Development at JMU, also emphasised the special potential of the award for researchers in the early stages of their careers: "This funding award will be a great support for excellent group leaders on their way to a professorship. Especially in this career phase, flexible funding is important in order to realise unconventional ideas that can be of central importance for the further academic career."

Baldwin Knauf also emphasised the future viability of the award. It enjoys the support of the entire Knauf family and therefore represents a "promise with substance".

The Baldwin and Inge Knauf Award for Excellent Scientific Achievements

Named after its founders, the prize will be awarded annually from 2025 as part of the JMU Foundation Festival in may. The prize will be awarded in four scientific fields, each endowed with 50,000 euros: (i) life sciences and medicine, (ii) natural sciences, (iii) humanities and (iv) social sciences.

It is aimed at:

1. excellent young scientists with an externally reviewed habilitation thesis,
2. outstanding junior research group leaders, e.g. funded by the DFG's Emmy Noether Programme, a Sofja Kovalevskaja Award (AvH) or an ERC Starting Grant,
3. W1 professors and W2 professors
4. W2 professors with tenure track.

Applicants are characterised by outstanding publications and have already been able to convince the jury with an innovative research concept in a competitive procedure.

As a rule, the scientific achievements for the application should have been achieved within four to eight years, in the case of clinically active scientists within seven to twelve years after the doctorate. Employment at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg or the University Hospital Würzburg at the time of application is a prerequisite.

The University Board draws up a list of nominees from the nominations received, and the sponsors are responsible for the funding decision.