Apply Now for the Richtzenhain Doctoral Prize 2025

Historical black-and-white photo of a couple, Walther and Christine Richtzenhain, standing together in a garden. The woman wears a dark dress with floral accents, while the man is dressed in a suit with a bow tie. The background features greenery and a building. — Walther and Christine Richtzenhain

The Richtzenhain Doctoral Prize is awarded for outstanding dissertations in the field of cancer research that have been successfully completed at a research institute in Heidelberg or the University of Heidelberg.

The Richtzenhain Doctoral Prize is endowed by the Walther and Christine Richtzenhain Foundation and awarded by the DKFZ. Up to five prizes of EUR 2.000* are awarded every two years.

The prize is named after Drs. Walther and Christine Richtzenhain. Dr. Walther Richtzenhain, born in 1891, was a neurologist, psychiatrist, and theologian. He died of pancreatic cancer in 1950. Dr. Christine Richtzenhain, born Wilhelmina Christine Schneider in 1898, was a teacher and psychologist and then later a doctor. They lived in Darmstadt and were active members of the German Peace Society. Before she died in 1975, Christine Richtzenhain founded the Walther and Christine Richtzenhain Foundation in memory of her husband.

Next application deadline: 31 August 2025

Eligibility

Eligible to apply are doctoral students who completed their doctoral research project (Dr. rer. nat./Dr. sc. hum./Dr. med./Dr.-Ing. thesis) in the field of cancer research at a research institute in Heidelberg or the University of Heidelberg. The thesis defense must have taken place between 15 July 2023 and 15 July 2025.

How to Apply

Please submit the following documents, compiled into a single PDF file online here by 31 August 2025.

Description of the doctoral research project
CV, incl. engagement within the scientific community (e.g. teaching activities, doctoral student initiatives, scientific societies)
List of publications and conference contributions (poster/talk)
Letter of support (from e.g. PhD supervisor)
Short (max. 50-word summary) written for a lay audience that can be used for presentation of the prize winners on the DFKZ website.
Photo of the applicant (optional) for presentation of winners on the DKFZ website.

Prize winners will be announced by mid-October 2025. Prizes will be awarded at the DKFZ Graduation Ceremony on 28 November 2025 to which all prize winners will be invited to attend in person.

For further information, please contact the DKFZ International PhD Program Office.

*prize money may be subject to tax. Number of prizes may differ.

Previous Richtzenhain Doctoral Prize Awardees

Find out more about previous prize winners and their PhD projects.

Image showing a group of diverse individuals, including both men and women, smiling and looking towards the camera. The photo features various facial expressions and settings, representing the prize winners from 2021 to 2023. Each person is framed in a circular cutout.