KNVM

The KNVM board makes the Albert Kluyver award available to outstanding junior group leaders in the field of microbiology.

The KNVM invites applications and nominations for its Kluyver Award for Outstanding Junior Group Leaders, recognizing exceptional scientists who demonstrate excellence in research, leadership, and contributions to the scientific community.

Self-nominations are strongly encouraged.

Eligibility

Applicants should be at the junior group leader stage, with approximately 1 to 5 years of experience as an independent group leader and a track record that includes at least one senior-author publication. NWO extensions and exceptions apply where relevant.

Candidates must demonstrate scientific excellence and show promise as future leaders in their field.

Application Requirements

Applicants must be KNVM members at the time of application.

Please submit:

• A document of not more than 4 pages including information on:
  • Evidence of scientific excellence
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Teaching and outreach
  • Leadership and mentorship experience

Please do not submit additional (recommendation) letters!

Award

The award recipient will receive:

• €1,000 prize money
• Registration costs for one-day registration for attending the Award Ceremony during the KNVM/NVMM Scientific Spring Meeting (self-registration and reimbursement together with the prize money)

The awardee must be personally present at the KNVM/NVMM Spring Meeting and Award Ceremony to receive the award.

Deadline

Application deadline: 18 December 2026

Please note that the KNVM reserves the right not to award the prize if no candidate is deemed suitable.

Please direct your application to the KNVM president, Prof. Dr. Cornelia Welte, c.welte [at] science.ru.nl.

We encourage all eligible junior group leaders with an outstanding scientific track record to apply.

The prize, which was first awarded in 1963, is in commemoration of Albert-Jan Kluyver. He was professor in General and Applied Microbiology at the Delft University of Technology from 1921 to 1956. He stated that taxonomy of microorganisms should be based on morphology and metabolism. Moreover, he launched the concept of unity in biochemistry.

Awardees

• 2026 Adéla Melcrová
  University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
  
  
• 2025 Daniel Hurdiss
  Utrecht University (Utrecht)
  
  
• 2024 Nico Claassens
  Wageningen University & Research (Wageningen)
  
  
• 2010 Ronald van Rij
  "The antiviral role of RNAi in insects"
  Universitair Medisch Centrum St Radboud (Nijmegen)
  
  
• 2007 Thijs Ettema
  "Functional and comparative genomics on the Archaea"
  Wageningen Universiteit & Research (Wageningen)
  
  
• 2004 Martin van der Laan
  "The YidC pathway mediates membrane protein insertion in Escherichia coli"
  Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (Groningen)
  
  
• 1999 Quido Valent
  "Role of the bacterial SRP in targeting precursor proteins to the precursor protein translocase complex"
  Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam)
  
  
• 1996 Hendrik van Veen
  "Mechanisms and energetics of phosphate transport in Acinetobacter johnsonii and Escherichia coli"
  Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (Groningen)
  
  
• 1993 Herman Spaink
  "The molecular basis of the host specificity of Rhizobium bacteria"
  Universiteit Leiden (Leiden)
  
  
• 1990 Marja Agterberg
  "Outer membrane protein PhoE as a carrier for the exposure of foreign antigenic determinants at the bacterial cell surface"
  Universiteit Utrecht (Utrecht)
  
  
• 1988 Arnold Driessen
  "Secondary transport of amino acids by membrane vesicles derived from lactic acid bacteria"
  Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (Groningen)
  
  
• 1986 Peter Bruinenberg
  "The NADP(H) redox couple in yeast metabolism"
  Technische Hogeschool (Delft)
  
  
• 1984 Jan Keltjens
  "Coenzymes of methanogenesis"
  Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen (Nijmegen)
  
  
• 1978 Jozef Anné
  "Somatic hybridisation between Penicillium species after induced fusion of their protoplasts"
  Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Leuven, Belgium)
  
  
• 1976 Jan van Embden & W. van Leeuwen
  "Interference with propagation of typing of bacteriophages by extrachromosomal elements in Salmonella typhimurium: bacteriophage type 505"
  Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (Bilthoven)
  
  
• 1974 Jean Swings
  "Taxonomie van het bacteriëngeslacht Zymomonas"
  Universiteit van Gent (Gent, Belgium)
  
  
• 1969 Hans Sietsma
  "Protoplastvorming en celwandsamenstelling van enige Oömyces soorten"
  Universiteit van Amsterdam (Amsterdam)
  
  
• 1965 Wouter Middelhoven
  "Over de stofwisseling van arginine in bakkersgist"
  Landbouw Universiteit (Wageningen)
  
  
• 1963 Godfried Vogels
  "De afbraak van allantoine door micro-organismen"
  Technische Hogeschool (Delft)