Call for entries for the 2026 Dalberg Prize for transdisciplinary research by early-career researchers

This emphasis on transdisciplinarity sends a signal to the public that the various scientific disciplines, which often exist separately alongside one another, are perceived not only in relation to one another but also as a unified whole. They differ less in terms of the common questions that ultimately link them, and more in terms of their methodological approaches.

The prize is named after Carl von Dalberg (1744–1817), who, as a Privy Councillor and Governor of Erfurt from 1772, brought the Academy to particular prominence, corresponded with the great figures of his time and was a patron of the sciences and the Arts. In 1802, he became Elector of the Archdiocese of Mainz, whose territories on the left bank of the Rhine had been ceded to France, and, following the Imperial Deputation Main Resolution, Elector-Chancellor; with the establishment of the Confederation of the Rhine, he became Sovereign Prince-Primate and Chairman of the Federal Assembly.

The prize, which commemorates Dalberg’s promotion of science, is endowed with 2,000 euros and is to be awarded during the coming winter semester at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar. Applications should be submitted by 1 September 2026 to the Senate of the Academy of Public Sciences in Erfurt (Gotthardtstraße 21, 99084 Erfurt). Online applications can be made at: vpgk@akademie-erfurt.de.

Further information on the academic prize and the application procedure can be found on the website of the Academy of Public Sciences in Erfurt.