Research awards

Find out more about the modalities and prize money of the research prizes awarded by Society of Virology .

The Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation Award for Distinguished Achievements in Virology

Recognizing outstanding achievements by an individual that contributed exceptionally to the field of virology either in basic or translational research, ideally in both fields, in a national and an international context. Alternatively, scientists who have made sustained and significant steps in the translation of virology into other scientific areas and domains or vice versa may likewise be recognized.

Award Type: Personal Award
Prize Money: 50.000 Euro
Granting Body: Chica and Heinz Schaller Foundation
Other Benefits or Honours: The award involves a one-hour lecture at the 35rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Virology, March 2026.
Research Field: Virology
Eligibility: Candidates should have obtained their PhD, MD or equivalent at least 15 years ago (at the nomination deadline). Candidates must be nominated by fellow scientists (no self-application). The prize is international. Nominations may be put forward by all members of the GfV, the Board of Directors, and the Scientific Advisory Council of the CHS.
Applications must be in English and submitted to the address given below.

Requirements: The following information is required to submit a nomination as email-attachment in one PDF (max. size 10 MB):
- Name and contact details of the scientist making the nomination
- Name and contact details of the candidate
- A brief one-page biography of the candidate including major awards received by the candidate
- A list of 10 most significant publications of the candidate
- Short research summary of the candidate describing scientific achievements of relevance to the award (two pages max)
- Two supporting reference letters by colleagues familiar with the candidate's work
- A complete CV of the candidate, including a full publication list (please do not submit reprints)

Application period: September 01 - November 01, 2025
Submit your application electronically to the following address:
geschaeftsstelle@g-f-v.org

Contact Details
Name: GfV - Society of Virology e.V.
Homepage: https://www.g-f-v.org/
Email: geschaeftsstelle@g-f-v.org

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Award winner

2024 Prof. Dr. Paul Bieniasz, Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA

2022 Prof. Dr. Galit Alter, Harvard Medical School, Camebridge

Loeffler Frosch Medal of the Society of Virology e.V. (GfV)

The Society of Virology (GfV) awards the "Loeffler-Frosch Medal" every year during the annual conference. This medal is intended to honour personalities who have rendered outstanding services to virology in German-speaking countries.

The target group is therefore very different from that of the LoefflerFrosch Prize. The LoefflerFrosch Medal is awarded to virologist colleagues after their active career to honor their life's work.

The award will be presented at the spring conference of the GfV. The award winner is to give the Loeffler LectureFrosch at the spring conference. All members of the GfV may submit proposals for the award of the medal. Nominations, including a short justification, should be submitted electronically to the GfV office at the following e-mail address by November 1 of the current year: geschaeftsstelle@g-f-v.org

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Award winner

2024 Prof. Dr. Sibylle Schneider-Schaulies, Würzburg
2023 Prof. Dr. Thomas Mertens, Ulm
2022 Prof. Dr. Michael Roggendorf, Munich
2020 Prof. Dr. Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff, Wuppertal-Elberfeld
2019 Prof. Dr. Franz X. Heinz, Vienna
2018 Prof. Dr. Otto Haller, Freiburg / Zurich
2017 Prof. Dr. phil. Dr. h. c. Wolfram H. Gerlich, Giessen
2016 Prof. Dr. Ari Helenius, Zurich
2015 Prof. Dr. Hans-Dieter Klenk, Marburg
2014 Prof. Dr. Eckard Wimmer, Stony Brook
2013 Prof. Dr. Walter Doerfler, Erlangen
2012 Prof. Dr. Hans Gelderblom, Berlin
2011 Prof. Dr. Gisela Enders, Stuttgart
2010 Prof. Dr. Peter K. Vogt, La Jolla
2009 Prof. Dr. Christoph Scholtissek, Gießen
2008 Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Heinz Schaller, Heidelberg
2007 Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h. c. mult. Harald zur Hausen, Heidelberg
2006 Prof. Dr. med. Christian Kunz, Vienna

Loeffler Frosch Prize of the Society of Virology e.V. (GfV)

Every year, the Society of Virology (GfV) awards the "Loeffler Frosch Prize" during the annual conference.

The prize money is € 5,000.
The prize is intended to be awarded to scientists who are members of Society of Virology , have not yet reached the age of 40 (childcare periods are taken into account in accordance with DFG regulations) and do not yet hold a lifetime professorship.
The evaluation should be based on one or more publications that have been published or accepted for publication within the last few years. An outstanding virological achievement should be honored.
University professors and department heads who are members of Society of Virology are eligible to nominate candidates. The work to be honored is selected at the fall meeting of the Executive Board and Advisory Board.

