The GDCh manages a number of dependent foundations on a fiduciary basis, the purpose of which is to award prizes, sponsorship awards and scholarships.

Of particular note is the Karl Ziegler Foundation, which awards the €50,000 Karl Ziegler Prize, one of the GDCh s two most highly endowed foundation prizes, for outstanding scientific achievements in chemistry. This foundation also awards travel grants to the EuChemS congresses and the GDCh science forums.

The Dres. Volker-und-Elke-Münch-Stiftung supports young scientists financially when applying for patents.

The Paul Bunge Prize, which is awarded by the Hans R. Jenemann-Stiftung, as well as the awards from the Scimus et Sciemus-, Dr. Hermann Schnell-, Hellmut-Bredereck-, Georg-Manecke-, Wolfgang Johannes Hönle- and Meyer-Galow-Stiftung.

The most recent foundation is the Christel and Herbert W. Roesky Foundation, which awards a prize of 10,000 euros every two years in the field of molecular main group chemistry.

Foundation advisory boards decide on the awarding of prizes and honours.

Worthy of an award! How is it determined who is worthy of an award? The GDCh Board decides which prizes and honours are to be awarded in the following year. It is guided by the award statutes, according to which the awards can be presented annually, every two years or irregularly. The prizes are then publicly advertised in the previous year - in the GDCh member journal "Nachrichten aus der Chemie", Angewandte Chemie and its international edition as well as on the GDCh website. In addition, professors from the chemistry departments of selected universities are asked for suggestions. The Scientific Press Service for Chemistry will also inform other specialised press about the call for nominations. Only GDCh members are authorised to nominate candidates for most of the prizes. Self-applications are not permitted, except in the case of some foundation funding programmes. Selection committees appointed by the GDCh Board of Directors review and scrutinise the proposals received and propose the personalities to be honoured to the Board of Directors. The Board decides on the awarding of the prize. The GDCh President or a laudator appointed by the Executive Board has the honourable task of presenting the award. The award winners and their work are honoured in a laudatory speech.

The Klaus Grohe Prize for Medicinal Chemistry was awarded to young doctoral students for the last time in 2019. The founder, Prof Klaus Grohe, is reorganising his prize. Endowed with 50,000 euros, the Klaus Grohe Prize will in future be awarded at European level to deserving scientists in the field of medicinal chemistry. The first award ceremony will take place in 2021 as part of the EFMC-ISMC 2021 in Basel.

Klaus Grohe Prize,
Karl Ziegler Foundation,
August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation,
Meyer Galow Foundation,
Hans-R.Jenemann-Stiftung,
Georg-Manecke-Stiftung,
Wolfgang Johannes Hönle-Stiftung - Kunst und Chemie,
Hermann-Schnell-Stiftung,
Hellmut-Bredereck-Stiftung
Dres.Volker and Elke Münch Foundation