Werner Prize
CHF 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 2022
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, 2021.
Past Werner Prize Winners
2021: Prof. Raffaella Buonsanti, EPFL Lausanne
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