University Foundation Awards Research Prizes

The “Advanced Researcher Award – Breaking New Ground”, worth €10,000, was awarded to Prof. Dr. Johanna Pausch, Professor of Agroecology at the University of Bayreuth. The funded project focuses on the chemical analysis of bioactive compounds from fungi at the root level, offering new approaches to exploring global nutrient cycles. The jury commended this pioneering research project for addressing a key ecological issue while also opening up strategically important collaborations and third-party funding opportunities.

The “Early Career Researcher Award – Exploring New Frontiers” (€10,000) went to Dr. Clara Martínez-Pérez, Head of the Limnological Research Station in Hydrology at the University of Bayreuth. Her project aims to visualise the formation and breakdown of toxic cyanobacterial blooms (commonly known as blue-green algae) at the single-cell level. The award recognises an original methodology with high relevance for aquatic ecology. If successfully implemented, the method holds significant potential for replication, as it can be applied to future research questions in the same way.

The “Beyond Research Award – Thinking Outside the Box”, also worth €10,000, was awarded to Prof. Dr. Cristina Borgoni Gonçalves, Professor of Epistemology, and Dr. Shalini Chakraborty, Research Associate in Applied Computer Science. Their interdisciplinary project addresses the use of AI language models in diversity-sensitive higher education contexts. The project effectively combines research, teaching, digitalisation, and equal opportunity, offering evidence-based input for the inclusive development of the university.

“Through their work, the award winners highlight how cutting-edge research at the University of Bayreuth can lead to fresh perspectives. – whether in basic research, interdisciplinary dialogue, or societal impact. Supporting such ideas is central to our mission as a university foundation,” emphasised Dr. Michael Hohl, Chair of the University Foundation.

Contact:
Dr Michael Hohl
University Foundation
Email: unistiftung@uni-bayreuth.de
Phone: +49 (0)151 22207425