Helmut-Schaefer Prize for excellent Master’s theses
Prerequisite for application for the Helmut Schaefer Prize:
- One-page synopsis of the thesis & current curriculum vitae (PDF, siehe Abstract Template).
- Extended version of the thesis (PDF/Word)
- Grade certificate of the Master’s thesis and of the study program (not older than 15 months)
Based on the submitted exposé of all participants, three finalists will be selected in advance who will be allowed to present their work in a five-minute presentation. The presentations will then be reviewed by the scientific jury and will be included in the evaluation just like the exposé.
In addition to scientific prestige and an invitation to the FfE symposium, the winners will receive prize money of € 500. The other two finalists will each receive € 100 in prize money.
Starting shot for the Helmut-Schaefer-Prize 2022! Application deadline 31 August 2022
Further information on the application can be found here!
Since 2019, the FfE has awarded the Helmut-Schaefer-Prize once a year. This prize is awarded to master’s theses that make an exceptionally high contribution to an innovative and sustainable energy system. The Helmut-Schaefer-Prize recognizes innovative approaches to solutions, scientific depth, and benefits for the practice. These are quality criteria that are particularly important for the research work at FfE.
These are the previous winners of the Helmut-Schaefer-Prize
Helmut Schaefer, born in Opladen in 1926, came from a Protestant pastor’s family. He studied high-frequency engineering at the Technical University of Karlsruhe, then turned to the energy industry. In 1967, he took over the management of the FfE, of which he was subsequently the scientific director for 27 years. In 1969 he was called to Munich to establish the Chair of Energy Economics and Power Plant Technology.
He became known among experts for his work in rational energy use. With his technical contributions and the development of a system for the implementation of new technologies in an energy-economically sensible way, he contributed to increasing efficiency in many areas. In the last decade of his work as a full professor, the focus was on his work on cumulative energy expenditure, which, beyond purely academic interest, also formed a valuable basis for the implementation of the holistic evaluation of energy systems demanded by energy policy and led to the life cycle assessment of products and energy chains.
Helmut Schaefer has always been involved in voluntary work. Particularly mentioned should be his many years of participation in or chairmanship of the VDE and the VDI-GET, his memberships in commissions of inquiry of the German Bundestag and the Science Council, and his activities in the energy advisory boards of various states. In these and many other committees, the focus was always on his commitment to making technical-scientific facts understandable, particularly informing politicians and the media in an energy-neutral way. His activities have been honored with the Federal Cross of Merit, an honorary doctorate, the Bavarian Order of Merit, and many other awards.
