Patrick Roberts Awarded 29th Annual Thuringian Research Prize for Top Performance in Basic Research

On June 18, 2024, Dr. Patrick Roberts from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Jena was awarded the Thuringian Research Prize for Top Performance in Basic Research by the Thuringian Ministry of Economy, Science and the Digital Society.

Dr. Roberts received the award for his work on human history in the tropics and its relevance for today. He and his team have used various methods, from the Physical, Natural, Social Sciences and Humanities, to show that tropical forests are, and have always been, key to humanity.

Dr. Roberts’ research has also shown that historical human activities in these environments have left legacies for biodiversity, landscapes, and the Earth system today. Critically, his team has shown how data from the past can inform conservation, support Indigenous and local communities on the frontline of climate change, and the development of more sustainable, just, and inclusive policies.

Since 1995, the Thuringian Research Prize has been awarded annually for outstanding achievement in basic or applied research to individuals or groups of researchers working at the universities and non-university research institutes in Thuringia. A selection committee composed of experienced scientists and representatives from the research community, from Thuringia and throughout Germany, appointed by the Ministry of Science, decides on the award winners. More than 230 researchers have been honoured since 1995.

To view the press release from the Freistaat Thüringen Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Wissenshaft, und Digitale Gesellschaft, click here.