Minerva Prize
The Minerva Prize is an annual award to outstanding young female or non-binary physicists in the Netherlands with an overall performance that scientifically excels in any subfield of physics. Candidates can work in academia, TO2 institutes or at universities of applied sciences. The nomination deadline is 1 October. More information about the procedure can be found below.
Credit: John Mostert
About
This initiative is intended to celebrate excellence and to highlight a laureate who serves as an inspiring role model for the physics community. The Minerva prize is awarded annually to an exceptional young female or non‑binary physicist working in the Netherlands. The laureate is selected based on outstanding overall scientific performance in any subfield of physics.
The Minerva Prize is jointly awarded by the Dutch Physics Council (DPC) and the Dutch Physical Society (NNV). Its mission is to support and strengthen gender diversity within the Dutch physics community.
Who to nominate?
- Young female or non‑binary physicist working in the Netherlands, up to 15 years after obtaining their master’s degree,
- A physicist who serves as an inspiring role model for the physics community,
- A physicist working at a Dutch research organization: universities, (TO2/NWO/KNAW) institutes, UMCs, universities of applied sciences (HBO),
- The candidates have worked in the Netherlands for at least one year, counted back from the nomination deadline;
- Someone who did not receive the Minerva Prize before.
Why nominate?
Nominating a colleague or self-nominations for the Minerva Prize are a meaningful way to recognize and elevate exceptional scientific talent. A nomination:
- Raises visibility for outstanding early‑career researchers within the Dutch physics community,
- Strengthens gender diversity by spotlighting female and non‑binary physicists,
- Acknowledges scientific leadership, creativity, and impact;
- Supports career advancement, as national recognition often opens doors to new collaborations, grants, and opportunities.
- If someone in your network embodies excellence, nominating them is a powerful way to help them shine.
What’s in it for the winner?
- A financial award of €5,000, freely spendable,
- A statue which will be handed over during the award at NWO Physics in Veldhoven,
- A platform for visibility and influence,
- A slot for a parallel talk at NWO Physics, one of the most visible stages in Dutch physics,
- A chance to serve as a role model for the next generation of physicists;
- Increased national visibility, often leading to invitations, collaborations, and broader recognition.
Minerva prize laureates
Details about the procedure
Submit the nomination form before 1 October 2026 to directeur@nnv.nl.
Nomination form
▼ Who can nominate?
Who can nominate?
Nominees for the prize can be nominated by anyone, including self-nominations. In case of a self-nomination, at least one letter of support from an expert must be enclosed. All nominations will be treated confidentially and be judged in the same way regardless of the method of nomination. Receipt of a nomination will simply be acknowledged and there will be no further communication with the nominator, whose identity will not be revealed (other than to the selection committee).
▼ Which documentation is required?
Which documentation is required?
The ‘Minerva nomination form’ must be used for nominations; the nominations should be written in English. The nomination form contains the following information:
- contact details of the nominee and nominator,
- a motivational letter by the nominator, which should explicitly address the two assessment criteria listed below and clearly describe why the nominee scientifically excels and should be considered as the most promising & outstanding female or non-binary physicist currently in the Netherlands,
- a (narrative) CV of the nominee;
- only required in case of a self-nomination: at least one letter of support relevant to the award.
▼ Assessment criteria
Assessment criteria
After an initial check to ensure that the research of each nominee does indeed belong to the field of physics, the nomination will be assessed against the two criteria outlines below. Emphasis should generally be on the candidate’s recent work. The 1st criterion is leading and the 2nd is considered of added value:
- the candidate’s outstanding role with respect to scientific achievements within physics (focus on scientific research);
- the candidate’s commitment to outreach, science communication, mentoring, teaching activities, education and/or general interactions with society of the candidate.
▼ Selection committee
Selection committee
The selection of the prize winner is in the hands of a selection committee of 5-6 members, including the winner of last year’s prize. The selection committee members are appointed by the executive boards of the NNV and DPC. Membership of the selection committee is for up to a three-year period (and can be renewed once), except for last year’s winner which is for one year only.
A committee member will be recused if the committee member:
- is the supervisor of one of the candidates;
- has joint publications with the candidate up to three years before the nomination deadline;
- has a personal relationship with the candidate.
Common sense is applied in other cases of apparent conflict of interest.
The executive boards of the DPC and NNV decide on the award of the prize based on the advice of the selection committee. The selection procedure is confidential and not open to correspondence.
Selection committee (2025 edition)
The selection committee for the 2025 Minerva Prize included:
- Sissi de Beer, UT
- Julia Cramer, LEI
- Mark Golden, UvA (chair)
- Anna von der Heydt, UU
- Tristan du Pree, Nikhef
- Hanneke Gelderblom – won de Minervaprijs in 2024, TU/e
Background of the Minerva Prize
The current Minerva Prize is a modernized continuation of the highly regarded award originally established by FOM in 2000. The earlier prize focused exclusively on recognizing the best publication by a female physicist working in the Netherlands.
While the commitment to gender diversity remains central, the scope of the prize has evolved to better reflect today’s scientific landscape. Instead of focusing on a single publication, the current Minerva Prize honors overall scientific excellence, leadership, and impact.
Explore the laureates of the earlier version of the Minerva prize.
Support the Minerva Prize
To help sustain this award and strengthen gender diversity in Dutch physics, you can contribute through a voluntary donation.
Please send us an email if you want to make a contribution:
Donate to the Minerva Prize
Your support helps empower the next generation of physicists.
Contact
If you have questions about the prize or nomination form, please contact the secretaries of the award:
NNV: Gertie Schouten, via directeur@nnv.nl
DPC: Naomi Chrispijn, via dpc@nwo.nl
