{"id":180401,"date":"2025-07-03T16:09:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T14:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=180401"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:52","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:52","slug":"nwo-awards-spinoza-and-stevin-prizes-greatest-gift-for-a-scientist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/07\/03\/nwo-awards-spinoza-and-stevin-prizes-greatest-gift-for-a-scientist\/","title":{"rendered":"NWO awards Spinoza and Stevin Prizes: ‘Greatest gift for a scientist’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dutch Research Council NWO has awarded the highest honours in Dutch science: two Spinoza grants, for Judith Pollmann and Thijn Brummelkamp, and two Stevin grants, for Ingrid Robeyns and Ilse Aben. The winners will receive 1.5 million euros each. “A huge recognition.”<\/p>\n

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From top left clockwise: Ingrid Robeyns, Judith Pollmann, Thijn Brummelkamp and Ilse Aben.<\/span><\/p>

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The Spinoza Prizes are considered the Dutch equivalent of the Nobel Prizes, recognising groundbreaking scientific research, while the Stevin Prizes emphasise researchers\u2019 contributions to society.<\/p>\n

The winners are delighted with the recognition. \u201cIt gives you the freedom, time and money to just pursue your own interests, and to bring others along with you\u201d, Spinoza laureate Judith Pollmann said in a response to NWO<\/a><\/u>. \u201cIt really is the greatest gift a scientist could wish for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spinoza Prize winners<\/h2>

Pollmann is professor of early modern Dutch history at Leiden University. Using innovative research methods, she explores how people in the past dealt with radical social changes, and the effect this had on their identity.<\/p>\n

The other Spinoza Prize was awarded to Thijn Brummelkamp, a cancer researcher and professor at UMC Utrecht, as well as the scientific director of the Netherlands Cancer Institute. Through genetic research, Brummelkamp has managed to shed light on the tactics employed by various pathogens, writes NWO. His work contributes to the development of new drugs for infectious diseases and cancer. Calling the award an enormous honour, he said that it was \u2018fantastic to be able to spend the prize money freely on basic research\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\t

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