The board of the KNGMG is looking for candidates for the Vening Meinesz Prize 2026. This prize is intended for earth and environmental scientists who obtained their PhD less than six years ago (2020 or later) and who are working as scientific researchers in the Netherlands. In the case of care responsibilities, this period may be extended in accordance with the NWO extension clause.
The prize is available thanks to a donation made by prof. Felix Vening Meinesz to NWO in 1962. As prof. Vening Meinesz’s legacy is almost exhausted, the Advisory Board for Earth and Environmental Sciences has made additional funds available to continue the prize, which will now be awarded annually by the KNGMG instead of NWO. The prize is ten thousand euros plus a certificate and is intended to finance research-related costs. The award ceremony will take place during the 22nd NWO NAC (NWO NAC 2026) on Thursday, April 9, and Friday, April 10, 2026, in Noordwijkerhout.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Sinds 1965, the prize was awarded to dr. R.D. Schuiling (1965), dr. J.D.A. Zijderveld (1968), dr. G.B. Engelen (1972), dr. J.A. Schouten (1972), dr. ir. N. van Breemen (1976), dr. A.M.H. Nolet (1983), dr. R.K. Snieder (1989), dr. F. Marin (1998), dr. W. Krijgsman (2000), dr. W. van Westrenen (2006), dr. G. van der Werf (2008), dr. A. Sluijs (2010), dr. J.W.H. Weijers (2012), mevr. dr. J.E. Vonk (2014), dr. L.V. de Groot (2016), dr. ir. N. Wanders (2018), dr. T. de Haas (2020), mevr. dr. A. Beniest (2022), mevr. dr. L.M. Boschman (2024) en dr. E.S. Steenstra (2025).
Nominations consist of a letter of no more than two pages, plus a curriculum vitae with a list of publications. The letter must include the following information: a statement explaining the reason for the nomination, the candidate’s academic achievements, and the expectations that the nominator has of the candidate.
Prof. Felix Andries Vening Meinesz was a geophysicist and geodesist who did pioneering work in geophysics and geodesy. He was a professor at Delft University of Technology and Utrecht University, and was also director-general of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI). His achievements include devising a method for measuring gravity with great accuracy, as well as an instrument (his pendulum device) for measuring it. This enabled him to discover many gravitational anomalies above the seabed. The Royal Netherlands Navy provided submarines for his expeditions.
Important criteria used by previous assessment committees are the candidates’ drive to conduct scientific research, their creativity, their level of independence, their scientific output during the course of their research, and their expectations regarding their scientific career. Often, the choice fell on candidates who had chosen their own path, or candidates who had made truly new discoveries. All this was in the spirit of the true pioneer that Vening Meinesz was. This is also reflected in the above assessment criteria.
The deadline for submitting nominations is Monday, January 5, 2026. Nominations and questions should be sent exclusively to VeningMeineszPrijs@gmail.com.
More information about the Vening Meinesz prijs may be found here.
