University of Groningen awards
Aletta Jacobs Prize
Since 1990, the University of Groningen awards a biannual prize to women who have distinguished themselves in the field of emancipation. The prize aims to profile women who serve as an example to others.
Aletta H. Jacobs (1854-1929) was the first female student to attend a Dutch University, embarking on a degree programme in Medicine in Groningen in 1871. She was awarded a PhD for research entitled ‘Over localisatie van physiologische en pathologische verschijnselen in de groote hersenen’ (Localizing physiological and pathological symptoms in the cerebrum).
After having completed her studies, Aletta Jacobs devoted much of her life to improving the living and working conditions of women. For many years, she chaired the ‘Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht’, a society that campaigned for votes for women. She was also actively involved in the international peace movement.
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Year
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Winner
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Rebecca Gomperts (reproductive justice advocate and founder of Women on Waves), for her fight for abortion rights and access to safe and legal abortions for women worldwide.
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Khadija Arib (President of the Dutch House of Representatives), for her relentless campaign for the position of Moroccan women in the Netherlands in particular, her exemplary role as the first female President of the House of Representatives with a migration background and for the way in which she highlighted the celebration of 100 years of suffrage in the Netherlands as a celebration of universal suffrage for men and women.
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Lilianne Ploumen (politician), for her commitment to and successful endeavours for the rights of women and girls all over the world.
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2016
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Petra Stienen (Arabist and publicist), on account of her ability to ensure that women’s voices are heard loudly and clearly, both in and outside the Netherlands. She creates room for ‘the other voice’ of women and men in the Dutch and Arab worlds.
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2014
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Dr Noeleen Heyzer (Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), for her efforts to improve the treatment of women, particularly in Asia.
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2012
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Dr Els Borst-Eilers (former Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport) (she died in 2014).
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2010
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Neelie Kroes ( European Commissioner for Digital Agenda), for the major social impact of her work and the clear exemplary role she plays in positions that are sometimes unique and often powerful.
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Ben Feringa Impact Award
Every year, the University of Groningen presents the Ben Feringa Impact Award to UG researchers and students who have made outstanding achievements in the field of knowledge utilization, i.e. who have connected their research to the professional (non-academic) world and/or societal (including economic) practice.
The prize is awarded in two categories: one for researchers and one for students. There is one prizewinner or prizewinning team per category. The winning student receives a prize of € 2,500 to be spent as they please. The winning researcher receives a prize of € 5,000 to be spent on further knowledge utilization.
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Year
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Winner (researchers)
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Winner (students)
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'MyLeg' - A Smart and Intuitive Transfemoral Bionic Leg" (Raffaella Carloni)
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'Geospatial Data in International Development, the Case of Malawi' (Jonas Göbel)
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'Forensic Against Sexual Exploitation of Children' (George Azzopardi and Guru Swaroop Bennabhaktula)
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'Complaining about lawyers as a form of occupational therapy' (Nine van den Wijngaard)
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'The Administrative War on Drugs' (Michelle Bruijn)
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‘Cultural Engagement of Young Adults in Het Hogeland’ (Ydwer Hoekstra, Stefan Ivanov, Roos Gielen, Joren Arkes)
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‘Ocean Grazer’ (Wout Prins, Antonis Vakis en Bayu Jayawardhana)
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‘Ivy One’ (Niels Wijermars)
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Alumnus of the Year
The University of Groningen is proud of its alumni. They are the ambassadors of the University, which would like to affirm this bond by presenting an award to an alumnus who has reached an exceptional achievement in society. The Alumnus of the Year is nominated by the alumni community itself.
To qualify for the title of ‘Alumnus of the Year’, a candidate must have made an exceptional contribution to society, research, culture or sports, be an inspiration to others and a promise for the future.
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Year
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Winner
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2024
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Stef van Grieken: alumnus Industrial Engineering and Management. He receives the award because, with his company Cradle, he impressively demonstrates how to use AI to solve social issues.
