The Schmauss Award shall be given to a young researcher who has achieved and published new results in atmospheric aerosol science ...
SCHMAUSS AWARD
The Schmauss Award, named after the physicist / meteorologist August Schmauss (1877-1952), recognizes significant research contributions related to atmospheric aerosol science, also including the simulation of atmospheric processes in a chamber or by a model, remote sensing, as well as the effects of atmospheric airborne particles on climate or health.
Committee members: Thorsten Hoffmann (Chair), Andreas Kürten, Birgit Wehner, Claudia Mohr und Ottmar Möhler
* final deadline
30 April 2026

Regulations common to the Schmauss Award
and the Smoluchowski Award (1. February 2023)
Both awards recognize outstanding young aerosol scientists, the Schmauss Award in the field related of atmospheric aerosols, the Smoluchowski Award in any other area of aerosol science and technology.
We encourage applications from women and ethnic minorities, who are currently under-represented among the past awardees. For further questions you may directly contact the members of the award committee or the GAeF board.
1. AWARD
(a) The awards shall be given to young researchers, defined by the year of PhD plus 10 years. Career interruptions due to e.g., parental leave are considered eligible for extending the time. Candidates must have achieved and published new results in the corresponding fields of aerosol science in the preceding 3 years. Each award may be shared by two individuals judged to be equally meritorious.
(b) The awards will be conferred by the Gesellschaft für Aerosolforschung (GAeF) during the annual European Aerosol Conference or the International Aerosol Conference.
2. COMMITTEE
(a) Each of the award committees is composed of at least four members of the Gesellschaft für Aerosolforschung (GAeF). The actual number is decided by the board of GAeF. The members of the committees are elected by the GAeF board for a period of 3 years, with one possible prolongation. The award committees elect one chairman for both committees, the election is led by the past chairman. In case of impediment the president of GAeF leads the election. The past chairman is a member of both committees ex officio for one period of 3 years.
(b) The names of the members of the award committee are listed on the GAeF web page.
3. NOMINATIONS
(a) The Schmauss/Smoluchowski Award Committees of GAeF invite nominations of candidates by members of EAA Aerosol Associations working in the corresponding field of aerosol science. Regulations issued by the Schmauss/Smoluchowski Award Committee are posted on the home page of GAeF
(b) Nominations should be sent before 1 May to the chairman of the corresponding Award Committee. Any researcher, active in aerosol science, is eligible and may be nominated by members of EAA Aerosol Associations.
(c) A nomination is made by a full letter of justification including a curriculum vitae and a bibliography. The letter should include at least one specific reference to an outstanding work of the nominee. The nomination should include no more than three supporting letters,
(d) The nominee need not be a member of the aerosol organizations.
(e) Nominations may be carried over to the following award by a renomination letter.
4.SELECTION
(a) The committees will review all nominations in closed session. After a discussion of the candidates the Award Committee votes on the candidates. The voting procedures are decided by the Award Committee. If the award committee discusses a candidate coming from the institution of one of the members of the committee, this member neither is allowed to speak about this candidate, nor to vote.
(b) A copy of the minutes of the session is sent to the secretary general of GAeF.
(c) The award committee has the discretionary power to not select an awardee in any given period.
(d) The award consists of a certification and a donation of 2.000 € for each award. If more than one winner is chosen, the amount is divided by the number of recipients. The name(s) and achievements of the awardee(s) will be published on the homepage of GAeF.
WINNERS OF THE SCHMAUSS AWARD

2024
Jonas Elm
Dept. of Chemistry, Aarhus University
Contributions in the field of atmospheric cluster modeling and nucleation of atmospheric particles
2011 M.Sc., Nano-Science, Uni. Copenhagen
2014 PhD, Dept. of Chemistry, Uni. Copenhagen
2014 – 19 var. Postdoc. positions, e.g. Copenhagen, Aarhus, Helsinki
2020 – present Assist. Prof., Dept. ofChemistry, Aarhus University
Publications: 108 (30 as 1st author)
Citations: ca. 3200
h-index: 35
Award Committee: Claudia Mohr, Birgit Wehner, Ottmar Möhler, Andreas Kürten, Thorsten Hoffmann

2023
PROF. DR. CHRISTINA WILLIAMSON
Finnish Meteorological Institute and University of Helsinki
Contributions to atmospheric aerosol chemistry and its impact on health and climate
2011 MPhys, Oxford University (Exeter College)
2015 PhD in Atmospheric Science, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main
2015 – 2018 Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, CU Boulder and NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Research Scientist Level 1
2018 – 2022 Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, CU Boulder and NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Research Scientist Level 2
2022 – present Tenure Track Research Professor, Finnish Meteorological Institute and University of Helsinki
Publications: 61 (of which 4 in Nature; 1 as 1st author)
Citations: 4607
h-index: 29 (Clarivate) / 28 (WoS)
Award Committee: G. Kasper, A. Weber, T. Hoffmann, A. Kürten, B. Wehner

