Organzier:
bvitg
Messe Berlin
21–23 APR 2026
DMEA - Connecting Digital Health
21–23 APR 2026
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DMEA sparks Award

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DMEA sparks Award: We are looking for young visionaries!

Every year at DMEA, the most outstanding bachelor's and master's theses in the fields of medical informatics, e-health, health IT, health management, health economics and healthcare management as well as related study programmes are honoured with the DMEA sparks Award (formerly: DMEA Newcomer Award).

A renowned jury of experts from science and industry selects the theses that offer particularly innovative and practice-oriented approaches to the sustainable improvement of digital healthcare.

The authors of the 5 best Bachelor's and Master's theses will present their work in a video in advance and in a live pitch in front of an audience at the DMEA. The three winners in each category will then be chosen. In addition, the 10 short video presentations will be published and the work with the most audience votes will be honoured with the Audience Award at the DMEA.

This prize money awaits the winners:

Bachelor theses: 1st prize: €1,500 – 2nd prize: €1,000 – 3rd prize: €500

Master theses: 1st prize: €2,000 – 2nd prize: €1,000 – 3rd prize: €500

Audience Award: €500

Vote for the Audience Award 2025 here until 1 April!
Apply for the sparks Award here!

The Path to the DMEA sparks Award 2026:

  • 1. Submission of the thesis via the portal (Application deadline until January 30, 2026)
    Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis as a PDF, abstract of the thesis, and explanation of its practical relevance
  • 2. Jury Evaluation Period (February 2026)
    The expert jury will evaluate the applications received and nominate the five best works in each category.
  • 3. Creation of a short video by the finalists (max. 5 min)
    The videos will be included in the evaluation and will take part in the voting for the Audience Award.
  • 4. Live Pitch & Award Ceremony at the DMEA
    The 10 finalists present their work to the audience. The 3 best Bachelor's and Master's theses and the Audience Award will then be chosen.

The application portal for 2026 will open in November 2025.

Application conditions

The application is open to all graduates of a Bachelor's or Master's degree program in the field of digital healthcare.

Theses submitted to a university after January 15, 2025 can be submitted.

Applications must be submitted via the submission portal.

The Winners 2025

v.o.n.u. Minh Duc Do, Juan Carlos Climent Pardo, Marco Florian Aigner, Peiyao Mao, Michael Zuberbühler, Luana Schmid, Carina Arnberger, Pascal Leuthold, Michael Nguyen

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Category: Bachelor Thesis

1st place: Pascal Leuthold & Michael Nguyen

2nd place: Luana Schmid & Michael Zuberbühler

3rd place: Peiyao Mao

Categrory: Master Thesis

1st place: Carina Arnberger

2nd place: Minh Duc Do

3rd place: Juan Carlos Climent Pardo

Category: Audience Award

Marco Florian Aigner

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Always there for you:
The DMEA team

Doreen Kempa
doreen.kempa@bvitg.de
M +49 175 9280501

Important Documents
Guidelines for abstract structure (PDF, 82.4 kB)
Conditions of Participation for DMEA sparks Award (bvitg)
Data protection notification of bvitg Service GmbH for program participation

FAQ DMEA sparks Award

Who can take part in the DMEA sparks Award?

Graduates with practice-relevant Bachelor's and Master's theses that deal with the digitalisation of the healthcare sector can apply. These include degree programmes such as medical informatics, e-health, health management, health economics and healthcare management.

The thesis must have been submitted to a university in Germany or abroad after 15 January 2025. The final grading of the thesis by the university is not decisive for submission and may still be open.

How can I submit my application?

Applications can only be submitted via the bvitg Service GmbH booking portal. Once the application has been uploaded, it can be processed until the final submission date. Unfortunately, submissions by e-mail cannot be considered.

In which languages can applications be submitted?

Applications can be submitted in German or English.

What documents are required for submission?

Please have the following information and documents ready for submission:
- Names and contact details of all authors
- Portrait photos of the authors
- Title of the work
- Abstract
- Bachelor's or Master's thesis as PDF
- Information on the practical relevance of the thesis

If the work is marked with a blocking note, a declaration of consent from the company/institution must be sent to the bsg dmea@bvitg.de by the application deadline, which allows the information to be used by the bsg, the bvitg e. V. and the cooperation partners for the purpose of organising the competition.

What happens if the documents are not submitted in full?

Incomplete submissions, including missing or incomplete abstracts, will not be accepted for evaluation.

Can works be submitted from which parts have already been published?

Yes, submission is also possible in this case.

Is it possible to resubmit theses from previous years?

Theses that have already been submitted for the DMEA Young Talent Award or the DMEA sparks Award are unfortunately not eligible to participate again. They will not be included in the evaluation.

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