Berta-Karlik-Posterpreis für Nachwuchsphysikerinnen

From 2025 onwards, the Working Group for Equal Opportunities in Physics (AKCP) will present the annual Berta Karlik Poster Prize to female physicists at the beginning of their careers at the respective ÖPG (and SPG) annual conference. This prize aims to recognise and celebrate the achievements of young female physicists at the beginning of their careers.

No separate application is required to enter the awards. The awards committee will assess the posters presented at the annual conference based on the quality of their content and design, taking into account factors such as the balance between text and images, font size and colour scheme. The quality of the presentation during the poster session will also be taken into account, including the clarity of the work and the ability to answer questions convincingly. Only the work of female Master's and PhD students who are the lead authors of their respective posters will be considered for the award.

The winner will receive an annual ÖPG membership as her prize. They will also be featured on the AKCP website as the 'Physicist of the Month for December'. The winner will be announced at the annual conference.

Berta Karlik, an Austrian physicist, is best known for her work in the field of gamma and X-rays. Born on 15 February 1904 in Vienna, she was a leading radiologist. She conducted research at the University of Vienna, making important contributions to the study of interactions between radiation and matter. Notably, she was the first woman to be appointed to a professorship in physics at the University of Vienna. Berta Karlik died in 1990. She had been an honorary member of the Austrian Physical Society (ÖPG) since 1984.