Investigation Award

The Peter Hans Hofschneider Investigation Award for Scientific and Medical Journalism is awarded by Stiftung Experimentelle Biomedizin. The object of the award is the promotion of special research achievements and projects in scientific and medical journalism.


Awards are given to journalistic works and planned research projects from the fields of science and research that convince both through a correct and descriptive presentation of scientific facts and research processes as well as through research into scientific, political, economic and/or social backgrounds. Journalistic contributions that constructively shed light on the structure and function of self-regulation and quality assurance in science are expressly welcome.


Already published works and submitted research projects for a future publication will be equally weighted in the evaluation.

To the laureates

Conditions of participation

Authors may submit a maximum of two works which were published in a German-language medium in Switzerland, Austria or Germany in 2023, 2024. Besides the investigation achievement circumscribed above, the decisive factor is an easily comprehensible and professional presentation of the issue. Besides the works that have already been published, the jury will also take into consideration the submitted investigation concept for a future publication (cf. also under "Applications").


The Peter Hans Hofschneider Investigation Award for Scientific and Medical Journalism is open exclusively to natural persons. They can apply individually or as a research team of a maximum of four persons. Stiftung Experimentelle Biomedizin does not support legal entities.

Award

The Peter Hans Hofschneider Investigation Award for Scientific and Medical Journalism is worth CHF 20,000, which is paid in the form of a grant earmarked for an investigation project (including personal fee, as well as travel and material costs). The award of this prize is intended to provide winners with an opportunity to realise extensive investigation projects which could not be realised, or only realised with difficulty, in the generally customary time and cost frame of a newspaper or magazine or of a freelance journalist.

Application window

Applications may be submitted until 31 December 2024.

Applications

Applications must include the following:


  • short curriculum vitae in PDF
  • 1 - 2 papers published in 2023 or 2024 in a German-language medium in Switzerland, Austria or Germany, indicating the title of the newspaper/magazine, the issue number and the date of publication

    • articles from print media: colour scan of an original copy of the relevant excerpt from the newspaper/magazine in PDF

    • articles from electronic media: PDF of the publication including URL
  • brief description of the research background of the published article(s), including comments on the relevance of the topic etc., in PDF (maximum 700 characters)
  • research outline and description of the research project to be realised with the support of the research grant in PDF (maximum 10'000 characters)
  • tabular time schedule for the future research project in PDF
  • tabular cost plan for the future research project in PDF

Only complete applications that meet the requirements will be considered.

The deadline for submitting applications is 31 December 2023.

Jury

  • Volker Stollorz (long-standing author of Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung/former board member of Wissenschaftspressekonferenz).
  • Prof. Dr. Michael Stürzl (Universitätsklinikum Erlangen).
  • Prof. Dr. Sabine Werner (ETH Zurich).
  • Prof. Holger Wormer (Chair of Scientific Journalism, University of Dortmund).
  • Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Deppert (Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf).
  • Prof. Dr. Gerhard Rogler (Universitätsspital Zürich).
  • David Hilzendegen (Former representative of the data journalism section on the board of the Netzwerk Recherche e.V./data journalist at the SÜDKURIER editorial office in Constance).

In individual cases, the jury may consult further journalists and academics as assessors. The jury will support the award winners in the realisation and timely publication of the investigation project funded by the award together with further mentors of netzwerk recherche.

Announcement and award ceremony

The Peter Hans Hofschneider Investigation Award for Scientific and Medical Journalism is announced in spring/summer every year. The winners will be announced at an academic symposium of Stiftung Experimentelle Biomedizin or on the occasion of the annual meeting of netzwerk recherche in Hamburg.

Background of the award

The award is advertised by Stiftung Experimentelle Biomedizin (Zurich) in honour of Prof. Dr. Dr. Peter Hans Hofschneider (14 February 1929 - 23 July 2004), the former Director of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, who throughout his life championed not only excellent science but also a critical public debate about possible errors and consequences of scientific research.

Submission of application dossier

Please submit a single application dossier in PDF including all application documents listed above and confirm by ticking each requested component that it is included in your application as required.

The submitted research projects will of course be treated confidentially. The right of appeal is excluded.

Please fill in all * required fields.
Thank you. Your application has been received.
Please complete all fields. Only complete applications that meet the requirements will be considered.


Stiftung Experimentelle Biomedizin reserves the right to publish the names of the laureates on its website. Among other things, photos of the laureates and the projects realized with the support of the research grant as well as other publications of the laureates can be published on the website. By submitting their application documents, applicants declare their consent to this. Further information on the processing of your personal data can be found in our privacy policy.