IANUS Award

IANUS award

The IANUS Prize is awarded annually in recognition of outstanding theses from all disciplines at TU Darmstadt.

Presentation of the IANUS Prize 2025

The IANUS Prize will be awarded at 5 p.m. on November 26 as part of the Academic Quarter.

Location: Science and Technology for Peace and Security (PEASEC) Pankratiusstraße 2, D-64289 Darmstadt

Presentation of the IANUS Prize 2025

2025 award winners

First place

Dr. rer. nat. Johanna Berger for her dissertation in the Department of Biology entitled ‘In the eyes of biodiversity loss: Disentangling mowing impacts on grassland arthropods and finding applied solutions’, supervised by Prof. Dr. Nico Blüthgen and Apl. Prof. Dr. Michael Heethoff

Dr. rer. nat. Lukas Struppek for his dissertation in the Department of Computer Science entitled ‘Understanding and Mitigating Security, Privacy, and Ethical Risks in Generative Artificial Intelligence’, supervised by Prof. Dr. Kristian Kersting

2nd place

Anna-Maria Kugler, MA, for her master's thesis in cognitive science entitled ‘Strategies for Maintaining Human Control in AI-Enabled and Autonomous Systems: A Systematic Literature Review,’ supervised by Dr. Thea Riebe

Dr. rer. nat. Tom Biselli for his dissertation in the Department of Computer Science entitled ‘Individual Information Sovereignty: User Perspectives and Digital Interventions for Navigating Privacy and Misinformation,’ supervised by Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter

IANUS award

IANUS-Award 2026:
Qualifying works (in particular studies/project theses, bachelor's theses, master's theses, publications, or dissertations) that were completed since August 2024 and deal with IANUS-relevant issues could be submitted until July 31, 2026.

The award (1,000 euros) honours excellent theses from all disciplines at TU Darmstadt which are related to IANUS, i.e. which deal with questions of scientific and technical peace and conflict research, and often consider them in an interdisciplinary way, including the social sciences and humanities.

The 2024 award ceremony honoured four papers.

The award will be granted again in 2025 and qualification papers (in particular study/project, bachelor's, master's theses, publications or dissertations) that have been completed since August 2023 and deal with IANUS-relevant issues can be submitted until 31 July 2025.

We ask for nominations, including self-nominations, under the subject “IANUS Award” to . Please attach a PDF version of the submitted paper, a justification for the award (usually by the supervisor) and optional attachments (curriculum vitae, expert opinion).

Papers cover a wide range of possible topics.

  • Dual Use
  • Sustainable development
  • Justice
  • Value-oriented security research
  • The Ambivalence of scientific and technological progress
  • International conflicts
  • Vulnerability and resilience
  • Critical Raw Materials

Members of the IANUS jury are Prof. Dr. Markus Lederer (International Politics), Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter (Science and Technology for Peace and Security), and Prof. Dr. Malte Göttsche (Peace Research in Natural Sciences).

Further information on the call for proposals as well as examples of topics

Award winners 2024

Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Reinhold for his dissertation in the Department of Computer Science titled “Towards a Peaceful Development of Cyberspace – Challenges and Technical Measures for the De-escalation of State-led Cyberconflicts and Arms Control of Cyberweapons,” supervised by Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter.

Dr.-Ing. Sara Al Sayed for her master's thesis in the program of Technology and Philosophy titled “Citizen Monitoring and the Entrenchment of the Nuclear Order: Foucault’s 'Panopticon' and Winner’s 'Autonomous Technology' as Two Approaches to Understanding Their Relationship,” supervised by Prof. em. Dr. Alfred Nordmann.

Philipp Rall, M.Sc. for his master’s thesis in the program of Computer Science titled “Online Protest as an Indicator for Offline Protest? The Spread of #FeesMustFall in South Africa – A Twitter Analysis,” supervised by Laura Guntrum, M.A. and Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter.

Dr. rer. pol. Anjuli Franz for her dissertation in the Department of Law and Economics titled “Human-centered Information Security and Privacy: Investigating How and Why Social and Emotional Factors Affect the Protection of Information Assets,” supervised by Prof. Dr. Alexander Benlian.

Press release on the IANUS Award 2024

Award Ceremony 2024, top left: Dr.-Ing. Sara Al Sayed (digital image), top right: Philipp Rall, M.Sc. (digital image), bottom left: Dr. rer. pol. Anjuli Franz, bottom right: Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Reinhold
Award Ceremony 2024, top left: Dr.-Ing. Sara Al Sayed (digital image), top right: Philipp Rall, M.Sc. (digital image), bottom left: Dr. rer. pol. Anjuli Franz, bottom right: Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Reinhold

Award winners 2023

Julian Bäumler, M.A. for his Master's thesis in the Peace and Conflict Studies program entitled “(Inter-)Organizational Online Hate Speech Gathering, Analysis, and Response: A Qualitative Study with German Reporting Centers”, supervised by Dr. Thea Riebe and Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter (Science and Technology for Peace and Security, Department of Computer Science) with second examiner Prof. Dr. Julian Junk (Leibniz Institute Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Research).

