We invite applications for an award for an excellent doctoral thesis in the field of skin cancer or wound healing.

Applications are open to PhD, MD and MD/PhD students who completed their thesis in the past two years at a university or research institution in Denmark, Germany or Switzerland.

Application criteria
– PhD, MD and MD/PhD students, who completed a doctoral thesis on the topic of skin cancer or wound healing.
– Thesis defense date after January 1, 2024.
– Thesis research performed at a university or research institution in Denmark, Germany or Switzerland.

The award CHF 1ʼ000 for private use and a certificate. The awardee will be invited to present their work ahead of the SKINTEGRITY.CH Annual Lecture on September 23, 2026, and will receive up to CHF 500 for travel and accommodation reimbursement to attend the event.

Application window
Applications should be submitted until May 15, 2026, to the SKINTEGRITY.CH coordinator Dr. M. Schledorn at maarten.schledorn@biol.ethz.ch.

Application documents
Applicants should submit the following:

– All (shared) first-author publications that were published based on the thesis work. Publications that were submitted to bioRxiv or are accepted for publication can also be submitted. For the letter, please include the acceptance email from the journalʼs editor.
– A letter of motivation from the applicant that includes a statement on the reason to apply and the applicantʼs future research interests.
– A contribution statement, which details the applicantʼs contribution to each of the first-author papers that are handed in. This statement has to be signed by the applicant and by the thesis supervisor, who has to confirm that all papers that were handed in result from the research project performed by the applicant as a doctoral student.

Only complete applications will be reviewed by the international jury. Particular value will be given to the scientific quality of the work, the spectrum of used methods, the medical relevance and/or translational potential and the applicantʼs own contribution to the submitted publications.

Application as PDF

In the summer of 2023, Prof. Dr. Ulrich auf dem Keller passed away unexpectedly, leaving a profound void among his extensive network of friends and colleagues.

To honor his scientific legacy, his family has encouraged donations to the Swiss organization for skin cancer research (Verein für Hautkrebsforschung, skincancer.ch), to establish a doctoral thesis award in his memory.

The Swiss skin research consortium SKINTEGRITY.CH , of which Ulrich auf dem Keller was a dedicated member, acts as a partner and contributes to the award.