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2023
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Takudzwa S. Mutezo: alumna International and European Law. She is awarded the prize for the impressive way in which she is committed to nature preservation, fights against nature crime at an international level, contributes to legislation, generates worldwide awareness of how important nature is to us, and initiates innovative projects.
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2022*
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Iris de Graaf: alumna Slavonic Languages and Russian Studies and Journalism. She is awarded the prize for being a inspiration as an independent journalists who know the facts, gives clarity to developments, separate the wheat from the chaff, and allow a variety of perspectives to be heard.
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2020
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Laurien Meuter: alumna Economics and Corporate Finance. She is awarded the prize for the impressive way in which she supports women and their families in the poorest slums of Mumbai.
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2019
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Sander de Hosson: alumnus Medicine. He is receiving the award for the incisive way in which he calls for attention for the emotional side of palliative care and for making death a topic for discussion amongst medical staff, starting during their training.
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2018
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Christiaan Triebert: alumnus International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies and Political Philosophy. He is awarded the prize for his contribution to innovative investigative journalism. ‘His work pushes the boundaries of traditional journalism, opens new doors, gives new insights, uncovers corruption and inspires others’.
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2017
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Carolien de Bruin: alumna Business and Finance. With her small consultancy, C-Change, she wants to draw organizations, investors and business into the dream that the UN has projected on the year 2030.
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2016
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Merel Rumping: The alumna in International Relations and International Organization was awarded this prize for her work as founder and project leader of LegBank, a social enterprise that aims to provide affordable comfortable prosthetic sockets to vulnerable people in low-income countries who miss a lower leg.
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2015
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Luuk van Middelaar: graudated in History and Philosophy. The UG commends Van Middelaar on his critical and original thinking, on his versatility and his skill in combining academia and practice.
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*As of 2022, the nomination and the awarding of the prize will take place in the same year
Van Swinderen Prize
The Van Swinderen Prize of the Royal Physics Society in Groningen is awarded every year to the best summary of a PhD thesis published at the Faculty of Science and Engineering (formerly known as the Faculty of Mathematics & Natural Sciences) or the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Groningen in that academic year.
The summary should be an accurate representation of the contents of the PhD thesis and should be accessible to non-experts. The prize consists of a certificate and € 2250.
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Year
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Winner
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2023
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Dr. Ronald Remmerswaal. Dissertation 'Numerical Modelling of Variability in Liquid Impacts'
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2022
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Dr. Pavel E. Mancera Piña. Dissertation 'Dark matter and angular momentum in nearby disc galaxies'
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2021
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Dr. Helmer Koppelman. Dissertation The Galactic halo: formation history and dynamics
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2020
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Dr Tom Buurke. Dissertation 'Adaptive control of dynamic balance in human walking'
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2019
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Dr Floris Imhann, 'The gut microbiome in intestinal disesases - and the infrastructure to investigate it'
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2018
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Dr Ymkje de Vries. Dissertation: 'Evidence-b(i)ased psychiatry'
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2017
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Dr A.M. (Ahmad) Al-Jallad.
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2016
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Dr C. A. Keyzer. Dissertation: 'Clinical implications of the cross-talk between renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and vitamin D-FGF23-klotho axis'
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2015
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Dr G. (Gergo) Popping. Dissertation: 'The evolution of the atomic and molecular interstellar medium in star-forming galaxies'
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Guf-100 Prize
On the occasion of the centenary of the Groningen University Fund in 1993, the GUF-100 prizes were established. They are awarded at each 5-year anniversary celebration. The prizes consist of ten scholarships for study or research for students from all University of Groningen faculties.
Gratama Science Award
The Gratama Science Award is a prize to encourage young scientists who distinguish themselves by their innovative, socially relevant, and challenging research. The award is granted to members of the research communities of the universities of Leiden and Groningen, on the basis of their published research results during a period of maximally 5 years after obtaining the PhD degree.
