Rhein-Main Universitäten (RMU)

On 27 November 2025, the RMU Awards of the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) were presented for the first time at a festive awards ceremony held at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. The awards were presented in the profile areas Society and Health, respectively. Together with Data and Matter, they form the four profile areas in which the RMU pools its research. 

The RMU Award in the area of Health for “Pharmaceutical Research & Innovative Medical Therapies” of Frankfurt Foundation Quality of Medicines was presented to Dr. Cristian Prieto-Garcia, a researcher at Goethe University Frankfurt, where he focuses on cellular maturation of RNA molecules. He discovered that it is possible to deliberately create errors in RNA maturation, thereby eliminating cancer cells. This finding, published in specialist journal Science, opens up new ways for cancer therapies. With innovative approaches to drug development, more than 20 professional publications and strong partners, he stands for excellent, practice-oriented research.

The recipient of the Sibylle Kalkhof-Rose RMU Award for the Humanities and Social Sciences is Prof. Dr. Christian Wiese, holder of the Martin-Buber-Chair. He is honored for his outstanding research on Jewish intellectual and cultural history and his extraordinary engagement in science, education and society. With his innovative projects on research on religion and antisemitism, international networking and the promotion of young researchers, he has made a significant impact in his field far beyond Germany.

Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff, President of Goethe University Frankfurt and current RMU spokesperson, was delighted that researchers of the RMU are honored with the RMU Awards for the first time and emphasized: “With Dr. Cristian Prieto Garcia and Prof. Dr. Christian Wiese, we have two award recipients whose research is distinguished by a high scientific innovational value and illustrates the broad performance spectrum of the RMU alliance. Excellent researchers such as our award recipients provide invaluable impetus that is important for societal transformation. They also stand for the high level of practical cooperation within the RMU!”

Schleiff also thanked the two award donors, Prof. Dr. Henning Blume of Frankfurt Foundation Quality of Medicines, and Dr. Wolfgang Litzenburger of Sibylle Kalkhof-Rose Foundation, as well as Prof. Dr. Felix Hausch of TU Darmstadt and Prof. Dr. Catherina Wenzel of Goethe University Frankfurt who held the laudatory speeches.

In his laudatory speech honoring Dr. Cristian Prieto-Garcia, Prof. Dr. Felix Hausch pointed out: “Dr. Prieto-Garcia is not only a brilliant scientist but also a visionary thinker with the maturity, creativity, and drive to establish an independent research program that bridges fundamental biology with pharmaceutical innovation. His discoveries have the potential to transform therapeutic approaches in cancer and beyond, and his track record demonstrates that he can translate bold concepts into tangible progress.”

Prof. Dr. Catherina Wenzel praised Prof. Dr. Christian Wiese’s commitment within the RMU alliance in her laudatory speech and added: “I would like to emphasize that Christian Wiese does not do his research in isolation in an ivory tower, but with a firm orientation towards current cultural and socio-political discourses. This is illustrated by his long-standing cooperations, for example with the Jewish community in Frankfurt, the Central Council of Jews in Germany, the Jewish Museum Frankfurt and numerous non-university educational institutions in the region, but also by his activities in the field of science policy. 

The foundations

Frankfurt Foundation Quality of Medicines

The Frankfurt Foundation Quality of Medicines promotes research projects with the aim of assuring, developing and optimizing the quality of medicinal products and their therapeutic use. The focus is on the development of advanced processes, innovative technologies and modern standardization approaches. The Foundation also honors outstanding scientific achievements and initiatives in this field through prizes and awards – both at its own initiative and in cooperation with professional associations. 

Starting in 2025, the Foundation presents the RMU Award for Pharmaceutical Research & Innovative Medical Therapies to outstanding early career researchers. The award honors creative, pioneering research ideas with high scientific and therapeutic potential and is endowed with 10,000 euros. 
 

Sybille-Kalkhof-Rose Foundation 

The Sibylle Kalkhof-Rose Foundation promotes research and teaching at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (JGU), in particular early career researchers. There are two funding lines: The University Award is presented each year to young researchers in the categories humanities and social Sciences, natural sciences and medicine. In addition, the Foundation supports outstanding, sustainable and significant projects and acquisitions at the JGU that cannot be funded from regular means. 

In 2025, the Foundation honors outstanding, personal and scientific achievements at the Rhine-Main Universities with the RMU Award. It is endowed with 10,000 euros to be used at the awardee’s discretion.