Hector RCD Award for Carolin Müller
FAU EAM member Carolin Müller is one of just three awardees
The three new winners of the Hector Research Career Development Award have been announced: chemist Carolin Müller, medical scientist Carolin Schneider and psychologist and neuroscientist Sofie Valk will receive the award, with which the Hector Fellow Academy is supporting the research careers of promising scientists in the post-doctoral phase for the fifth time in a row. The expert jury announced the names of the winners in Heidelberg on 24 January 2025.
The Hector Fellow Academy funding format is aimed at particularly talented young researchers from the natural sciences, engineering, medicine or psychology who have already honed their scientific profile and taken their first career steps. They can apply once a year for the Hector Research Career Development Award (Hector RCD Award). In addition to one-off support for their research totalling 25,000 euros, those who convince the jury also receive funding for a doctoral position including 9,500 euros for research funds per year and become a member of the Hector Fellow Academy for five years.
‘This award is far more than financial support — it is a gateway to a broader academic network and invaluable interdisciplinary exchange. It creates new opportunities for collaboration and scientific growth, strengthening the impact of my research,’ explains award winner Carolin Müller. Carolin Müller has been Assistant Professor for the Theory of Electronically Excited States at the Computational Chemistry Centre at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg since November 2023. As a theoretical chemist, Müller researches the fascinating world of light-induced processes. Her research focuses on deciphering the molecular mechanisms behind these phenomena. In doing so, Carolin Müller pursues a digital chemistry approach that combines quantum chemistry methods with data science. Her aim is to optimise light-driven processes in a targeted manner, thereby improving reactivity and efficiency.
The funding for a doctoral position associated with the award has once again been met with great enthusiasm by the award winners this year. The job advertisements will be published in the coming weeks and interested candidates will have the opportunity to apply.
The Hector RCD Award is aimed at particularly talented young researchers from the natural and engineering sciences, medicine or psychology who have already sharpened their scientific profile and taken their first career step. With the awarding of the new awardees, seventeen Hector RCD Awardees are currently members of the Hector Fellow Academy.
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