The award ceremony of the ZEISS Women Award 2024 will take place on October 16, 2024 in Munich for invited guests. There will also be a virtual livestream, the link to the stream will be provided on this page before the event.

Applications in the three categories Digital Research, Digital Entrepreneurship and Digital Social Impact are open to all female graduates who have already gained their Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree or diploma in the past winter semester 2023/24 or are about to graduate at the time of application and are just starting their thesis, are in the middle of editing it or are still waiting for their final result.

No, the graduates of WS24/25 can apply for the ZEISS Women Award next year.

The application conditions are clearly defined and can be found at the top of this website. Fulfillment of the conditions is a prerequisite for participation in the application process.

No, the application can also be submitted in English.

The application period ends on July 28, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

The ZEISS Women Award can only be applied for as an individual. The award is intended to honor and recognize pioneers, visionaries and initiators who, through their commitment, create visibility for all women in the digital and IT field and act as role models. Applications from groups will not be considered.

Do you fulfill the conditions of participation and does your project, research work or initiative contribute to one of the three categories? Then nothing stands in your way to apply! Click on the corresponding application link in your category and submit all your application documents. We'll keep our fingers crossed for you!

Digital Research
Digital Enterpreneurship
Digital Social Impact

The application documents to be submitted are listed at the top of this website. Further additional documents can be viewed in the applicant portal by clicking on the respective “Apply now” button. These additional documents can be, for example, proof of your publication, key figures of the business case, additional material for illustration or certificates/awards/patent applications. For the evaluation process and comparability, it is advantageous to get as detailed a picture as possible of you and your work.

Unfortunately, an application in several categories is not permitted.

The three award categories are very broadly defined. The scope of the categories is intended as a guide for your application - at the same time, of course, we know that not every project can always be assigned to just one category. If none of the categories seem to fit - don't worry! Send us your application in the category that best suits you and your project. As part of the evaluation process, we will analyze your application in detail. If, in individual cases, we see a better chance for you in another category, we will contact you and reserve the right to reassign your application.

We want to get to know your project and the motivation behind it as precisely as possible! The abstract of your project/research work or initiative helps us to do this. It should illustrate the innovative character and impact of your work and also be comprehensible to people outside the field. We would also like to know more about your personal intrinsic motivation. The description of your motivation can, for example, relate to the following questions:

How did the idea come up?

Was the impulse born out of personal motives or personal concern?

What is the motivation behind the project?

Summarize your abstract and the description of the motive in one document. The total length of the document should not exceed two A4 pages.

The aim of the ZEISS Women Award is to recognize women who make/have made a valuable contribution to the digital and IT environment through their work or research and who really go the extra mile. In order to differentiate and distinguish this special commitment and extraordinary effort from regular project work, it must be made transparent by providing evidence. Show us your extra mile!

Unfortunately, this is not possible. Please check your application carefully, including all attachments, before sending the documents to us. Submitted applications can no longer be reviewed.

The first-place winner in each category will receive the ZEISS Women Award and a prize of €5,000.

All submitted applications will be checked by us upon receipt for compliance with the conditions of participation and formal completeness. After this, the selection process will start. Candidates who make it onto the shortlist will be contacted by us and informed about the next steps. We ask for your understanding that we cannot provide a status update during the application and selection process.

Our jury will nominate the selection of finalists from all applications received in September. The winners of the three categories will be announced and honored at the ZEISS Women Award ceremony on October 16.

The award is organized and sponsored by ZEISS.

Feel free to contact us at any time at womenaward .de @zeiss .com.