Applications, consisting of a CV, list of publications and a letter of motivation (max. 2 pages), should be submitted to the GfV office by November 1st of the current year at the following e-mail address: geschaeftsstelle@g-f-v.org

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Award winner

2024 Jun. Prof. Dr. Konstantin Sparrer, Ulm
2023 Jun.Prof. Dr. Stephanie Pfänder, Bochum
2022 Prof. Dr. Victor Corman, Berlin and Dr. Markus Hoffmann, Göttingen
2020 Prof. Dr. Daniel Sauter, Tübingen
2019 Dr. Andrea Marzi, Hamilton,Montana and Dr. Steeve Boulant, Heidelberg
2018 Prof. Dr. Benedikt Bertold Kaufer, Berlin
2017 PhD Cesar Muñoz-Fontela, Hamburg
2016 Dr. Andreas Bergthaler, Vienna
2015 Dr. Alexander Ploss, Princton
2014 Dr. Mario Schelhaas, Münster
2013 Dr. Andreas Pichlmair, Martinsried
2012 Dr. Adam Grundhoff, Hamburg
2011 Prof. Dr. Veronika von Messling, Quebec
2010 Prof. Dr. Daniel Pinschewer, Geneva
2009 Prof. Dr. Jan Münch, Ulm
2008 Priv. Doz. Dr. Oliver Keppler, Heidelberg
2007 Priv. Doz. Dr. Friedmann Weber, Freiburg
2006 Prize was not awarded
2005 Dr. Barbara Rehermann, Bethesda
2004 Priv. Doz. Dr. John Ziebuhr, Würzburg
2003 Priv. Doz. Dr. Michael Kann, Gießen
2002 Prof. Dr. Viktor E. Volchkov, Lyon
2001 Priv. Doz. Dr. Ralph Bartenschlager, Mainz
2000 Dr. Gabriele Neumann, Madison
1999 Dr. Martin Messerle, Munich
1998 Priv. Doz. Dr. Heinz Feldmann, Marburg
1997 Priv. Doz. Dr. Volker Bruss, Göttingen
1996 Priv. Doz. Dr. Wolfgang Hammerschmidt, Munich
1995 Priv. Doz. Dr. Klaus Conzelmann, Tübingen
1994 Priv. Doz. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Schlicht, Ulm

Postdoctoral Award for Virology of the Robert Koch Foundation e.V.

In cooperation with the German Societies for Hygiene and Microbiology, Immunology and Virology, the Robert Koch Foundation annually awards three postdoctoral prizes for outstanding work to young scientists in these subject areas (microbiology, immunology, virology).

The prize is intended to recognize scientists who have previously worked particularly successfully as postdoctoral researchers. Each of the three specialist societies prepares a nomination with the names of three young scientists. The final decision is made by the Robert Koch Foundation. The award winners are thus, in their view, the best and most original researchers in their age group who have been able to publish their work in the leading interdisciplinary journals.

All members of the GfV are entitled to nominate candidates. The candidate proposal (by e-mail) with a short letter of recommendation, curriculum vitae and selected publications should be submitted electronically to the GfV office by March 31 of the current year: geschaeftsstelle@g-f-v.org

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Award winner

2023 Dr. Prerna Arora, Göttingen
2022
Dr. Paul Wratil, Munich
2021
Dr. Megan Stanifer, Heidelberg
2020
Dr. Stephanie Pfänder, Bochum
2019 Dr. Henning Grüll, Cologne
2018 Dr. Maximilian Münchhoff, Munich
2017 Dr. Gisa Gerold, Hanover
2016 Dr. Jens Bosse, Hamburg
2015 Dr. Meike Dittmann, New York
2014 Dr. Benedikt Bertold Kaufer, Berlin
2013 Dr. Hanna-Mari Baldauf, Frankfurt
2012 Dr. Christine Goffinet, Ulm
2011 Dr. Lars Dölken, Munich
2010 Dr. Michael Schindler, Hamburg
2009 Dr. Michaela Ulrike Gack, USA
2008 Dr. Bärbel Kaufmann, West-Lafayette, USA
2007 Dr. Melanie Brinkmann, Cambridge, USA
2006 Dr. Jan Münch, Ulm
2005 Dr. Thomas Pietschmann, Heidelberg
2004 Dr. Christian Drosten, Hamburg
2003 Dr. Wolfram Brune, Würzburg
2002 Dr. Stefan Pöhlmann, USA
2001 Dr. Elke Mühlberger, Marburg
2000 Dr. Henri-Jacques Delecluse, UK
1999 Dr. Matthias Dobbelstein, Marburg
1998 Dr. Friedemann Weber, Freiburg

Science Prize "Clinical Virology" of the DVV and the GfV Science Prize "Clinical Virology" of the German Association for Combating Viral Diseases e.V. (DVV) and the Society of Virology e.V. (GfV)

The German Association for Combating Viral Diseases (DVV) and the Society of Virology (GfV) jointly award the science prize "Clinical Virology".

