PROJECT AND WEB PORTAL AWARDED THE HUMBOLDTN PRIZE FOR SUSTAINABILITY 2025
1ST PLACE FOR PROJECT AND WEB PORTAL
The Humboldtⁿ Prize for Sustainability, which is awarded every two years, honours projects that serve as role models due to their scientific basis and social impact. The initiative is sponsored by the 16 universities in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Wuppertal Institute and the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts. A jury of scientists and practitioners selected the winners at the Future Conference on 12 November 2025. Dr. Verena Römisch and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ralf Roth from the German Sport University Cologne accepted first place for our project ‘Sustainable [Major] Sporting Events’ and the associated web portal.
UNIV.-PROF. DR. RALF ROTH, HEAD OF THE INSTITUTE FOR OUTDOOR SPORTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
‘We are delighted to receive this award. It shows that sustainability in sport is increasingly seen as a collective responsibility – and that science, politics and practice can take joint responsibility.’
DR. VERENA RÖMISCH, INSTITUTE OF SPORT ECONOMICS AND SPORT MANAGEMENT
‘It was important for us to demonstrate in the competition how practical and impact-oriented our work is. The award confirms that knowledge transfer and sustainable development can go hand in hand – and motivates us to continue the dialogue with the sports community.’
THE TEAM SUSTAINABLE SPORTING EVENTS ON SITE
In addition to the German Sport University Cologne, the other project partners, the German Olympic Sports Confederation and the Institute for Applied ecology, also attended the award ceremony at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
From left to right: Christian Siegel (German Olympic Sports Confederation), Dr Verena Römisch (German Sport University Cologne), Dr Hartmut Stahl (Institute for Applied ecology), Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ralf Roth (German Sport University Cologne)
2025 AWARD WINNERS
The jury selected this year's winners from a total of 28 submissions.
- First place (Transfer category)
Sustainable [major] Sporting events – German Sport University Cologne - First place (Teaching category)
Student BNE-tutors as catalysts for a transformative and sustainable higher education landscape – Ruhr University Bochum - First place (Research category)
Structured Heat Exchange for Optimised Water Energy Recovery (SHOWER) – TU Dortmund University
We would like to thank everyone who has supported the project and made the web portal what it is today!
Sharing knowledge. Securing support.
Further information and photos about the award can be found at: https://humboldt-n.nrw/aktuelles/humboldtn-preis-2025