Sascha Ott receives Ulla and Stig Holmquist Prize for 2026
Sascha Ott receives Ulla and Stig Holmquist Prize of SEK 1.8 million. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt, Uppsala University.
Sascha Ott, Professor at the Department of Chemistry – Ångström Laboratory at Uppsala University, has been awarded this year’s Ulla and Stig Holmquist Science Prize in Organic Chemistry. He has received the prize for his research in the synthesis of organophosphorus compounds. The prize sum is SEK 1.8 million.
“Obviously, I’m very glad to have been awarded the Holmquist Prize! It was something I dreamed of when I started my career. And now that it’s happened, it feels amazing to be sharing this honour with some of Sweden’s most well-known organic chemists. It’s also important to highlight the huge contributions made by all the students and postdocs who have put their energy and passion into their projects in order to produce exciting new findings. Working with highly motivated and talented people is the biggest reward in this job,” says Sascha Ott.
From the award citation: “The 2026 Ulla and Stig Holmquist Science Prize in Organic Chemistry is awarded to Professor Sascha Ott of Uppsala University for his pioneering research in organic chemistry. By combining synthetic organic chemistry with physical organic chemistry, Sascha Ott has made pioneering contributions in the synthesis of organophosphorus compounds. In addition, he has developed metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for photocatalysis, or organic electronics. Sascha Ott's research is of the highest class internationally.”
What will you do with the award money?
“That’s a good question. Because it's not something that I was expecting, I don’t have any particular plans for it. I know I’m not going to buy a sports car or anything like that! Perhaps this year’s family holiday will be a little more luxurious than usual,” says Sascha Ott.
Anders Berndt
Ulla and Stig Holmquist Science Prize in Organic Chemistry
The prize is one of the biggest science prizes in Sweden and is awarded annually “to a researcher whose work has been done primarily in Sweden in the field of organic chemistry, and who has done pioneering work in that field”.
The prize was awarded for the first time in 2005. The Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University selects the prizewinner based on a proposal from a committee consisting of the deans of the Chemistry Section, the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Medicine.