Kaufmann Hillenkamp Award 2026
of the German Society for Mass Spectrometry
TransMIT GmbH in collaboration with DGMS are endowing the “Kaufmann-Hillenkamp Award for Mass Spectrometry-Based Explorations of Understudied Diseases”.
The German Society for Mass Spectrometry (DGMS) was founded in 1997 as the successor to the Mass Spectrometry Working Group (AGMS). It supports and promotes mass spectrometry, a highly accurate analytical method for the examination of isolated molecules. DGMS aims to facilitate the scientific exchange among its members and to communicate mass spectrometry-related research. The society has about 700 active members from various backgrounds such as universities, industry, research institutions, and governmental laboratories. Major interests are the development of mass spectrometric devices and their application to analytical as well as fundamental challenges in areas such as chemistry, physics, life science, medicine, geology, and forensics.
Raimund Kaufmann (1934 – 1997) and Franz Hillenkamp (1936 – 2014) pioneered medical mass spectrometry with the development of the LAMMA technique in the 1970s for microscopically-resolved mass spectrometry of biological tissue and thus laid the foundation for mass spectrometry-assisted biomedical research and modern laser-based mass spectrometry imaging techniques.
The award aims to support two understudied research areas:
• Neglected and poverty-related diseases such as parasite and insect-transmitted infections, as well as snakebite envenomations
• Rare genetic diseases, for example Friedreich’s ataxia, sickle cell anemia or Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Mass spectrometry is an essential tool for the investigation of such diseases, their pathological mechanisms, and possible treatment options. Owing to its high specificity, sensitivity, and versatility, mass spectrometry has enabled applications ranging from tissue imaging to biomarker identification and single cell omics, and is thus significantly contributing to the advancement of these research disciplines.
The prize aims to honor scientists who applied and improved mass spectrometric methodologies and/or instrumentation, promoting major advances in studies of neglected or rare diseases.
Candidates from European research institutions may be nominated. In addition, personal applications are also recognized. The monetary award of the prize is 5.000 € and will be awarded at the annual DGMS conference. Deadline for applications and nominations is November 1 of each year. All submissions are to be sent electronically to the speaker of the price jury, Prof. Nicole Strittmatter (nicole.strittmatter@tum.de).
The following list of selection citeria applies:
- Diseases, which are currently widely investigated are not considered. Instead, the focus is on diseases, which have not received sufficient research attention since they mostly occur in developing countries or are scarce, so that targeted drug development is not considered financially profitable.
- The application needs to present a unique but essential mass spectrometric achievement, which advances both the technique and the applications, focusing on the analytical approach. In contrast, clinical studies for example, in which mass spectrometry is applied among other analytical tools, are not considered. This includes proteomics or metabolomics approaches using established routine methods, even when applied to the study of rare diseases.
- Mass spectrometric methods considered eligible are imaging techniques, but also novel omics or other mass spectrometric advances, which are not widely established routine, are recognized.
- The applicant should be working with the instrumentation her/himself and should have personally developed the relevant technical advancements. Mass spectrometric experiments, which have been performed in service elsewhere are thus not considered.
