The Hans Sigrist Prize

Nomination and Selection of Prize Winners

The Hans Sigrist Prize field changes annually, based upon proposals from the faculties of the University of Bern. Each spring, the Hans Sigrist Foundation board members (who represent all faculties at the university) put out a call to their respective faculties asking for prize field proposals to be submitted in late summer.  In the fall board meeting, the board votes on the proposals and determines the prize field and selects the prize search committee chair.

Once the prize search committee chair is selected, additional experts are appointed by the chair to create a search committee.  The committee members nominate a group of candidates and then ask independent outside experts for further opinions.  The prize winner is selected at the spring board meeting and receives the prize at the Dies academicus (annual formal awards ceremony of the University of Bern) in December.

The goal of the foundation in awarding the prize is to select a researcher/academic at mid-career level who still has plenty of time to make additional contributions to his or her field.  It is not meant to be a lifetime achievement award, but instead a prize to spur further research.

The Prize Itself

Prize winners receive 100,000 CHF to help further their research.  They are also invited to speak in Bern at an annual symposium and take part in the University's Dies academicus ceremony.

Prize Winners

The Hans Sigrist Foundation has been awarding the Hans Sigrist Prize annually since 1994.  Prize winners have come from around the world and have represented a variety of academic fields.  Two of our past winners have gone on to become Nobel Prize Laureates later in their careers.  We believe the thorough nomination procedure allows our search committee to select prize winners who will continue to break new ground in their fields.

Our prize winners are listed here.