Jena (dpa/th) - The two Thuringian scientists Hartmut Rosa and Sarah O'Connor will be awarded the Leibniz Prize 2023. It is considered the most important research award in Germany and is endowed with 2.5 million euros. O'Connor from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena will be honored for her fundamental discoveries on natural product synthesis in plants, the German Research Foundation informed on Thursday. Their findings opened up possibilities for the optimized production of natural substances and synthetic access to new classes of molecules.
The sociologist Hartmut Rosa, who teaches at Jena University and is director of the Max Weber College in Erfurt, received the award for his "pioneering work in the field of normatively based critical analysis of modern societies". "His contributions to the question of which social dynamics promote or hinder opportunities for a good life are received and discussed internationally in science and society," was the reasoning.
A total of ten professors will receive a Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize 2023 - they will be awarded on March 15 in Berlin. According to the information provided, the winners were selected from 131 proposals.
The fact that two of the ten best researchers in Germany come from Jena is proof of the high quality of Thuringia as a research location, stated Science Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD). "The fact that two of these renowned prizes have gone to Jena for the second time speaks for the excellent research conditions that we scientists can offer here, even in an international comparison." There are now a total of seven Leibniz Prize winners from Thuringia.