2022
DR. IMAD EL HADDAD
PSI, Villingen, Switzerland
Contributions to atmospheric aerosol chemistry and its impact on health and climate
2005 BS (Chemistry), Univ. de Saint Joseph, Beirut
2007 MS (Env. Sci.), Univ. de Provence, Marseille
2011 PhD (Atm. & Analytical Chemistry), Marseille
since 2011 at Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland
as Postdoc > Senior Scientist >
> Group Head (Env. Molecular Sci.)
since 2021 Acting Head, Lab. of Atmosph. Chemistry, PSI
Publications: 145 (of which 4 in Nature, 1 in Science)
(30 as corresponding author)
Citations: ca. 7500
h-index: 43 (Clarivate) / 50 (WoS)
Award Committee: G. Kasper, A. Weber, T. Hoffmann, A. Kürten, B. Wehner

2021
FEDERICO BIANCHI
University of Helsinki, Finland
New ground-breaking insights into atmospheric new particle formation at the molecular level in locations ranging from the free troposphere to Chinese megacities
2009 MSc. Chemistry, University of Milano
2014 PhD Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul-Scherrer-Institute
Since 2018 at University of Helsinki
Since 2020 Associate Professor, cryosphere-atmosphere interactions
Visiting Scientist, Beijing University of Chem. Technology
Publications: 85 (9 in Nature/Science)
Citations: ca. 6100
h-index: 33
Award Committee: Gerhard Kasper, Alfred Weber, Birgit Wehner, Thorsten Hoffmann, Andreas Kürten

2020
PROF. DR. CLAUDIA MOHR
Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Molecular composition and growth of secondary organic aerosols and related new mass-spectrometric techniques
2007 MSc. (Atmospheric Sci.), ETH Zürich and University of Colorado, Boulder
2011 PhD (Atmospheric Sciences), Paul Scherrer Institute and ETH Zürich
2011 - 14 PostDoc, University of Washington, Seattle
2014 - 17 Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
since 2017 Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University
Publications: 67
Citations: ca. 4200 (WoS)
h-index: 34
Award Committee: G. Kasper, A. Weber, T. Hoffmann, A. Kürten, B. Wehner

2020
DR. YAFANG CHENG
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
Aerosol chemistry in haze formation, size-dependent phase transitions, and global black carbon inventories
2001 BS, Wuhan University
2007 PhD, Beijing University (Atmospheric Sci.)
2007 - 09 PostDoc, Tropos, Leipzig
2009 - 11 PostDoc, University of Iowa
2011 - 13 “100 Talent” Professor, Beijing University
2013 - 14 Visiting Scientist, MPI for Chemistry, Mainz
2014 - 17 Guest Prof., Hefei University of Science and Technology
Since 2014 Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz
Publications: 111 (41 within the last 3 yrs)
Citations: > 5020 (WoS)
h-index: 36
https://publons.com/researcher/2825003/yafang-cheng/metrics/
Award Committee: G. Kasper, A. Weber, T. Hoffmann, A. Kürten, B. Wehner

2019
PROF. DR. RAJAN K. CHAKRABARTY
Washington University in Saint Louis
Characterization of the optical properties of carbonaceous aerosols with implications to radiative forcing, climate change, and remote sensing
2005 M.Sc. in Atmospheric Physics (University of Nevada Reno)
2008 Ph.D. in Chemical Physics (University of Nevada Reno)
2011-14 Assistant Research Professor (Laboratory for Aerosol Science, Spectroscopy and Optics, Desert Research Inst. Reno)
2015-18 Director, Center for Aerosol Science and Engineering (WU St. Louis)
since 2014 Assistant Professor (WU St. Louis)
Publications: 71 (38 within last 3 years)
Citations: 2380
H-index: 22
Honors: American Geophysical Union (AGU) Global Environmental Change, Richard M. Goody Award, etc.
Award Committee: Hugh Coe, Thorsten Hoffmann, Birgit Wehner, Alfred Weber

2019
PROF. DR. BERNADETT WEINZERL
University of Vienna
Analysis of aerosol long-range transport and aerosol-cloud- interaction by perfecting and performing airplane measurements
2004 M.Sc. Meteorology (LMU Munich)
2008 Ph.D. Physics (LMU Munich)
2007-10 Aerosol Scientist (DLR, Oberpfaffen- hofen)
2010-16 Helmholtz-Univ. Young Investigator Group AerCARE (LMU Munich)
since 2016 Full Professor for Aerosol and Cluster Physics (University of Vienna)
Publications: 77 (27 within last 3 years)
Citations: 2326 H-index:31
Honors: NASA Group Achievement Award, ERC Starting Grant, DLR Science Award, Therese-von-Bayern Award, etc.
Award Committee: Hugh Coe, Thorsten Hoffmann, Birgit Wehner, Alfred Weber

2018
PROF. DR. RU-JIN HUANG
Academy of Sciences, Beijing
Detailed chemical analysis of ambient aerosol and implication for air pollution
2018
DR. JAY G. SLOWIK
Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland
Detailed chemical analysis of ambient aerosol and implication for air pollution