It’s our pleasure to announce the winners 2026 of the SCS Scientific Award Programs. We would like to sincerely congratulate all winners for their outstanding scientific contributions, and we are looking forward to the Swiss Chemistry Science Night in Bern on September 18, 2026, where the official award ceremonies will take place. Award lectures will be organized as part of the program of one of our upcoming events.
Paracelsus Prize 2026
Prof. Detlef Günther, ETH Zurich,
is awarded for his pioneering contributions to the field of analytical chemistry, particularly in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
The Paracelsus Prize is endowed with CHF 20'000 and a gold medal.
The award lecture is planned for the SCS Fall Meeting 2026, Bern, afternoon session of day 2 on August 28, 2026
Links:
Paracelsus Prize website
Website Prof. Günther
Picture: D. Günther
Werner Prize 2026
Prof. Nina Hartrampf, University of Zurich
receives the award for her outstanding program in chemical biology, driven by a detailed understanding of chemical reactivity, leveraged by state-of-the-art automation in flow chemistry, with a thorough evaluation in complex biological systems.
The prize is endowed with CHF 10’000 and a medal in bronze.
The award lecture will take place at the SCS Fall Meeting 2026, Bern, morning session of day 2 on August 28, 2026
Links:
Werner Prize website
Website Prof. Hartrampf
Picture: N. Hartrampf
Sandmeyer Prize 2026
The SCS honors
Dr. Gabriel Schäfer, Dr. Stefan Abele, Tony Fleischer and Muhamed Ahmetovic
from the chemical process development team from Actelion/Idorsia
in recognition of the team’s outstanding achievements to developing a scalable and cost-efficient enantioselective route of synthesis for ACT-1004-1239, a potent CXCR7-antagonist.
The award is endowed with CHF 20’000.
The award lecture will take place at the 18. Freiburger Symposium on April 16, 2027 and the SCS Fall Meeting 2026, Bern, afternoon session of day 2 on August 28, 2026
Links:
Sandmeyer Prize Website
SCS Senior Industrial Science Award 2026
Dr. Kurt Püntener, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG
is honored in recognition for his outstanding contributions in delivering innovative and breakthrough solutions in route design and process development for accessing highly complex drug substances including peptides and oligonucleotides.
The prize is endowed with CHF 10’000.
The award lecture will take place at the SCS Fall Meeting 2026, Bern, afternoon session of day 1 on August 27, 2026.
Links:
Website SCS Industrial Science Award Program
Picture: K. Püntener
SCS Industrial Science Award 2026
Dr. Samuele Cazzamalli, Philogen S.p.A
is awarded for his outstanding contribution in tumor-targeting therapeutics.
The award is endowed with CHF 7’000.
The award lecture is planned at the SCS Fall Meeting 2026, Bern, morning session of day 2 on August 28, 2026.
Links:
Website SCS Industrial Science Award Program
Picture: S. Cazzamalli
Swiss Green & Sustainable Chemistry Award 2026
Prof. Sachin Handa, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA,
is honored for his groundbreaking work in water-based chemistry, in particular with the use and the understanding of the role of surfactants in catalysis.
The prize is endowed with CHF 10’000 and a certificate and is supported by Syngenta Crop Protetion AG.
The award lecture takes place at the SCS Spring Meeting in Fribourg, on April 23, 2026.
Links:
Website Swiss Green & Sustainable Chemistry Award
Website of Prof. Handa
Picture: https://chemistry.missouri.edu
Balmer Prize 2026
Dr. Gabrijela Pejic und das MINT-Frauennetzwerk,
erhalten den Preis für ihr Projekt, an den Gymnasien mehr Schülerinnen für die naturwissenschaftlich-technischen Fächer zu begeistern und sie zu entsprechenden Studien und Berufen zu motivieren.
Der Preis ist mit CHF 4’000 und einer Bronze Medaille dotiert.
Die Award Lecture findet am Zentralkurs Chemie, Gym Lerbermatt Köniz, 07.-09.10.2026 statt.
Links:
Balmer Prize Website
MINT-Frauennetzwerk (SCNAT)
Picture: G. Pejic
DIAC Fellowship Award 2026
Dr. Tomas Smejkal, Syngenta Crop Protection AG
is awarded for his outstanding contributions in process chemistry, catalysis and high-throughput automation.
The award is endowed with CHF 1’000.
The tour will include lectures at University of Zurich, University of Fribourg as well as at Dottikon ES.
Links:
DIAC Fellow Website
Picture: T. Smejkal
Dr. Max Lüthi Prize 2026
Lukas Lagler, ZHAW Wädenswil,
wird geehrt für seine herausragende Bachelorarbeit «Synthese von Protein-Tyrosin-Phosphatasen-Inhibitoren».
Der Preis ist mit CHF 1’000 und einer Bronze Medaille dotiert.
Links:
Dr. Max Lüthi Preis Website
Picture: L. Lagler
David Spichiger, SCS
28.11.2025