Paul Jonas Kurz, B.Sc. for his bachelor thesis in computer science titled “On the Origin of Gender Bias in Face Recognition”, supervised by Prof. Dr. Arjan Kuijper and Dr.-Ing. Philipp Terhörst (Mathematical and Applied Visual Computing, Department of Computer Science as well as Fraunhofer IGD, the latter now University of Paderborn)

Dr. Thea Riebe for her dissertation in the Department of Computer Science entitled “Technology Assessment of Dual-Use ICTs – How to Assess Diffusion, Governance and Design”, supervised by Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter (Science and Technology for Peace and Security (PEASEC), Department of Computer Science), with co-instructor Prof. Dr. Alfred Nordmann (Philosophy of Technoscience).

Dr. Alina Stöver for her dissertation in the Department of Psychology entitled “Investigating the Contribution of Website Operators to the Emergence and Resolution of Privacy Risks,” supervised by Prof. Dr. Joachim Vogt (Industrial and Engineering Psychology, Department of Human Sciences) with co-referee Prof. Dr. Karola Marky (Digital Sovereignty, Ruhr University Bochum).

Press release on the IANUS award 2023

Award winners 2022

Helene Pfeil for her master's thesis in the Peace and Conflict Studies programme with the title “Arms Control for Cyberspace: An Analysis of Challenges and Possible Benefits Established to Control the Chemical Weapons' Domain”, mentored by Dipl.-Inf. Thomas Reinhold and Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter (Science and Technology for Peace and Security, Department of Computer Science and Department of Social and Historical Sciences).

Lilian Reichert for her master's thesis in the Peace and Conflict Studies programme with the title “The Role of Meaningful Human Control in Autonomous Military Systems: An Empirical Analysis of Meaningful Human Control- Narratives in the Public Relations of the Arms-producing Industry”, mentored by Thea Riebe, M.A. and Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter (Science and Technology for Peace and Security, Department of Computer Science and Department of Social and Historical Sciences).

Dr. Niklas Simon for his dissertation in German Studies with the title “Text:World:Rhetoric: On the Constitution of Knowledge in the Neonicotinoid Debate”, mentored by Prof. Dr. Nina Janich (German Studies – Applied Linguistics, Department of Social and Historical Sciences).

Press release on the IANUS award 2022

Award winners 2021

Jonas Franken for his research internship thesis in the Peace and Conflict Studies programme entitled “Assessing State Vulnerability to Submarine Communications Cable Failure in Global Comparison”supervised by Dipl.-Inf. Thomas Reinhold as well as Prof. Dr. Christian Reuter (Science and Technology for Peace and Security, Department of Computer Science).

Anna Maria Krebs for her scientific term paper for the teaching position at grammar schools entitled “Right-wing extremism and right-wing populism – a competence-oriented learning landscape for political education”, supervised by Dr. Andreas Füchtner (Institute of Political Science, Department of Social and Historical Sciences).

Philipp Terhörst for his dissertation in computer science entitled “Mitigating Soft-Biometric Driven Bias and Privacy Concerns in Face Recognition Systems”, supervised by Prof. Dr. Arjan Kuijper (Mathematical and Applied Visual Computing, Department of Computer Science).

Press release on the IANUS award 2021

Award winners 2020

The award ceremony for the IANUS award 2020 took place in digital form. Here you can find the videos of the works submitted by the award winners.

Dr. Marc-André Kaufhold 1st place (Doctoral thesis: „Information Refinement Technologies for Crisis Informatics: User Expectations and Design Implications for Social Media and Mobile Apps in Crisis“)

Dr. Marita Unden 1st place (Doctoral thesis: “Psychological stress and demands in assignments abroad – expatriates in development cooperation”)

Annika Simon 2nd place(Final thesis in the subject Politics and Economics: „The challenge of a sustainable water supply: fundamental principles and practical examples of a problem- and action-oriented learning landscape“)

Jonathan Götzinger, Ruben Hott, Kirill Kuroptev und Pascal Uetz3rd place (Project work in the department of Control Engineering and Robotics: „Non-cooperative, payoff-based play between microgrids“ )

Press release on the IANUS award 2020

Award winners 2019

Christopher Fichtlscherer (Bachelor thesis in Physics: “Dose Rate Calculations for the PRISM Reactor”)

Stefka Schmid (Scientific interschip: “Meaningful Human Control of LAWS: The CCW-Debate and its Implications for Value-Sensitive Design”)

Verena Zimmermann (Research paper: “Moving from a ”Human-as-Problem“ to a ”Human-as-Solution“ Cybersecurity Mindset”)

Press release on the IANUS award 2019

Award winners from previous years

2010: Hannes Kurtze (Master thesis: “Conflict zone technology – Technology in the social theories of Luhmann and Habermas”)

2008: Moritz Kütt (Bachelor thesis: “Proliferation issues in the handling of plutonium combustibles: Burn-up calculations on the role of 238Pu”)

2008: Leander Hohmann (Bachelor thesis: “Neutron physical investigation of homogeneous TH02-PU02 fuels with regard to proliferation relevance and their potential to eliminate plutonium”)

2008: Johanna Born (Bachelor thesis: “Proliferation potential of gas ultra-centrifuges”)

2006: Dr. Alexander Glaser (PhD thesis “NeutronicsCalculationsRelevant to the Conversion of Research Reactors to Low-Enriched Fuel”)