The Public Mental Health Department at the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) has been honored by the Young Academy and the Volkswagen Foundation with the “Best Research Environment 2026” award. This makes the CIMH’s research department one of a total of 15 scientific teams from across Germany to be recognized for providing particularly supportive, innovative, and respectful working conditions.
Academic Excellence and Team Culture
The award recognizes research environments that combine scientific excellence with a sustainable and supportive team culture. The Public Mental Health Department was initially selected, along with other research groups, for a shortlist of 15 teams. The winning research environments will be chosen by lottery from this shortlist. All teams on the shortlist are considered equally deserving of the award.
The Public Mental Health Division investigates how findings from social epidemiology can be translated into innovative approaches to mental health care—from prevention to psychiatric treatment. Among other things, the researchers are developing digital interventions using smartphone apps and sensors designed to support people in their daily lives.
Support for Research and Young Researchers
The application process particularly highlighted the department’s structured onboarding process for new employees, individual development opportunities, dedicated time slots for research, and an open, collaborative team culture characterized by flat hierarchies and regular feedback sessions. The department’s international network, close collaboration with local communities, and the high societal relevance of its research questions were also highly valued.
“I am delighted that young researchers from our department have received this award, because it highlights the fact that good science is always a team effort,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Reininghaus, head of the Public Mental Health Department at the CIMH. “A research environment characterized by trust, openness, and mutual support lays the groundwork for developing innovative ideas and fostering scientific excellence in the long term.”
A strong sense of community within the team
“What makes our department special is the combination of high academic standards and mutual support in our day-to-day work,” says Anna Kessler, a doctoral student in the Public Mental Health Department. “Our ideas are taken seriously, personal development is encouraged from the very beginning, and at the same time, a strong sense of community develops within the team.”
The “Best Research Environment” award is being presented for the second time by the Young Academy in collaboration with the Volkswagen Foundation. The goal is to raise awareness of the importance of good working conditions for scientific research and to recognize teams that actively create supportive, fair, and inspiring structures. The award ceremony will take place on June 27, 2026, in Berlin.
The Young Academy was founded in 2000 as the world’s first academy for outstanding young scientists. It is jointly sponsored by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.