1st prize money

The prize money is € 2,500.

2. research work

The basis of the evaluation should be one or more publications that have been published or accepted for publication in the last two years. The aim is to award a prize for an outstanding scientific achievement that demonstrates significant new findings in the field of clinical virology and is related to public health issues.

3. participant

The prize can be awarded to individual scientists or a group of researchers.

4. application

Members of the DVV as well as university lecturers and heads of department who are members of the GfV are entitled to nominate candidates. The executive boards of DVV and GfV have formed a selection committee with two representatives each from DVV and GfV. The work to be awarded is selected by the selection committee in consultation with the presidents of the two specialist societies. The prize will be awarded at the annual conference of the German Association for the Control of Viral Diseases.

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Award winner

2019 Dr. med. Corinna Pietsch (Leipzig) and Dr. rer. nat. Nadine Lübke (Düsseldorf)
2018 Prof. Dr. med. Dennis Tappe, Hamburg
2017 Dr. med. Tina Ganzenmüller, Hanover
2016 PD Dr. Lukas Weseslindtner, Vienna
2015 PD Dr. Andi Krumbholz, Kiel; PD Dr. Jürgen Wenzel, Regensburg
2014 PD Dr. Dr. Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, Hamburg
2013 Prof. Dr. Barbara Schmidt, Regensburg
2012 Prof. Dr. Ulrike Wieland, Cologne
2011 Dr. Boris Klempa, Berlin
2010 Dr. Marcus Panning, Freiburg; Dr. rer. nat. Eike Steinmann, Hanover
2009 PD Dr. rer. nat. Oliver Schildgen, Cologne
2008 PD Dr. Albert Heim, Hanover
2007 Prof. Dr. Andreas Sauerbrei, Jena
2006 Prof. Dr. Stefan Roß, Essen
2005 Prof. Dr. Barbara Gärtner, Homburg
2004 Prof. Dr. Jindrich Cinatl, Frankfurt; Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Preiser, Tygerberg; Prof. Dr. Holger Rabenau, Frankfurt

"DZIF" Doctoral Award of the Society of Virology e.V. (GfV)

Together with the German Center for Infection Research, Society of Virology awards an annual prize of € 1,500 for the best doctorate in virological infection research. This prize is presented during the GfV annual conference in spring.

Criteria:
- Completion of the doctorate in the current year
- Peer-review publication of the results of the doctorate
Application deadline: November 1st of the current year
Applications must be submitted by the applicants themselves with a CV, list of publications and a letter of recommendation in electronic form to the GfV office: geschaeftsstelle@g-f-v.org

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Award winner

2024 Dr. Ombretta Colasanti, Heidelberg
2023 Dr. Rayhane Nchioua, Ulm
2022 Dr. Ulrich Lorenz, Greifswald
2021 Dr. Kevin Ciminski, Freiburg and Dr. Alexander Lercher, Vienna
2020 Dr. Boris Bogdanow, Berlin
2019 Dr. Manuel Albanese, Munich
2018 Dr. Etori Aguilar Moreira
2017 Dr. Florian Lempp
2016 Dr. Stephanie Pfänder
2015 Dr. Michaela Gerlach
2014 Dr. Yuchen Xia

Founder

PhD Award of the Society of Virology e.V. (GfV)

At its annual spring conference, Society of Virology awards the Bernhard and Ingrid Fleckenstein Foundation PhD Prize, which is endowed with € 5000.

The prize is to be awarded to a medical and scientific doctoral candidate who has completed an outstanding piece of work as part of a scientific or medical doctorate on a virological topic at a research institution in the German-speaking world, which has already been published or accepted for publication. Applications can be submitted by November 1st of the current year at the latest . At the time of application, the doctoral procedure should not yet have been formally completed. The prize was established by the Bernhard and Ingrid Fleckenstein Foundation and is intended to enable the prizewinners to look at interesting research institutions abroad for a postdoctoral position.

The following documents in German or English are requested for the application:

(1) Cover letter with a brief outline of the scientific concept of the doctoral project.

(2) Curriculum vitae of the applicant in tabular form

(3) List of publications of the candidate

(4) Copy of one or more selected key publication(s)

(5) Statement by a university teacher, preferably the supervisor of the doctoral thesis

Please send the documents as a single PDF file to the office of Society of Virology: geschaeftsstelle@g-f-v.org

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Award winner

2024 Artem Ashurov, Cologne
2023 Rüdiger Martin Groß, Ulm
2022 Johannes Maximilian Jung, Hamburg
2021 Tran Thi Nhu Thao, Bern
2020 Thiprampai Thamamongood, Freiburg
2019 Luca Bertzbach, Berlin

Founder

Contact

You can send questions, feedback, suggestions and requests by e-mail to geschaeftsstelle@g-f-v.org.