International call - 2024

The Sustainability Research Award Rudi Verheyen celebrates researchers for their scientific contribution to environment and nature policy in the region of Flanders, Belgium. The award is a tribute to the life and work, the dedication and the person of professor emeritus Rudi Verheyen for his scientific contribution to the environment and nature policy in Flanders, Belgium. The Sustainability Research Award Rudi Verheyen is hosted at the University of Antwerp (Flanders, Belgium), endorsed by the Flemish Minister for Justice & Enforcement, Environment, Energy and Tourism in cooperation with the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO).

Expected candidates for the 2024 call

Alternating, the prize awards young researchers and senior researchers. The focus in 2024 is on awarding senior researchers. Candidates shall be internationally renowned researchers that contributed to the Flemish, European and/or global environment and nature policy relevant to Flanders, Belgium. The candidate has demonstrated the value of interdisciplinary research to environment and nature policy. They are invited to demonstrate the relevance of their research for environment and nature policy in Flanders, and explain how their research has impacted that policy. Any nationality can apply.

Assessment and selection

The prizewinner is nominated by an independent jury of experts. The jury is chaired by prof. dr. Gudrun De Boeck, Chair of the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (IMDO) at the University of Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium. The jury members are experts in environmental sciences and/or Flemish and international environmental policy.

The jury decides upon the following criteria to assess the research and its contribution to the Flemish or European and global environmental policy:

1.      Excellence:

Scientific added value, international dissemination, change makers and innovative character of the multidisciplinary research, if applicable patents or publications;

2.      Relevance:

Societal and economic applicability with impact on Flanders and the world, specific relevance for Flemish or European/global environmental policy relevant to Flanders, involvement of societal actors, and intended use of the prize;

3.      Impact:

Complying to sustainable development, interdisciplinarity, timeliness of the research.

The candidate shall propose a use for the financial prize of EUR 26.000 associated to the award. The prize money can be used for the continuation or start-up of policy oriented environmental research, the dissemination of scientific results, or the realization of a concrete environmental project. The proposition to use the prize money will also be taken into consideration in the selection of the winner.

The candidates are invited to consider these criteria when completing their application. The jury assesses the applications and nominates a prizewinner. If no candidate meets the required standards, the jury reserves the right not to award the prize.

Laureate & award ceremony

The laureate will be announced at an academic ceremony on March, 18th, 2024 at the premises of the University of Antwerp. The Sustainability Research Award Rudi Verheyen 2024 will be granted by the Flemish Minister, responsible for planning, the environment, energy, tourism and justice. The laureate will be invited to present on his work.

Application

Candidates (individually or in group) must submit an online application form with some obligatory annexes containing all requested information. Previously submitted files may be taken into account. The deadline for submission  is 31 October 2024.

The application contains the following documents:                                                                                    

 1. Application form

Candidates must motivate their interest and are invited to demonstrate their/the candidate’s qualifications and competences related to the subject of the award. They are requested to describe their scientific research and to explain their application through the criteria given in this call. They must specify the concerned scientific research, indicate the internationalization, motivate the relevance to environmental policy and impact of their or the candidate’s research, and why they are eligible to win the award. The intended use of the prize must also be specified.

2. Annexes

Candidates must include a curriculum vitae, a summary of the conducted research, a motivation for participation, and a portfolio with relevant and evidence based documents supporting the application. Therefor they have to complete their application by adding the following documents:

• Curriculum vitae of the candidate (brief summary) 
• Summary of the scientific research (maximum 1000 words)
• Motivation of the candidate
  
• Portfolio with documents supporting the application (The portfolio provides all  necessary documents (f.e. publications, policy documents, articles etc.) to support the application.)

The application itself is send in online. 

Supplementary information that cannot be delivered electronically, can be sent to the following post address:

University of Antwerp-Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development (IMDO)

Campus Groenenborger/U. 501

Groenenborgerlaan 171

B-2020 Antwerp – Belgium

Contact 

​ Ms. Inge Willems, general coordinator IMDO,  inge.willems@uantwerpen.be​

Dr. Jan Cools, project manager IMDO, jan.cools@uantwerpen.be