The Academy Merian Prize was established to draw attention to female researchers and to encourage more women in the Netherlands to pursue careers in science and scholarship. The prize is made possible by the SNS REAAL Fund.

Established in 2009, the Academy Merian Prize is awarded to a woman who will inspire others to embark on a career in science or scholarship. The biennial prize is conferred on an outstanding female researcher working alternately in the social sciences or humanities (2009) and in science (2011).

The prize is named after Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717), a German naturalist and illustrator who spent much of her life living and working in the Netherlands.  She studied plants and insects and her detailed sketches made an important contribution to entomology.

The Academy Merian Prize consists of a specially designed ornament and EUR 50,000, to be used to support research. Some of the prize money should be used to support activities to encourage women participating in science.

Disciplines

Humanities or social sciences; science

Who is it for?

The Academy Merian Prize is awarded to outstanding female researchers who work for a Dutch research organisation and expect to be active in science or scholarship for another ten years.

Nomination and award

Nominations may be submitted by completing the nomination form which you will find on this page. The deadline for submitting nominations is up to and including 15 May 2013. The award will be presented on 21 November 2013 at the Trippenhuis building, Amsterdam.