UG awards several prizes during the Ceremony of Merits

The UG awarded several prizes to outstanding researchers and students during the Ceremony of Merits on 3 July 2026. The Nicolaas Mulerius Fund Thesis Prize was awarded to Sanne Smith-Apeldoorn (UMCG). Jonas Bornemann (Faculty of Law) received the Gratama Science Award. In addition, the best student of each faculty was presented with a GUF-100 prize worth €2,500, intended for study or research purposes.

Nicolaas Mulerius Fund Thesis Prize

Psychiatrist Dr Sanne Smith-Apeldoorn from the UMCG was awarded the Nicolaas Mulerius Fund Thesis Prize. She received the prize for her thesis on the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression. There is an urgent need for new treatment options for patients falling into this category. In her thesis, Smith-Apeldoorn demonstrated that ketamine could be used as an effective, safe, and tolerable oral antidepressant. Her thesis has been widely cited throughout academia. The jury stated: ‘Her passion, determination, and collaborative skills demonstrate that she belongs in the top echelon of her generation of researchers.’

The Nicolaas Mulerius Fund Thesis Prize is awarded to the PhD student who has submitted the best UG thesis during the calendar year preceding the presentation. Every faculty nominates a maximum of one candidate. The winner is chosen from this group by the jury, which comprises the current Rector Magnificus and a number of former Rectores Magnifici. Only exceptionally good theses are eligible (at least with the cum laude honours predicate). The Nicolaas Mulerius Fund funds the prize. The winner receives €10,000 for the purposes of their ongoing academic development, for example to travel to international symposia.

Gratama Science Award

Jonas Bornemann from the Faculty of Law received the Gratama Science Award. His research focuses on European migration legislation and has exposed a structural shift in European migration law: restrictions that were formerly prevalent at the national level have become increasingly embedded in European legislation. This has implications not only for the rights of migrants but also for the constitutional balance within the European legal order. The jury emphasized the broad impact of Bornemann’s research, noting that he serves on advisory committees and that his work has frequently been cited by the Court of Justice of the European Union and by national courts.

The Gratama Science Award is intended as an incentive for young, promising, and active academics who distinguish themselves through innovative, striking, and societally relevant research. The Award is awarded either to a staff member of the University of Groningen or of Leiden University, alternating each year. This year was the UG’s turn. The candidates were nominated by their faculties and selected by the board of the Groningen University Fund. The board of the Gratama Foundation ultimately chooses the winner.

GUF-100 prizes

Finally, outstanding students from each of the 11 UG faculties were presented with a GUF-100 Prize, consisting of a grant worth €2,500 to support study or research purposes. The prizes were funded by the Groningen University Fund. This year’s winners were:

• Ines C. Cuțaru – Faculty of Law
• Eneja Paradiž – Faculty of Science and Engineering
• Melissa Ababei – Faculty of Arts
• Mark Broekman – Faculty of Medical Sciences/UMCG
• Isabella Martinez – Faculty of Economics and Business
• Kate Lehane – Faculty of Spatial Sciences
• Kristóf Csölle – Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences
• Nolan Heinrich – University College Groningen
• Leonardo Pereira – Campus Fryslân
• Tobias Postma – Faculty of Philosophy
• Zsóka Sándor – Faculty of Religion, Culture, and Society

About the Ceremony of Merits

The annual Ceremony of Merits celebrated outstanding achievements. Everyone who had made a significant contribution to the University of Groningen during the past year was recognized, whether they were an academic, a member of support staff, or a student. In addition, the prizes mentioned above are awarded.