Ten teams celebrate the victory: Best research environment 2024 chosen!

Ten teams celebrate the victory: Best research environment 2024 chosen!

Münster, Deutschland - On June 11, 2025, the award "Best Research environment 2024" was awarded, which was first launched by the Junge Akademie and the Volkswagen Foundation. Ten teams from different scientific disciplines have been awarded for their outstanding research environment. This initiative recognizes the important role that plays a good research environment for science and careers from researchers.

From almost 300 applications, 24 teams were selected for the shortlist in March. On June 7, the winning teams were determined by a lottery procedure. This procedure emphasizes that there is no ranking of the teams and that everyone is considered worthy of award on the shortlist. Each of the excellent research environment receives prize money of 10,000 euros, which can be used for team-building measures and the further development of cooperative work, as Science communication

The importance of research environment

The design of a positive research environment was particularly emphasized by Gisela Kopp, an alumna of the young academy. She emphasizes that such environments are crucial for creative and cooperative work, which Dr. Antje Tepperwien from the Volkswagen Foundation also underlined. The award is intended to highlight the importance of a good research environment, especially in early career phases.

science and freedom

The determination of the importance of research reins takes place in a historical and current context in which freedom of science is increasingly under pressure. According to the Federal Center for Political Education The Academic Freedom Index (AFI) documents about 80 % of the world population in countries with moderate to severe restrictions Freedom of science lives. These restrictions can be caused by political measures, corporate financing or social circumstances.

freedom of science is a fundamental human right that is crucial for scientific progress. In the past, there have been numerous historical cuts, such as the measures of the red Khmer in Cambodia, which suspended academic activities and had catastrophic effects on the education system. The AFI was developed to make freedom of science and research measurable worldwide and to enable a systematic comparison.

It remains to be seen how the new initiatives to strengthen research environments will not only promote the careers of the individual scientists, but also science as a whole. The recognition and support of creative and cooperative work environments could be essential to counter the challenges of modern research and the preservation of freedom of science.