Johannes Schmidt-Hieber receives prestigious Frontiers of Science Award International recognition for groundbreaking work in mathematics

Johannes Schmidt-Hieber, professor of statistics at UT’s EEMCS faculty, has been awarded one of the Frontiers of Science Awards 2025. The prize, which includes a trophy and a monetary award of $ 25,000, honours outstanding recent research in the fundamental sciences. 

The award was presented during the International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS), held in Beijing, China. Each year, an international panel of leading experts selects a number of scientific publications across mathematics, physics, and chemistry for their originality and impact. In statistics, two papers were awarded this year, including the one co-authored by Schmidt-Hieber. The recognised article makes significant contributions to the theoretical understanding of AI. 

“It’s a great honour to receive this award,” says Schmidt-Hieber. “It’s also a strong encouragement to continue exploring the theoretical underpinnings of statistics. This approach helps us to unravel the mysteries underlying the success of modern AI and to further develop AI technology. It is important to put fundamental science into the spotlight. Basic research is essential for groundbreaking technological advancements.”

This is the second major recognition for Schmidt-Hieber in 2025. Earlier this year, he received the Van Dantzig Award, the most prestigious prize in the Netherlands for research in statistics and operations research.

With the Frontiers of Science Award, Schmidt-Hieber’s work once again receives international attention for its depth and scientific impact.