Werner Prize

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Werner MedalCHF 10,000 and medal in bronze

The Werner Prize is awarded to promising young Swiss scientists or young foreign scientists working in Switzerland for outstanding research in the field of chemistry. Selection of the winners is not restricted to candidates working at a university. On the deadline for submission of nominations, the candidate must be under 40 years old (i.e. 40th birthday after the deadline) and may not be a tenured professor or hold a managerial position in industry.
The prize is awarded annually.

Nomination for 2021

Nominations are invited from organizations and individuals. Self-nominations are admitted.

A nomination must include:

  • A brief curriculum vitae (max 2 pages).
  • A list of 5 of the nominee's most important scientific publications.
  • A nomination letter (statement of the research areas in chemistry on which the nomination is based).
  • Not more than three seconding nomination letters.

The documents (language E/D/F) listed under 1-3 should be sent electronically as a single pdf file to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  (e.g. nominee name-werner.pdf). Seconding letters should also be submitted electronically.

The deadline for all documents to reach the Swiss Chemical Society is September 30, 2020.


Past Werner Prize Winners

2020: Prof. Konrad Tiefenbacher, University of Basel / ETH Zürich

2019: Prof. Jeremy Luterbacher, EPFL Lausanne

2018: Prof. Sandra Luber, University of Zurich

2017: Prof. Kevin Sivula, EPF Lausanne; Prof. Christof Sparr, University of Basel

2016: Prof. Maksym Kovalenko, ETH Zürich and Empa Dübendorf

2015: Prof. Gilles Gasser, University of Zurich

2014: Prof. Clémence Corminboeuf, Lausanne; Prof. Jérôme Waser, Lausanne,

2013: Prof. Cristina Nevado, Zurich; Prof. Clément Mazet, Geneva

2012: Prof. Nicolai Cramer, EPF Lausanne 

2011: Prof. Dr. Xile Hu, Lausanne; Prof. Dr. Reto Dorta, Zürich

2010: Dr. Sandrine Gerber, Lausanne

2009: Prof. Roland K.O. Sigel, Zürich

2008: Prof. Jeroen A. van Bokhoven, Zürich

2007: Dr. Jonathan R. Nitschke, Geneva

2006: Dr. Emmanuel Delamarche, Rüschlikon

2005: Prof. Ruth Signorell, Vancouver, Canada

2004: Prof. Paul Dyson, Lausanne

2003: Prof. Thomas Brunold, Madison, USA;  Prof. Kay Severin, Lausanne

2002: Prof. Jérôme Lacour, Gèneve; Prof. Werner Nau, Basel

2001: PD Dr. D. Luckhaus, Zürich

2000: PD Dr. T. Wirth, Basel; Dr. St. Pitsch, Zürich

1999: Prof. F. Merkt, Zürich

1998: Dr. TR. Ward, Bern

1997: Dr. Y. Landais, Lausanne

1996: Dr. R. Brüschweiler, Zürich; PD Dr. St. Bienz, Zürich

1995: Dr. C. Piguet, Genève; Dr. A. Manz, Basel

1994: Prof. Ph. Renaud, Fribourg; Dr. A. Hafner, Fribourg-Marly

1993: Dr. P. Felder, Zürich; PD Dr. B. Jaun, Zürich

1991: Dr. B. Ernst, Basel

1990: Dr. H. Frei, Berkeley / USA

1989: PD Dr. A Pfaltz, Zürich

1988: Dr. E. Roduner, Zürich

1987: PD Dr. B. Kräutler, Zürich; Dr. M. Allan, Fribourg

1986: Prof. E.P. Kündig, Genève

1985: PD Dr. A. Schweiger, Zürich

1984: PD Dr. M. Salzer, Zürich; PD Dr. M. Dobler, Zürich

1983; PD Dr. K. Müller, Basel; Dr. M. Zehnder, Basel

1982: PD Dr. J. Wirz, Basel

1981: Prof. A. Vasella, Fribourg; Prof. A. Fischli, Basel

1980: Dr. P.S. Pregosin, Zürich

1979: PD Dr. J.P. Maier, Basel

1978: PD Dr. D. Walz, Basel

1977: PD Dr. H. Sigel, Basel; Dr. R. Meyer, Zürich

1976: PD Dr. J.T. Clerc, Zürich

1975: PD Dr. E. Haselbach, Basel, Dr. H.-B. Bürgi, Zürich

1974: Dr. H.-J. Hansen, Fribourg

1973: Dr. A. Merbach, Lausanne

1972: Dr. R. Grauer, Hallau

1971: Dr. J. Retey, Zürich

1970: PD Dr. A. Ludi, Bern

1969: Dr. H. Wyler, Lausanne; PD Dr. M. Hesse, Zürich

1968: Dr. H. Gerlach, Zürich

1967: PD Dr. F. Gerson, Zürich

1965: PD Dr. W. von Philipsborn, Zürich

1964: PD Dr. G. Anderegg, Zürich

1963: Dr. W. Keller, Dübendorf

1961: PD Dr. E. Lüscher, Bern

1960: PD Dr. 0. Schindler, Basel

1959: PD Dr. H. Zollinger, Basel

1958: PD Dr. A: Dreiding, Zürich

1957: PD Dr. R. Schwyzer, Basel

1956: Prof. M. Brenner, Basel; Dr. A. Eschenmoser, Zürich

1954: Dr. G. Brunisholz, Lausanne; Dr. P. Baertschi, Basel; Dr. E. Heilbronner, Zürich

1952: PD Dr. H. Heusser, Zürich; PD Dr. E. Fischer, Genève

1951: PD Dr. 0. Jeger, Zürich; PD Dr. R. Boissonnas, Genève

1949: PD Dr. K. Huber, Bern; PD Dr. E. Hardegger, Zürich; PD Dr. H. Kuhn, Basel

1948 PD Dr. P. Bernfeld, Genève

1947: PD Dr. H. Schmid, Zürich

1945: Prof. K. Bernhard, Zürich

1944: Prof. R. Witzinger, Basel

1941: Dr. P.A. Plattner, Zürich

1939: PD Dr. M. Furter, Zürich

1936: Dr. T. Posternak, Genève; Prof. G. Schwarzenbach, Zürich

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