Supervisor

Award for Best Doctoral Supervision

For the fifth time, GRADE announces the award for the best doctoral supervision at Goethe University. We want to encourage dedicated doctoral supervisors in their work, make their commitment visible and recognize them for their achievement.

The nomination period for the GRADE Award for Best Doctoral Supervision 2026 has ended on September 15. We would like to thank all doctoral candidates and recent graduates who submitted nominations and shared their experiences of excellent supervision.

The nominations highlight supervisors who provide reliable guidance throughout the doctoral journey, support doctoral candidates in their research and offer valuable advice on their future career paths. They also recognise supervisors who create a supportive environment in which doctoral candidates feel well advised and encouraged.

All nominations have now been received and will proceed to the next stage of the selection process. Further nominations are no longer possible.

The award will be presented during a ceremony on November 30, 2026.
You can register for the event via the link in the sidebar >>

>> See the list of nominees in 2026

Who can nominate? Groups with at least three doctoral candidates and/or graduates up to 1 year after their disputations have the right to nominate.
Who is nominated? Professors, lecturers and junior research group leaders of Goethe University
How can you nominate? Nominations for 2026 have closed on 15 September 2026. 
Who makes the selection? GRADE’s internationally staffed scientific advisory board serves as the selection committee.
How is the selection made? The criteria include supervisory performance, the support of doctoral students with respect to research, support in questions of career planning as well as a particular commitment to promoting early career researchers.


The award money must be specifically used to further support the early career researchers of Goethe University. The recipients must provide GRADE with an account of the use within a time period of two years.

Award Ceremony

The award will be presented on 30 November 2026 during a ceremonial event at the Casino Building on Westend Campus (Room 1.801).

The event is open to all nominees, the doctoral researchers and postdocs who nominated them, as well as interested members and guests from all faculties and departments of Goethe University. Registration will open in late September 2026.

Program:

15:30    Arrival and registration
16:00   Welcome Address
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Brüne
vice president for Research    
16.15   Keynote lecture
Prof. Maresi Nerad, PhD
Director of the Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate
Education, University of Washington
16:45   Tribute to the nominees
17:00   Presentation of the award
ab 18:00   Get-together with drinks and fingerfood

The Nominees 2026