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Supervisor of the Year

Every year, the NIG PhD Council hands out a Best Supervisor of the Year Award. With this award we celebrate a special supervisor for their efforts, time and devotion to supervising PhDs. Through them, we celebrate all supervisors. It is a festive tradition that has become an annual fixture of the NIG Working Conference.

All PhDs are invited to nominate their supervisor and share their stories. The NIG PhD Council reviews the nominations and announces a winner. Interested? Mail nig-phdcouncil@uu.nl.

2023

2022

Dr. Brenda Vermeeren from Erasmus University Rotterdam was awarded the Supervisor of the Year Award 2023

“Brenda offer stimulation, positive, and realistic feedback, making her the ideal supervisor.”

Prof. dr. Sandra van Thiel from Eurasmus University Rotterdam was awarded the Supervisor of the Year 2022 Award. 

Sandra van Thiel offers “the perfect amount of autonomy”. She was already nominated years before, and apparently stayed a very good supervisor.

2021

During the annual work conference 2021,  Albert Meijer was awarded supervisor of the year by the NIG PhD-council. Albert Meijer is “Someone who tailors their style to the candidate in front of them. Someone who – to their supervisees – ticks all the boxes of classic supervisors: grounded in competence, making their network accessible, open to feedback, willing to adapt, and rigorous in reading PhD’s papers. It is someone who is able to sit still and listen. Someone who asks to drop by for coffee if they happen to be in the neighborhood. On top of that, this supervisor goes the extra mile to host informal sessions with top and niche scholars, in order to take the input to their PhDs to the next level.”

Read more about the supervisor of the year award 2021 here

2020

In 2020, the best supervisor(s) were awarded virtually. This years’ winners were supervising duo Prof. Dr. Caelesta Braun and Dr. Bert Fraussen from Leiden University. Watch the full award ceremony including motivation for the winning duo in this video.

2019

In 2019, the NIG PhD-council awarded Prof. Dr. Bas Denters from Twente University supervisor of the year during the annual work conference. This conference was the last NIG conference Prof. Denters organized as scientific director of NIG before retiring. Therefore, the award was the cherry on top of (an already great) cake.

“Bas was nominated by no less than seven candidates from very different backgrounds. He managed to tailor his supervision to the specific preferences of each candidate. Bas is applauded for his great dedication to furthering the careers of young researchers, also through his work for NIG.” 

Overview of past winners

Year Winner University
2022
Sandra van Thiel
Erasmus University Rotterdam
2021
Albert Meijer
Utrecht University
2020
Caelesta Braun and Bert Fraussen
Leiden University
2019
Bas Denters
Twente University
2018
Sandra Groeneveld
Leiden University
2017
Menno Fenger
Erasmus University Rotterdam
2016
Peter Scholten
Erasmus University Rotterdam
2015
Esther Versluis
Maastricht University
2014
Trui Steen
Leiden University, KU Leuven
2013
Ariana Need
Twente University
2012
Thomas Schillemans
Utrecht University
2011
Albert Meijer
Utrecht University