The GfÖ Medal of Honor will be awarded annually at the annual GfÖ conference from 2020. The prize is aimed at active, leading ecologists for outstanding and forward-looking achievements in ecological research and other achievements for the scientific community. The winner of the GfÖ Medal of Honor will receive an invitation to give the opening speech at the annual conference (45 min). The winner will receive a certificate, the GfÖ Medal of Honor and a lifelong free GfÖ membership. Travel and accommodation costs as well as conference fees will be covered by the GfÖ. Proposals for the GfÖ Medal of Honor are made by the GfÖ Board and the GfÖ working groups. The board makes the final decision.
current award winner 2025:

Prof. Dr. Volker Grimm
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research -
UFZ Leipzig, Germany
... for his outstanding and future-oriented research in ecological
modelling advancing our understanding of ecological systems
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Previous winners of the GfÖ Honorary Medal
GfÖ Honorary Medal 2024
Prof. em. Dr. DDr. h.c. Christian Körner, University of Basel, Schweiz
... for his outstanding and future-oriented research in plant ecology, experimental ecology and alpine ecology
GfÖ Honorary Medal 2023
Dr. Sandra Lavorel, Universität Grenoble, Frankreich
GfÖ Honorary Medal 2022
Prof. Dr. Nina Buchmann, ETH Zürich, Schweiz
GfÖ Honorary Medal 2021
Prof. Dr. Teja Tscharntke, Universität Göttingen, Deutschland
GfÖ Honorary Medal 2020
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schmid, Universität Zürich, Schweiz