Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Social Sciences and Technology
The Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Social Sciences and Technology is awarded by TUM and the Friedrich Schiedel Foundation to promote outstanding individuals who have contributed to a deeper understanding of the interactions between politics, society and technology.
Since 2018, the prize has been awarded jointly by TUM and the Munich School of Public Policy as the Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Politics and Technology to honor pioneering work at the interface between politics and technology. Past recipients include Helen Margetts (Oxford Internet Institute), Henry Farrell (John Hopkins University), Kathleen Thelen (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Margaret Roberts (University of California).
In order to strengthen the social sciences and interdisciplinary work at TUM, the prize, whose funding was recently renewed by the foundation, will be awarded by the TUM School for Social Sciences and Techmology starting in 2023. The prize, endowed with 30,000 euros, is intended to recognize outstanding scholars and changemakers in the field of social sciences in the broader sense and to provide a stay of several weeks at the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology.
The Friedrich Schiedel Foundation, founded by the entrepreneur and philanthropist Friedrich Schiedel (1913-2001), supports social institutions and projects and promotes science and research. Friedrich Schiedel was an honorary senator of the Technical University of Munich.
The award winners
Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, USA
Prof. Alondra Nelson received the Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Social Sciences and Technology 2023 „in appreciation of her extraordinary contributions as a scholar, teacher, and public servant in the realms of science, technology, and ethics, as well as her role in addressing the challenges posed by technological advancements and promoting responsible and ethical innovation.“
Professorship for Energy and Environmental Policy at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, MA, USA
Prof. Kelly Sims Gallagher received the Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Social Sciences and Technology 2022 „in appreciation of her exceptional research agenda on energy and climate policy, with a specific focus on how policy spurs the development and deployment of cleaner and more efficient energy technologies, both nationally and globally.“
Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute at the University of California, San Diego.
Prof. Margaret E. Roberts, Ph.D. received the 2021 Friedrich Schiedel Prize in Politics & Technology "in recognition of her impressive new research agenda at the intersection of political science and information policy. The jury was particularly impressed by her research focus on methods of automated content analysis and political censorship in China."
Ford Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Prof. Kathleen Thelen, Ph.D. received the Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Politics & Technology in 2020 “in appreciation of her outstanding scientific contributions at the intersection of politics and technology, namely the issue of governance of new technologies and big technology companies”.
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Prof. Henry Farrell, Ph.D. received the Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Politics & Technology in 2019 “in appreciation of his extraordinary contributions to political science and multidisciplinary research, honoring his groundbreaking work and research leadership in developing new theoretical approaches to understand the political consequences of rapid change in information technologies”.
Professor at Oxford University and Programme Director for Public Policy at The Alan Turing Institute in London
Prof. Helen Margetts received the Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Politics & Technology in 2018 “in appreciation of her extraordinary contributions to political science and multidisciplinary research, honoring her groundbreaking work and research leadership in the field of digital government, politics, and public policy”.