Deutsche Börse and DGPh Open 2026 Photography Research and Writing Awards

The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, in collaboration with the German Photographic Society (DGPh), has unveiled the fourth iteration of two global awards: the DGPh Research Award “Thinking Photography” (€3,000) and the DGPh Award “Writing Photography” for Innovative Publication (€1,000). These biennial awards honor exceptional achievements in photographic research, theory, criticism, and publishing. The Research Award is open to academic theses (master's, diploma, doctoral), independent works in photographic theory, history, humanities, cultural studies, or social sciences, and research-expanding projects. Eligible for the Writing Award are journalistic, essayistic, and critical writings, as well as innovative formats like blog posts and reviews. All submissions must be in German or English and produced after November 2024. Applications will be accepted from 1 July to 31 October 2026, with an international jury assessing originality, quality, and impact on contemporary photographic discourse. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 2027 at a public event hosted by both organizations. Required materials include an English abstract (approximately 3,500 characters), the complete manuscript, CV, and an optional publication list.