Every year, the information and technology company Clarivate Analytics identifies those researchers who have been cited most often by their peers over the past ten years. In 2021, fewer than 6,700 (or about 0.1 per cent) of the world's scientists in 21 research fields received this exclusive award. The field of “Physics”, in which Schwenk is also listed, includes only 13 researchers from Germany.

Professor Achim Schwenk, who was also awarded an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) this year, focuses on the strong interaction in the universe in the research project EUSTRONG. This fundamental force is responsible for holding neutrons and protons together in the atomic nucleus. The theory is crucial for understanding the densest observable matter inside neutron stars. In addition, atomic nuclei play a key role in the detection of dark matter and in the study of the lightest neutrino particles. EUSTRONG will enable new discoveries in the physics of the strong interaction by developing innovative theories and methods.