Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, granted the HEINRICH EMANUEL MERCK AWARD for achievements in Analytical Science, worth EUR 15,000, for the first time in 1988. Since 1990, the company has presented the award annually at the European Conference on Analytical Chemistry (EUROANALYSIS).

Merck grants the prize to mark the centennial of the first standardization of analytical methods in a book by Dr. Karl Krauch, a Merck chemist, entitled “The Testing of the Purity of Chemical Reagents”. The award bears the name of Heinrich Emanuel Merck, who defined the company’s commitment to quality by the claim “I shall always guarantee the purity of my preparations”.

The award is intended for chemists up to the age of 45 whose work focuses on the development of new analytical methods and the deployment thereof in applications aimed at improving the quality of human life, for example in areas such as environmental protection, life sciences, or material science.
Some indication of the recognition the award has meanwhile attained in the world of chemical analysis is documented, apart from the excellent qualifications of the jury itself, by the list of previous award winners: