Seven University of Tartu researchers received national research awards
The government of Estonia has approved the laureates of this year’s national research awards. Seven researchers of the University of Tartu were recognised with annual awards of 20,000 euros for the best research completed and published over the previous four years.
The Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas acknowledged the recipients of research awards for their valuable contribution to Estonian science. “The achievements of our talented researchers contribute to the development of our society and economy,” said Kallas..
According to the chair of the national research awards committee, President of the Estonian Academy of Sciences Mart Saarma, the recipients of this year’s research awards stand out for two important reasons. First, Saarma pointed out that half of the research team leaders or award recipients are women, and this might encourage young women to pursue a science career. Secondly, he noted that quite a few awardees do research in a field or area entirely new in Estonia. “For example, Elin Org and her team have established a new line of research, in which they explain how gut microbiome composition is related to the prevalence or risk of various diseases,” said Saarma. He added that René Mõttus had achieved international acclaim for his unique interdisciplinary research, which provided an overview of the association of personal traits with more than 250 occupations.
Natural sciences
In science, the annual awards are given to Professor of Algebra Valdis Laan for his series of works “Semigroups, rings and categories” and to Professor of Evolutionary Plant Ecology Marina Semtšenko for her series of works “Diversity of plant-soil organism interactions and their role in ecosystem functioning”.
Valdis Laan has significantly developed one of the most essential foundations of mathematics – the science of algebra. Without research in this field, we would not have modern knowledge of the universe's structure, the internet, artificial intelligence with its popular chatbots, or the cryptographic solutions that ensure Estonia’s e-governance and security.
Plants are the backbone of the energy flow of terrestrial ecosystems, and soil organisms are the central regulators of the biochemical cycle and plant growth. Marina Semtšenko explores plant-soil interactions and highlights in her series of works some so far under-researched aspects of plant life strategies.
Medical and health sciences
In the field of medical and health sciences, the recognition goes to Professor of Microbiomics Elin Org, Research Fellow in Microbiomics Kreete Lüll, Research Fellow of Statistical Metagenomics Oliver Aasmets, and Microbiome Specialist Kertu Liis Krigul for the work series “Gut microbiome and health relations – new perspectives in health research”.
Elin Org’s research team focuses mainly on how changes in gut microbiome are related to an individual’s health status and how this knowledge can be applied in medicine, for example, in predicting disease risks, diagnosing diseases or prescribing appropriate treatment in personalised medicine.
Social sciences
The social sciences award is granted to Professor of Personality and Social Psychology René Mõttus for his series of works “Advanced answers to the Big Questions in personality psychology”.
Led by René Mõttus, the personality profiles for more than 250 occupations were compiled for the first time in the world using data from a survey completed by nearly 70,000 Estonian gene donors and their relatives. The analysis results led to developing a practical and accessible tool that enables comparing one’s personality traits to those of individuals having various occupations.
The awards will be presented at a ceremony in the Estonian Statehood House on 19 February. This year, the national research awards are granted for the 35th time.
See all recipients of the 2025 awards and read the news on the website of the Ministry of Education and Research (in Estonian).
Read more similar news
