Krijn Rietveld Memorial Awards
Turning scientific insight into real-world impact. With The Krijn Rietveld Memorial Awards, dsm-firmenich honours outstanding researchers - from master's to postdoctoral researchers and start-ups - across life sciences, (environmental) health sciences and biotechnology, with data science at the core.
The awards
Krijn Rietveld Graduate Societal Impact Award
Awarded annually to the best master’s research at Leiden University’s Faculty of Science, this prize comes with €2,500, which the winner may use freely.
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Krijn Rietveld Doctoral Societal Impact Award
Awarded annually to the best PhD or postdoctoral research that has resulted in a first-author article accepted for publication in a scientific journal, this prize comes with €3,000, which the winner may use freely.
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Krijn Rietveld Business Development Grant
Awarded in 2026 and 2028, this grant recognises the most promising entrepreneurial projects by early-career researchers. The prize consists of €13,500 to be spent on the valorisation of research results, along with non-financial support from dsm-firmenich and Luris to help turn ideas into impact.
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Call for nominations
The call for nominations for the Krijn Rietveld Awards 2026 is open until Sunday 31 May, 23:59 hrs (CET).
History
The first annual Krijn Rietveld Innovation Award was presented in 2020 to recognise innovative research contributing to a more sustainable world. After four editions, the award was restructured in 2024: it is now split into two annual awards for master graduates and PhD/postdocs, and a biennial Business Development Grant for promising entrepreneurial projects by early-career researchers.
About Krijn Rietveld
Krijn Rietveld was a scientist and business leader who dedicated his life to the biosciences. After receiving his PhD from Leiden University in 1985, he began a lifelong career at Royal DSM (now dsm-firmenich). Known for his optimism and great sense of humour, Krijn excelled at building bridges between business and academia. He believed that science and innovation should address real-world challenges through collaboration across disciplines, delivering solutions that benefit both people and the planet. These values and vision form the foundation of the Krijn Rietveld Memorial Awards.