ERNOP 2025 Best Conference Paper Award
Heidelberg, 26 September 2025 –
The European Research Network on Philanthropy (ERNOP) is pleased to announce the recipient of the Best Conference Paper Award at its 12th International Conference, held in Heidelberg, Germany.
On behalf of the Award Committee, Dr. Georg Mildenberger, Chair of the Academic Committee and researcher at the Centre for Social Investment at the University of Heidelberg, presented the award with the following statement:
“This award is based on four criteria: originality of the contribution to knowledge, quality of argument, positioning within existing literature, and quality of writing. Each of these aspects was carefully considered, and after extensive deliberation, one paper stood out.
The Committee was impressed by its strong academic foundation, the clarity of its central question, and the careful way in which the research was carried out. It sheds new light on a significant and timely issue in our field and engages with it in a way that is both rigorous and thought-provoking. The data are highly relevant, the analysis is well aligned with the question, and the conclusions invite further debate and reflection.
While there is still scope to sharpen the theoretical contribution and extend its data robustness, the paper nonetheless stimulated the Committee and generated lively discussion. In the end, my fellow committee members – Arthur Gautier, Tine de Bock, and Nicolas Duveaux – were unanimous.
And so, for its originality, empirical richness, and conceptual significance, it is my honor to present the Best Conference Paper Award to:
‘Foundations Through the Lens of Self and Others: Aligning Roles Attributions with Actual Practices’ by Antonia Muhr & Michaela Neumayr from the WU University of Economics and Business.”
The award-winning paper contributes to the ongoing and sometimes controversial debate on the perceived and practised roles of philanthropic foundations. While the literature ascribes various societal roles to foundations—and often criticises them for not living up to these expectations—empirical evidence has been scarce. Muhr and Neumayr’s study draws on interviews with foundations and their grantees to examine how foundations perceive their societal roles and how these perceptions are reflected in practice.
This conference paper is part of Antonia Muhr’s ongoing PhD project and represents the first draft of a forthcoming book chapter in “Philanthropy: Key Debates and Contending Perspectives”, edited by Pamala Wiepking and Femida Handy, to be published by Edward Elgar Publishing. Its presentation at ERNOP 2025 was made possible with the permission of Edward Elgar Publishing.
About ERNOP
The European Research Network on Philanthropy (ERNOP) brings together over 250 researchers from more than 25 countries who study philanthropy and related topics. ERNOP fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the dissemination of research findings to advance understanding of philanthropy’s role in Europe and beyond.
Media Contact:
ERNOP Executive Office
?
? www.ernop.eu