The Gossen Award, an award of 10,000 €, is awarded every year to honor a German-speaking economist working in central Europe, whose work has gained international reputation and renown.

The aim of the award is to promote the internationalization of economic research by residents of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The most important criterion for the prize is publications in internationally recognized journals.

The award is named after the Prussian lawyer Hermann Heinrich Gossen (1810 - 1858). Although hardly noticed at the time due to its mathematical nature, the article “Die Entwicklung der Gesetze des menschlichen Verkehrs, und der daraus fließenden Regeln für menschliches Handeln” (“The Development of the Laws of Human Interaction and the Resulting Rules of Human Behavior”) is considered to be the most important precursor of modern marginalist theory.

After a pre-selection, the winner is chosen by a commission constituting of the Executive Council. Proposals are sent to the chairperson of the association, including a curriculum vitae and a list of publications. Any member of the association may nominate candidates for the Gossen Prize. The winner may not be older than 45 years of age in the year the award is given.