Rainer Helmig Receives the Prestigious “Geosciences Career Prize” from the SIAM Activity Group on Geosciences

Emeritus Professor Rainer Helmig from the Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems (IWS) at the University of Stuttgart has been awarded the “Geosciences Career Prize” by the SIAM Activity Group on Geosciences (SIAG/GS). With this award, the international scientific community honors Helmig’s groundbreaking contributions to the mathematical and numerical modeling of multiphase flow processes at and below the Earth’s surface.

The award ceremony takes place during the SIAM Conference on Mathematical & Computational Issues in the Geosciences (GS25) from October 14–17, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (USA).

According to the official citation, Rainer Helmig is being honored

“in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to the mathematical and numerical modeling of multiphysics surface and subsurface fluid dynamics. His visionary research and enthusiastic leadership have not only advanced the field but also profoundly influenced the careers of multiple generations of geoscientists worldwide.”

Over the course of several decades, Helmig has set new standards in modeling coupled multiphase processes in porous media. His research has enabled a deeper understanding of key geoscientific and engineering processes — from CO₂ storage and geothermal energy extraction to groundwater hydrology and underground storage of renewable energy carriers. In recent years, his work has increasingly focused on soil moisture processes, evaporation effects, and salt precipitation in groundwater, as well as technical applications such as water management in fuel cells and the transport of therapeutic agents in biological tissue.

Regarding the award, Rainer Helmig said:

“It is a great honor that my work — and that of my colleagues and collaborators — is being recognized with this prize. I have been fortunate to work with so many excellent students, postdocs, and partners who have shaped and enriched my research over the years. As someone who has always worked at the interface of applied mathematics, engineering, and geosciences, receiving an award that values this interdisciplinarity means a great deal to me.”

After completing his doctorate at the University of Hannover (1993) and his habilitation at the University of Stuttgart (1997), Rainer Helmig initially served as a professor at the Technical University of Braunschweig (1997–2000) before returning to Stuttgart. There, he led the Department of Hydromechanics and Modelling of Hydrosystems (LH2) and profoundly shaped the research field of porous media and environmental modeling over several decades.

Helmig has played a leading role in numerous research initiatives, including as spokesperson for the International Research Training Group “NUPUS – Nonlinearities and Upscaling in Porous Media” (2007–2015) and the Collaborative Research Center 1313 “Interface-Driven Multi-Field Processes in Porous Media” (2018–2023). He was also a co-founder of the International Society for Porous Media (InterPore) and served as its president from 2009 to 2011.

His scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Dresden Groundwater Research Prize (1995), Fellowship of the American Geophysical Union (2020), an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University (2022), and the Kimberly-Clark Distinguished Lectureship (2025). Helmig is a member of several academies, including the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Academia Europaea, and acatech – the National Academy of Science and Engineering.

For many years, Rainer Helmig served as a Principal Investigator and member of the Executive Board of the Cluster of Excellence SimTech at the University of Stuttgart. With his interdisciplinary perspective, bridging mathematics, engineering, and geosciences, he played a central role in shaping the cluster’s research direction and its support for young scientists. His dedication to training the next generation of researchers has been as influential as his internationally networked research and mentorship.

The SIAG/GS Career Prize of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) is awarded every two years to outstanding scientists who have made sustained and influential contributions to the field of geosciences through their research and service. The prize recognizes a lifetime of exceptional scientific depth, interdisciplinarity, and global impact.

SimTech warmly congratulates Rainer Helmig on this well-deserved honor!