Paul Chirik, the Peter J.W. Debye Professor of Chemistry, has received the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation in Bonn, Germany.

The award recognizes scientists and scholars "internationally renowned in their field" who "are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements that will have a seminal influence on their discipline beyond their immediate field of work" and have completed their doctorates less than 12 years ago.

Chirik works at the intersection of organic and inorganic chemistry, exploring energy-efficient chemical transformations that reduce fossil fuel dependencies and minimize waste. His group has developed inexpensive and environmentally compatible iron catalysts to replace toxic heavy metals used in pharmaceutical and fine chemical synthesis.

Chirik also works to reduce atmospheric nitrogen and has discovered new methods to synthesize ammonia under mild conditions. In March he received the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award from the American Chemical Society for excellence in organic chemistry.

The Humboldt Foundation grants up to 25 Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Awards annually. Recipients are invited to spend up to one year cooperating on a long-term research project with specialist colleagues at a research institution in Germany. The award is valued at about $61,000.