Descartes-Huygens prize 2020 goes to UG professor Rampal Etienne

Dutch evolutionary ecologist and University of Groningen Professor Rampal Etienne, who explores the relationship between evolution and various types of plants, animals and bacteria, has won the Descartes-Huygens Prize 2020 together with French physicist Halima Mouhib. They both received the prize for their research and contributions to Franco-Dutch research cooperation. The prize of 23,000 euro per laureate will enable them to intensify this collaboration. The award ceremony will be held on 12 February 2021.

Rampal Etienne (49), professor at the University of Groningen and researcher at the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, specializes in evolutionary ecology. His research focuses on the way in which communities of all kinds of organisms — ranging from fungi and bacteria to plants and animals — influence the formation of new species and their evolution. Following on from this research, Etienne and the French researchers will look into the influence of the characteristics of species that live closely together on the formation of new species.

The Descartes-Huygens Prize

The annual Descartes-Huygens Prize was established by the French and Dutch governments. The Prize is intended for excellent researchers who contribute to Franco-Dutch academic cooperation. The Netherlands chooses the French laureate, while France selects a laureate from the Netherlands. The grant of €23,000 is intended to cover the costs of a research residence in the Netherlands or in France.