würzburg award
for research and transfer
The Würzburg Award for Research and Transfer is presented by the Vogel Foundation Dr. Eckernkamp and the Wittenstein Foundation in cooperation with the University Association of Würzburg. The aim is to strengthen the Julius Maximilian University (JMU) of Würzburg in its excellent and interdisciplinary research with particular potential for social application.
The award was presented for the first time in November 2024 and was endowed with €50,000. For 2025, the prize money was increased to €100,000 thanks to close cooperation between the two foundations.
The focus of the award is on the well-being of society and future generations – at a technological, social, medical, cultural, economic or political level. Each year, the award is presented to an innovative research project carried out at JMU that demonstrates clear social benefits.
The prize is intended as start-up funding for outstanding transfer projects in an early stage of development. It aims to increase their visibility and improve their chances of receiving further, long-term and large-scale funding.
award 2025
mobile stroke diagnostics
The 2025 sponsorship award went to the interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Dr. Volker Behr, Dr. Patrick Vogel, Dr. Stefan Herz, Dr. Moriz Herzberg, M.Sc. Teresa Reichl, M.Sc. Johanna Günther, Dr. Martin Rückert, Dr. Thomas Kampf, and M.Sc. Andreas Wörle. The team from the University of Würzburg's physics and medicine departments was honored for its project “StrokeCap – mobile stroke diagnostics of the future saves lives.”
Strokes are among the most serious medical emergencies – challenging for both those affected and the healthcare system. In Germany alone, around 270,000 people suffer a stroke every year. About one-third of these patients die, and another third survive with permanent disabilities. A quick and accurate diagnosis is crucial for the outcome of treatment. The motto is: time is brain – because up to 1.9 million nerve cells die every minute. This is where StrokeCap comes in: the project is developing a portable, radiation-free device that uses injectable magnetic nanoparticles to visualize blood flow in the brain in real time. This allows critical decisions to be made in the ambulance – such as choosing the right hospital. This reduces the risk of mismanagement and prevents valuable time from being lost. With its approach, the team has the potential to fundamentally change stroke care and save lives worldwide.
award 2024
AI in colorectal cancer screening
The team of Prof. Dr Andreas Nüchter (Chair of Computer Science XVII, Robotics), Prof. Dr Frank Puppe (Chair of Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge Systems) and Joel Troya (Research Engineer Gastroenterology, InExEn Team University Hospital Würzburg) came out on top among numerous applications from several scientists and individuals with a medical project.
It aims to better recognise precancerous bowel lesions during preventive colonoscopies. As part of the colonoscopy, a prototype is used that provides images from two additional lateral microcameras, which are analysed by an artificial intelligence system. If a polyp is detected, the person undergoing the examination receives a warning so that the corresponding area of the mucous membrane can be examined more closely. This system could increase the accuracy of early detection of polyps by up to 30 per cent and contribute to the prevention of bowel cancer - which in the long term increases patients' chances of recovery.
Award promotes innovative spirit, foresight and courage
Funding is available for projects that have emerged from innovative cutting-edge research at JMU and have the potential to improve people's lives in concrete ways – in the region and beyond. These can be scientific transfer or transformation experiments, as well as new concepts, models, programmes or inventions.
The jury evaluates the submitted projects according to three key criteria:
-
Scientific innovation
-
Contribution to social transformation
-
Leverage effect of the prize money
The prize money of €100,000 is intended to help bring the winning project into the next phase of development with the aim of achieving concrete progress in relevant social problem areas.