International collaboration honored with prestigious Into Change Award for uncovering the cosmic origin of heavy elements

Factories of heavy elements confirmed

The breakthrough came in 2017, when astronomers observed the merger of two neutron stars through both gravitational waves and light—a historic first. This discovery revealed that the Universe’s heaviest elements, including gold, platinum, uranium, and some rare-earth elements, are forged in the aftermath of these cataclysmic collisions, known as kilonovae.

Since then, ENGRAVE has united researchers across 14 countries to pioneer multi-messenger astronomy, combining gravitational-wave detections with observations from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the James Webb Space Telescope.

These efforts have mapped the cosmic factories that created much of the periodic table and deepened our understanding of the origins of planets and life.

Danish-led contributions

Professor Watson has played a decisive role in this effort, both as a member of ENGRAVE and as leader of the ERC Synergy project HEAVYMETAL, which explores the formation of heavy elements across cosmic history.

His work has helped position Denmark at the forefront of multi-messenger astrophysics—a rapidly growing field that combines gravitational waves, light, and theory to probe the most extreme events in the Universe.

“Receiving the Into Change Award is an honor for our entire team,” says Watson. “It recognizes how curiosity-driven research and collaboration can answer humanity’s oldest questions. For Denmark, this is also a signal that we are shaping the future of astrophysics—through projects like HEAVYMETAL and our work at Cosmic Dawn, we aim to trace the origins of the elements across the entire history of the Universe.”

Looking ahead

This award comes at a pivotal moment for Danish astrophysics, preparing for the next generation of discoveries with upcoming facilities such as the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), new space facilities and gravitational wave detectors, and continued synergy with the James Webb Space Telescope. These efforts will allow researchers to capture neutron star mergers and trace the formation of heavy elements and black holes with unprecedented precision. Denmark’s leadership in multi-messenger astronomy ensures that the country will remain at the heart of answering fundamental questions about the Universe—and our own origins.

The award totals DKK 8 million, with DKK 100,000 allocated to each of the six named researchers and the remainder supporting future research. The prize will be presented at a ceremony at the Royal Danish Opera House in Copenhagen on 15 December 2025.

Going forward, this recognition will help ENGRAVE and its members continue their pioneering work, ensuring that Denmark remains a key player in answering the ultimate question: where do we come from?