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About the F.G. Houtermans Award

The F.G. Houtermans award is bestowed annually by the EAG in recognition of exceptional contributions to geochemistry by an early career scientist. It is named in honor of Friedrich Georg Houtermans, a Dutch-Austrian-German physicist.

To be eligible, nominees must be within 12 years equivalent full time employment (in an academic environment) from the commencement of their PhD, which must be completed.
Eligibility is determined by the status of the candidate at the close of the year in which nominations are received and not the year the award is presented; hence, for the 2024 F.G. Houtermans Award, candidates should have started their PhD in 2011 at the earliest (but see information on career breaks here).
Nominations of underrepresented groups are encouraged.

We are committed to promoting the diversity of our awardees, to recognizing a wide range of different types of exceptional contribution, and we acknowledge the different career paths that lead to the achievement of such contributions.

The award is presented annually at the Goldschmidt Conference. The award consists of an engraved medal, an honorarium (1000 Euros) and a certificate.

Recipient of the 2023 Houtermans Award:
Ming Tang

Peking University, China

Ming Tang is recognized for forging new paths, thinking in new ways about old problems, and having a significant impact on our understanding of Earth, particularly the evolution of continental crust. He is also a kind-hearted and patient mentor who inspires those around him. Read more

The 2023 Houtermans Award Lecture, “Continent emergence hindered by suppressed topography on early Earth“, was presented at the Goldschmidt2023 Conference. The recording of the lecture, including a citation by William McDonough, can be viewed here.

Former recipients of the Houtermans Award