ORANJESTAD (AAN) – NWO Opens Caribbean Science Award Nominations for 2026, inviting researchers from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten to compete for prestigious awards recognizing excellence and innovation in scientific research.
The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has announced the opening of nominations for its annual awards, which recognize researchers, teams, and initiatives that make outstanding contributions to science and society. Winners receive the prestigious NWO Award and a €10,000 prize.
The awards are intended to highlight the full breadth of scientific research funded by the Netherlands, including projects and researchers from the Caribbean region.
Four Award Categories
This year’s awards recognize excellence across four areas:
- Arete Award – Promoting a healthy research culture.
- Atlas Award – Recognizing research with significant social impact.
- Agora Award – Honouring collaboration in scientific research.
- Open Science Award (JIKB Leeuwis Award) – Celebrating excellence in open science initiatives.
According to NWO, the awards aim to place individuals and research teams in the spotlight for creating meaningful scientific and societal change.
Who Can Be Nominated?
Nominations are open to both individual researchers and research teams whose work has had a significant impact. Candidates may be nominated by colleagues, institutions, support staff, science communicators, or others familiar with their contributions.
Marcel Levi, Chair of the NWO Executive Board, said the awards seek to recognize initiatives that often receive too little public attention while making an important contribution to science and society.
Nomination Deadline
NWO is accepting nominations until September 10, 2026. Researchers and institutions across Aruba and the wider Dutch Caribbean are encouraged to submit candidates through the official NWO Awards nomination process.
