Award for Digitalization Research, sponsored by
Once a year, the Digital Science Center (DiSC) solicits applications for the Award for Digitalization Research (DiSC Award). The award is sponsored by BE-terna.
Eligible candidates: early-stage researchers from any scientific discipline at the University of Innsbruck.
Categories:
- Master's theses or Diplom Theses; prize money: €500
- Doctoral theses; prize money: €1000
Topic: The thesis must demonstrate a clear relation to digitalization, either with regard to methods or content.
Applicants must be nominated by their main supervisor. Each main supervisor may nominate at most one thesis per category.
The 2025 call is closed and we no longer accept applications. The next call for the DiSC Award will be announced here and on the university's research promotion website.
2025 call
The following theses earned accolades in 2025...
...for the "doctoral thesis" category:
Winner
Khalid Durani, PhD
Topic: Ethics and Information Systems: Theoretical and Empirical Insights
Supervisors: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Eckhardt, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich Remus
Research area: Information Systems
Faculty of Business and Management | Department of Information Systems, Production and Logistics Management
Honorable Mentions
Nadja Gruber, PhD
Topic: Unsupervised variational deep learning with application in medical imaging
Supervisors: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Markus Haltmeier, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Elke Gizewski, assoz. Prof. Dr. Sébastien Court
Research area: Applied Mathematics
Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics | Department of Mathematics
Peter Manzl, PhD
Topic: Multibody Dynamics Towards Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Johannes Gerstmayer
Research area: Mechatronics
Faculty of Engineering Sciences | Department of Mechatronics
...for the "Master's or Diplom theses" category:
Winners
Maria Zopoglou, BSc MSc
Topic: Computational analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data to quantify dynamic changes in cancer cell regulatory networks during treatment
Supervisor: Ass.-Prof. Priv.-Doz. Francesca Finotello, PhD
Research area: Bioinformatics, Cancer Biology
Faculty of Biology|Department of Molecular Biology
Mag.a Maria-Carlotta Marietta Sophie Billig
Topic: Exploring the Influence of Diverse Customer Feedback Generation Methods on Customer Perceptions and Responses
Supervisory: Ass.-Prof. Priv.-Doz. Mag. Alexander Kupfer, PhD
Research area: Information Systems
Faculty of Business and Management | Department of Information Systems, Production and Logistics Management
The awards ceremony will take place on 6 October 2025.
The following theses earned accolades in 2024...
...for the "doctoral thesis" category:
Winner
Andreas Körner, PhD
Topic: Variegated Poché - Exploring thermochromic materials as surrogate models for the design integration of surface weathering in architecture.
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Marjan Colletti, PhD
Research area: Architecture
Faculty for Architecture, Department of Experimental Architecture | Building Design and Construction
Honorable Mention
Éva Kaczkó, PhD
Topic: Fostering critical thinking in collaborative (e-)learning environments - Pragmatist pedagogical approaches
Supervisors: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Annette Ostendorf, Assoz. Prof. Dr. Michael Thoma, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Elske Ammenwerth
Research area: Business Education
Faculty of Business and Management | Department of Organization and Learning
...for the "Master's or Diplom theses" category:
Winners
Franziska Haid, MSc
Topic: Security Network: The Collective as an Effective Means of Protecting the Individual
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Eckhardt
Research area: Information Systems
Faculty of Business and Management | Department of Information Systems, Production and Logistics Management
Lennart Wieser, MSc
Topic: Eine massenspektrometrische Vergleichsanalyse des biochemischen Stoffwechselprofils zwischen Haarproben und Blutserum zur hypothesenfreien Identifikation neuer Biomarkerkandidaten für die Depression
Supervisor: Ass.-Prof. Dr. Alexander Karabatsiakis
Research area: Clinical and Biological Psychology
Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science | Department of Psychology
The awards ceremony took place on 23 October 2024.
The following theses earned accolades in 2023...
...for the "Master's or Diplom theses" category:
Winners
Jacqueline Kowalski, BA MSc
Topic: Augmented Futures. Wie können digitale Zukünfte in öffentlichen Räumen (Parks) gestaltet werden?
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Tabea Bork-Hüffer
Research area: Digital geographies & augmented realities
Faculty of Geo- and Atmospheric Sciences | Department of Geography
Nina Hotter, BSc MSc
Topic: A systematic literature review on the evalution of eye-tracking data in research studies through machine learning algorithms
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Eckhardt
Research area: Information systems
Faculty of Business and Management | Department of Information Systems, Production and Logistics Management
Dipl.-Ing. Larissa Anna Loacker, BSc
Topic: VON BIM ZU TIM – Erforderliche Kompetenzen für die digitale Zukunft im Tunnelbau
Supervisors: Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. techn. Matthias Flora, Univ. Ass. Prof. Dr. Heike Welte
Research area: Tunnel Information Modeling (TIM)
Faculty of Engineering Sciences | iBT Arbeitsbereich Baumanagement, Baubetrieb und Tunnelbau
The awards ceremony took place on 3 October 2023.
The following theses earned accolades in 2022...
...for the "doctoral thesis" category:
Winner
Victoria Alexandra Reibenspiess, BSc MSc PhD
Topic: Digital Innovation Actors
Supervisors: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Eckhardt, Associate Prof. Michelle Carter, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich Remus
Research area: Management and Business Informatics
Faculty of Business and Management | Department of Information Systems, Production and Logistics Management
Honorable Mention
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. Martin Oberascher
Topic: Innovative Concepts and Applications for Smart Water Cities
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. Robert Sitzenfrei
Research area: Environmental Engineering
Faculty of Engineering Sciences | Department for Infrastructure
...for the "Master's or Diplom theses" category:
Winners
Julia Petz, BEd MEd
Topic: Überwinden von epistemologischen Denkhürden im Bereich des Bruch- und Prozentrechnens mittels Shiny Apps
Supervisor: Dipl.-Ing. Mag. Mag. Dr. Florian Stampfer
Research area: Mathematical Didactics
Faculty of Teacher Education | Department of Subject-Specific Education
Nils Augustin, BA MSc
Topic: Decentralized Autonomous Organizations - Community Perceptions and Insights in Decision-Making Processes
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Eckhardt
Research area: Information Systems
Faculty of Business and Management | Department of Information Systems, Production and Logistics Management
Max Burkhardt, BSc MSc
Topic: Do workers reject algorithmic control? Elucidating rejective behavior in response to algorithmically imposed control among workers on microtasking platforms
Supervisors: Mag. Dr. Kathrin Figl, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich Remus
Research area: Business Informatics
Faculty of Business and Management | Department of Information Systems, Production and Logistics Management
The awards ceremony took place on 27 September 2022.