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Year
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Winner
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2023
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Linda Geven (Leiden)
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2022
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Dr Hamidreza Kasaei (Groningen)
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2021
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Sabine van der Asdonk (Leiden)
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2020
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Dr Ymkje Anna de Vries
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2019
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Mariëtte Boon (Leiden)
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2018
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2017
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2016
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2015
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Professor J.M. (Jojanneke) van der Toorn (Leiden)
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2014
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Dr A.K.H. (Anna) Hirsch
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2013
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Guyot Prize
The Guyot Prize is the oldest scientific prize awarded by the University of Groningen. It is awarded for outstanding achievements in auditory science and otology. The prize is named after Henri Daniël Guyot who founded the first institute for the deaf in the Netherlands in 1790, the first of its kind in the Netherlands. Guyot’s grandson, H.D. Guyot, made a bequest to the University of Groningen aiming ‘to use its interest to award a grant once every five years to any Dutchman or foreigner who in that period has made the most important discovery in the field of otology’.
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Year
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Winner
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2019
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Professor Tobias Moser
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2014
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2010
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2004
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Professor P. Dallos
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1999
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Professor A.N. Salt
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1994
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The Ubbo Emmius Medal
The Ubbo Emmius Medal was established in 1964 by the Groningen University Fund on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the University of Groningen. There are two versions of the medal: one for academic merit and one for social merit. Both medals are awarded once every five years.
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Year
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Winner
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2023
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Social merit
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2019
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Michel Wedel
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Academic merit
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2018
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Social merit
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2016
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M. J. van den Berg
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Social merit
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2014
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Professor U. Beisiegel
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Academic merit
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2011
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H. Finkers
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Social merit
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2008
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Professor D. Breimer
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Academic merit
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2003
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Professor E. Tov
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Academic merit
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Wierenga-Rengerink PhD Prize
The Wieringa-Rengerink PhD prize is an annual prize awarded to the writer of the best University of Groningen dissertation. The prize was first awarded in 2015. Every faculty nominates a dissertation and the jury of former rectors chooses one overall winner. Only exceptionally good dissertations qualify - they have to be credited at least with cum laude.
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Year
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Winner
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2023
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2022
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Dr Fardo Eringa
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2021
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2020
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2019
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2018
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Dr Alain Dekker
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2017
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Dr Nigel Hamilton and Dr. Jordi van Gestel
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2016
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2015
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Lecturer of the Year
From 2007 to 2019, the UG awarded the Lecturer of the Year Award. The award was intended for a lecturer who demonstrated significant involvement with their teaching and their students, provided excellent teaching and/or showed extraordinary commitment to curriculum development and educational innovation.
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Year
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Winner
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2019
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2018
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2017
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2016
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2015
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2014
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2013
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Nicolaas Mulerius Stipendium
Every five years, the University of Groningen awards the Nicolaas Mulerius Stipendium, a grant worth €25,000, to a researcher who has demonstrated outstanding achievements.
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Year
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Winner
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2016
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2012
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2006
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The Academy Plaque
The Academy Plaque was created in 1909 for the inauguration of this building. The Board of the University has decided to award copies of this plaque to staff members with a special track record, who leave the UG after many years of employment, both as a token of appreciation and a memento of their days at the University of Groningen. The General Manager of the Office of the University, Stephan van Galen, will assess applications for the plaques. Please note that approval for the application is always required first from the faculty board or management of the Service to which the employee is attached. The plaque is generally presented by one of the members of the Board of the University to a faculty employee. Before a plaque is presented, it will be engraved with the name of the staff member, any titles, as well as the start and end dates of their employment. Plaque administration lies with the management assistant to the General Manager, Margrieta Mentink. Plaque applications must include an explanation and must be submitted at least one month before the presentation of the plaque. A silver plaque can be awarded to staff members with an exceptional track record. In special cases, at the discretion of the General Manager of University Services, plaques can also be presented to other persons than those described above.
| Last modified: | 29 April 2025 3.53 p.m. |