Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOFApplied Photonics Award 2025: Young talent award for theses in applied photonics announced
Until June 30, students and doctoral candidates can once again apply for the Applied Photonics Award, organized by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF. The prize for young talent honors theses that deal with innovative optical technologies for society and industry. It is endowed with up to €3,000 in prize money.
Promoting highly qualified young talent and recognizing new ideas in the field of applied photonics at an early stage - this is the aim of the Applied Photonics Award, the young researcher award organized by Fraunhofer IOF from Jena, Germany.
Prizes are awarded to a total of three final theses in the categories Bachelor, Master/Diploma and Dissertation. The winners will receive prize money and valuable career contacts in the photonics and optics industry. The prize money is staggered as follows:
- Category A: Best Bachelor's thesis (1,000 €)
- Category B: Best Master's thesis (2,000 €)
- Category C: Best Dissertation (3,000 €)
Who can apply?
All bachelor's, master's and diploma theses as well as dissertations (in German or English) that were submitted to a German university or college in 2024 or 2025 and are considered "passed" by the time the application is submitted are eligible.
The field of study is irrelevant: the range of former award winners extends from physics to optometry to horticultural sciences. The decisive factor for the award is that the work deals with innovative and commercially viable optical technologies for sustainable living and economic activity.
Applications will be accepted until June 30, 2025 at appliedphotonicsaward@iof.fraunhofer.de as well as online at https://www.applied-photonics-award.de/en/application.html.
Award ceremony at the Photonics Day Jena
The Applied Photonics Award will be presented in September 2025 at the Photonics Day Jena, an international career and networking event organized by Fraunhofer IOF and the Max Planck School of Photonics. The winners will have the opportunity to present their thesis in front of an expert audience. There will also be the opportunity to network with representatives of high-ranking companies in the optics and photonics industry.
This year's Applied Photonics Award is again being presented with the kind support of the Association of German Engineers (VDI), the State Development Corporation of Thuringia as well as the companies JENOPTIK and Trumpf.
