The Ohm Awards recognise outstanding final theses or project work that demonstrate exceptional quality, innovation, or relevance.

Excellent academic achievement in final theses and project papers is the primary focus of the awards.
Such work demonstrates how diverse and innovative the talented individuals at the Ohm are - and the contribution they make to science, industry, and society.

Multiple prizes of various amounts are awarded to students as well as faculty.

The awards are made possible by committed sponsors who, through their support, highlight and meaningfully promote the outstanding achievements at the Ohm.

Each prize has its own focus and criteria. An overview of all Ohm Awards is provided on this website.

Students can request access to the application portal for the awards from their supervising professors.

The application period for the 2026 awards is from 16 March - 26 April.

Ohm Awards

N-ERGIE Award

Prize amount: 1 x 5,000 €

Award forCriteria

Research projects and academic papers 
(seminar or project papers)

For professors;
ideally with involvement of one or more students
for the development of their academic, personal, or methodological profiles

  • Possibility for technical or specialist collaboration with or support from N-ERGIE
  • Integration and involvement of students - for the development of their academic, personal, or methodological profile
  • Information about how the prize money will be used

 

Desirable, but not required:

  • Practical relevance and current significance
  • Effects on and at the university
  • Degree of innovation in the work and creativity of approach
  • Contribution to ecological, social, or economic sustainability or social acceptance

 

VAG Award

Prize amount: 1 x 5,000 €

Award forCriteria

Research projects and academic papers
Academic papers (seminar or project papers) related to mobility and/or urban development

 

For professors;
ideally with involvement of one or more students
for the development of their academic, personal, or methodological profiles

  • Possibility for technical or specialist collaboration with or support from VAG
  • Integration and involvement of students - for the development of their academic, personal, or methodological profile
  • Information about how the prize money will be used

 

Desirable, but not required:

  • Practical relevance and current significance
  • Effects on and at the university
  • Degree of innovation in the work and creativity of approach
  • Contribution to ecological, social, or economic sustainability or social acceptance

 

Zukunftspreis der Innovation & Zukunft Stiftung (teaching award)

Prize amount: 1 x 2,500 €

Award forCriteria

Contribution to the promotion of “real” sustainability in university education

Educational projects that strengthen sustainability in education, create long-term added value, and are educationally transferable

  • The project must have been completed no more than two semesters prior to the application for the prize
    (current semester excepted)
  • Contribution to sustainability in education
  • Continued added value after the end of the project
  • Transferability of educational principles

DATEV Award

Prize amount: 3 x 1,500 €

Award forCriteria
Excellent final theses by students in any subject//

 

Zukunftspreis der Innovation & Zukunft Stiftung (thesis award)

Prize amount: 1 x 1,000 €

Award forCriteria

Contribution to the promotion of “real” sustainability in university education

Final theses from any field (engineering, economics/business, social sector, etc.) that are practice-oriented, innovative, and exemplary

  • Date of submission of the thesis must be within one year prior to the application for the prize
  • Evident and verifiable aspect of sustainability in the thesis/project

 

Karl Rieger Prize

Prize amount: 1 x 2,000 €

Award forCriteria
Excellent final theses by students enrolled in the Faculty of Civil Engineering//

 

Bund der Freunde Award

Prize amount: 5 x 1,000 €

Award forCriteria
Excellent final theses by students in any subject//

 

Women's Affairs Officers’ Prize

Prize amount: 1 x 1,000 €

Award forCriteria
Excellent final thesis by a female student in any subject//

 

Ohm Hydrogen Award

Prize amount: 2 x 1,000 €

Award forCriteria
Excellent final theses by students in any degree programme (in the field of hydrogen research)
  • The thesis must be on a topic related to hydrogen research or an evident value or benefit to the field of hydrogen research.
  • Date of submission of the thesis must be after 1 January 2025
  • Academic originality, degree of innovation, quality, and comprehensibility of the thesis
  • Please note that final theses must have a grade of 1.3 or better to be considered for an award.
  • If submitting a final thesis that has two authors, one person must be named as the representative for the application. This person submits the application using their personal information (including contact information, student ID number, etc.).
    However, please note that
    • transcripts for both authors must be merged into one PDF and uploaded with the application.
    • Both authors’ names must be entered on the declaration of consent and both authors must sign the declaration.
  • Submitting an application for an award does not guarantee an invitation to the jury meeting.
    After the application period has ended, you will receive notification with information about whether you have been invited to the jury meeting or not.
  • At the jury meeting, you will introduce your project or paper in a presentation (maximum length: 5 minutes), which is followed by a five-minute question and answer session with the award sponsor.
    You may prepare and use PowerPoint for your presentation, but it is not required. If you are invited to the jury meeting, you will receive detailed information about the deadline for submitting presentation files and how to submit them.

Contact

MS Teams Nicole Wübbenhorst