Nine IMPRS-IS faculty members were nominated by doctoral researchers and alumni for the inaugural Outstanding Advisor Award, with Prof. Dr. Daniel Häufle selected as the first recipient.
The International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS) is proud to announce Prof. Dr. Daniel Häufle as the inaugural recipient of the IMPRS-IS Outstanding Advisor Award.
Häufle is Group Leader of Neuromechanics and Rehabilitation Robotics at the University of Tübingen. His research brings together neuroscience, biomechanics and robotics to investigate how neural and muscular systems interact to produce adaptive movement. His group develops computational models of motor control and neuro-musculoskeletal systems, with applications in rehabilitation and assistive robotics, artificial intelligence and reinforcement learning for biomechanics.
The new award recognizes exceptional mentorship and celebrates faculty members whose advising has had a lasting positive impact on IMPRS-IS scholars. It reflects the program’s commitment to supporting doctoral researchers not only in becoming excellent scientists, but also in developing as independent researchers and future leaders.
Unlike traditional research awards, the Outstanding Advisor Award focuses specifically on the quality and impact of mentorship. Research achievements, publication records, research funding and scientific reputation are explicitly excluded from the evaluation.
Nominations were submitted by current IMPRS-IS scholars, associated students and alumni who had been directly or jointly supervised by the nominated faculty members. Nine faculty members were nominated for the inaugural award, through both individual and group nominations. Both formats were permitted and considered equally.
The nominations were evaluated across four dimensions of mentorship: research development and learning; independence and career development; creating an inclusive and supportive environment; and serving as a role model.
The nomination statements for Häufle repeatedly highlighted his ability to create an environment in which researchers feel trusted, supported and encouraged to develop their own scientific identities.
One nominator described the experience of working with him as follows:
“I would not have thought that it is possible to do the PhD in such a fostering, supportive and constructive environment. It fascinates me how one person can have so much positive impact on a research group.”
Several nominations emphasized Häufle’s support for independent research. Scholars described how he took their ideas seriously—even when they fell outside his own areas of expertise—and encouraged them to pursue their own research directions rather than steering them toward topics more familiar to him.
Others highlighted the personal dimension of his mentorship, including his willingness to make time for members of his group despite his many responsibilities. One nomination described how this support helped the scholar grow “not only as a scientist, but also as person.”
Creating a safe and constructive environment was another recurring theme. As one nomination put it:
“What I value most about Daniel is the atmosphere he creates within his group. It is an environment built on trust, openness, and mutual support, where people feel comfortable sharing unfinished ideas, admitting mistakes, and asking for help.”
The nominations also described mentorship that extended beyond formal supervision. Scholars highlighted Häufle’s efforts to connect them with collaborators, broaden their professional networks and pursue internships and other opportunities. They particularly valued his commitment to giving students visibility and encouraging them to present and promote their own work.
One scholar summarized this aspect of his mentorship by noting that Häufle encouraged them to “collaborate, branch out and grow my network,” support that had a significant impact on their career.
Across the nominations, scholars also emphasized Häufle’s kindness, integrity and support during difficult moments. Their accounts portrayed a mentor whose influence extended beyond scientific development to the broader experience of navigating a PhD.
The selection committee brought together representatives from across the IMPRS-IS community:
The committee reviewed the nomination statements, which described advising relationships, provided concrete examples of mentorship and outlined advisors’ impact on scholars’ academic, professional and personal development.
The Outstanding Advisor Award was established to promote a culture that values high-quality advising within IMPRS-IS and to recognize the often-invisible work of doctoral advisors. It also highlights the importance of inclusive and supportive research environments and encourages best practices in doctoral supervision.
IMPRS-IS congratulates Prof. Dr. Daniel Häufle and thanks all scholars and alumni who participated in the inaugural nomination process. The program also gratefully acknowledges Renate Sachse and Sara Sorce for their leadership in establishing the Outstanding Advisor Award.
The award will provide an ongoing opportunity for the IMPRS-IS community to celebrate exceptional mentorship and promote advising practices that help doctoral researchers thrive as independent scientists and future research leaders.
More information