Awards & prizes

NNV Diamant

The NNV Diamant is the biennial award of the Nederlandse Natuurkundige Vereniging (NNV) granted to an institution (research and education) within physics that most distinguishes itself in developing and implementing policies on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

The award is intended for institutions that not only formulate DEI as an ambition, but have structurally embedded DEI in their policies, organisation, and daily practice, with demonstrable impact and broad internal support. Particular attention is given to how organisations address equity in both policy and implementation, now and in the future.

Institutions are invited to describe their approach, experiences, and results. The submissions serve as the basis for evaluation by an expert jury, which assesses, among other things, structural integration, organisational engagement, measurable outcomes, and the contribution to a more accessible and equitable physics community.

More information and submission

Minerva Prize

The Minerva Prize is awarded annually to an outstanding young female or non-binary physicist in the Netherlands with an overall performance that scientifically excels in any subfield of physics. The Minerva Prize is a joint award by the Dutch Physics Council (DPC) and the Netherlands’ Physical Society (NNV) with the aim to support gender diversity in the Dutch physics community.

Both experimental and theoretical scientific physics research carried out at Dutch universities, research institutes (incl. TO2 institutes), university medical centers, or at universities of applied sciences are taken into account.

The prize is a tribute, and the laureate serves as an inspiring example for others. The winner receives a sum of € 5,000 that can be spent as wished, together with a prize certificate, and is invited to present their research at a national meeting.

More information and submission

Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa thesis award

The Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa thesis award is annually awarded by the Dutch Physics Council. The award recognizes an outstanding PhD thesis in the field of physics, defended at a Dutch university in the previous year. The prize is open to nominations in any subfield of physics and for theoretical as well as experimental work. The winner receives € 5,000.

More information and submission

Poster prizes

The posters presented at NWO Physics are eligible to win one of the three poster prizes. The posters will be judged by the poster jury during both days of NWO Physics on the research significance, the poster design, and the clarity of the presentation. Theposter prizes will be awarded on Wednesday 20 January, at the end of the conference day in the Beneluxzaal.