Sustainability Award 2026 - Congratualations to everyone!

On July 9th, to kick off the awards ceremonies and mark the end of the semester, we presented the Sustainability Award for the first time this year. For everyone who couldn't attend in person, we'd like to introduce the award winners once again here.

The prize money of 300 € was sponsored by the Psychology Section of the Ernst Reuter Society and was divided among two selected applicants.

200 € went to a group of researchers who are doctoral students in the Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging Division: Guido Caccialupi, Marlon Esmeyer, Gianluigi Giannini, and Sara Wesolek.
As a research group, they have made a conscious decision to attend only conferences that are accessible by train. While fully aware that networking and individual visibility are particularly important early in one’s career, they are committed to consciously weighing the benefits against the resulting environmental costs—in this case, high CO₂ emissions. Just this past June, they traveled by train to a conference in Bordeaux, thereby avoiding approximately 1/2 ton of CO₂ per person. In doing so, they are supporting a shift in academic culture toward “slow science” and responsible mobility.

The other part of the prize (€100) went to Christian Kainz. He is a technical assistant also in the Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging division and has been a member of our university for several decades. He has been working at the FU since 1998 and has been biking to work every day ever since. He is a steadfast advocate for everyday climate protection measures, from recycling initiatives to company bicycle leasing programs. This daily commitment deserves our recognition, as change often does not result from a one-time impulse, but rather from consistent, visible action and the persistent demand for better conditions.

Thank you all again for your commitment and role models!!!