Wednesday, February 11, 2026

DMEA sparks Award 2026 opens call for digital health theses

The application window for the DMEA sparks Award 2026 has opened. The award recognises academic theses that contribute to healthcare digitalisation with innovative ideas and research outcomes.

Who can apply

The call targets students and recent graduates working in digital health. Eligible submissions include bachelor’s and master’s theses from computer science, medicine, healthcare management and related fields, provided they focus on technologies, concepts or applications for digital care.

Deadline, categories and prize money

Submissions are accepted from 4 November 2025 through 31 January 2026. Applications are submitted via the DMEA website: www.dmea.de/de/nachwuchs/nachwuchspreis.

An expert jury will review all entries and nominate finalists in the bachelor’s and master’s categories. The total prize pool is €7,000, with awards of up to €2,000 per winner. The winners are scheduled to be honoured on 22 April 2026 at DMEA.

Context

According to the organisers, around 60 theses were submitted for the 2025 edition. Topics included AI in diagnostics, machine learning and the use of open data in medical research and care delivery.

About DMEA

DMEA is positioned as Europe’s leading digital health event, bringing together decision-makers across care delivery, IT, politics, business and academia. For 2025, the organisers reported around 20,500 attendees, 870 exhibitors and more than 470 speakers. The event is hosted by the German Association for Health IT (bvitg e. V.) and organised by Messe Berlin GmbH.