Contests / awards

Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe, June 18, 2026 – The Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) is now accepting nominations for the 2027 Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research. Endowed with €2.5 million, the prize will be awarded in Bad Homburg on June 3, 2027, and will recognize outstanding achievements in the field of cell-based immunotherapies. These innovative approaches involve using living immune cells for the targeted treatment of diseases – with particular promise in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disorders. Nominations can be submitted until August 27, 2026.

Cell-based immunotherapies are among the most promising developments in modern medicine. They involve the targeted use or genetic modification of immune cells to recognize and eliminate diseased and disease-causing cells. The best-known form is CAR-T cell therapy in which immune cells are engineered to specifically attack tumor cells.

To date, these approaches have primarily been used in the treatment of certain blood cancers. CAR-T cell therapies have already demonstrated their effectiveness in leukemia and lymphoma – even in patients for whom other treatment options have been exhausted. At the same time, researchers worldwide are working to extend the use of cell-based immunotherapies to additional disease areas, including solid tumors, autoimmune disorders, and certain infectious diseases.

€2.5 million for outstanding research
With the Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research, EKFS honors scientists who have made groundbreaking contributions in a selected field of biomedical research and whose future work is expected to lead to significant advances – or even breakthroughs – in the treatment of severe diseases. Awarded every two years, the prize at the same time acknowledges the remarkable legacy of the foundation’s founder, Else Kröner.

Of the total of €2.5 million in prize money, €500,000 is intended for the prizewinner personally, in recognition of their achievements. The remaining €2 million is to be used to support their future research.

Academic researchers working in basic research or clinical research can be nominated for the prize. Research involving the modification of immune cells for therapies to combat cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other serious illnesses will be considered. This includes approaches in which cells are modified outside the body as well as treatments that act directly within the body. EKFS particularly welcomes the nomination of early- and mid-career researchers.

Nomination possible until August 27, 2026
Heads of research institutions, university faculties, and scientific organizations are able to submit nominations. Researchers may be nominated regardless of their nationality or place of work. Researchers are not able to nominate themselves. Following a preliminary formal review by EKFS, an international jury will prepare a shortlist. The shortlisted nominees will then be invited to submit a project outline for their planned research to be funded through the prize. The award ceremony will take place on June 3, 2027.

Nominations for the 2027 prize must be submitted via the EKFS online proposal portal. For more information on the prize, the nomination procedure, and the award ceremony, see the EKFS website: https://www.ekfprize27.de.

Previous prizewinners include Ruslan Medzhitov, Karl Deisseroth, Alessandro Aiuti, Akiko Iwasaki, and Anastasia Khvorova.

For further information:
Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research: https://ekfs.de/en/scientific-funding/international-research-prize

Accompanying film about the call for proposals: https://youtu.be/U_76VzVDZGk

Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) – Advancing research. Helping people.
The Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung is a nonprofit foundation that promotes medical research and supports humanitarian projects. To date the foundation has funded around 3,000 projects. With an annual funding volume currently of approximately 90 million euros, it is the largest foundation in Germany supporting medical advancement. For more information, see https://ekfs.de/en

Press contact:
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung
Bianka Jerke
Public Relations
Tel.: + 49 6172 8975-24
Email: b.jerke@ekfs.de

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Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Dr. Alexander Lehmann
Scientific Funding: Graduate and Research Schools and International Research Prize
a.lehmann@ekfs.de
+49 (6172) 8975-25

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Weitere Informationen:
https://ekfs.de/en/current-topics/call-for-proposals/else-kroner-fresenius-prize-medical-research-2027