Leibniz Prize awarded after researcher’s name cleared

Britta Nestler, a materials researcher at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, will receive the €2.5-million Leibniz Prize for 2017 after an investigation cleared her of scientific misconduct.

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Germany’s largest public research funder, announced on 4 July that Nestler, who was originally due to receive the prize in March, would belatedly be given it that evening. The postponement was due to anonymous accusations that were made about her work.

The nature of the accusations has not been made public, but the investigation found that Nestler was not guilty of any scientific misconduct.