DNLF Fellowships

What is a Distinguished NIAS-Lorentz Fellowship?
The Distinguished NIAS-Lorentz Fellowship (DNLF) is awarded annually to a leading researcher to work on innovative research that bridges the humanities and/or social sciences with the natural and/or technological sciences. Distinguished NIAS-Lorentz Fellows may be nominated by leading figures in the Dutch academic community. The NIAS-Lorentz Fellowship Board evaluates the DNLF nominations.
The submission deadline is 16 March 2026, 12.00h noon CET.

A Distinguished NIAS-Lorentz Fellowship consists of:

  • A fellowship at NIAS for 5 months from September 2027 – January 2028. It includes a private office and participation in a diverse and interdisciplinary community and, if applicable, either accommodation or travel expenses.
  • A personal stipend or, for scholars affiliated to a Dutch university or research institute, a Dutch University Grant, given to the institution.
  • A workshop at the Lorentz Center on the fellowship topic, with full organizational support and a budget of € 20,000.

How to nominate
Candidates must be nominated by one of the following Dutch scientific communities: rectors and deans of Dutch universities; board and directors of the KNAW, NWO and TNO, and their respective institutes; board of the Young Academy (DJA); the Dutch Network of Women Professors (LNVH); directors of museums and of industrial organizations with a research agenda.

Nominations (with all documents in English) are submitted to partners@nias.knaw.nl.

The nomination consists of:

  • The nomination letter signed by the nominator.
  • Title of the intended DNLF research project.
  • Brief description of the intended DNLF research project (max. 1 page) that bridges the divide between the humanities and/or social sciences and the natural, life and/or technological sciences. The description should be explicit on the interaction of specific alpha/beta/gamma elements and how the research project will encourage research at the interface of these different scientific areas. It should also describe the possible societal impact as well as plans for one or more publications.
  • The nominee also describes: what the added value of the interdisciplinary NIAS environment would be, and how they will contribute to the NIAS community during their stay.
  • Brief outline of the NIAS-Lorentz workshop related to the fellowship topic (max. 3 pages: see Guidelines for a DNLF Workshop Outline (PDF)).
  • Curriculum Vitae of the nominee (max. 3 pages).
  • Short list of the nominees most important publications (max. 10 publications).

Evaluation
Nominations will be evaluated by the NIAS-Lorentz Fellows Advisory Board (FAB). Nominees and nominators will be informed of the outcome within twelve weeks of the submission deadline. The successful nominee will be asked to submit a Full Proposal of the NIAS-Lorentz Workshop at a later date.

Evaluation criteria include:

  • The nomination stimulates research at the interface between the humanities and social sciences on the one hand, and the natural and/or technological sciences on the other.
  • The nominee is an outstanding scientist with an excellent academic track record.
  • The nominee has the capacity to bring together researchers from necessary disciplines.
  • The topic is firmly embedded within the Dutch scientific community.
  • The topic is clearly interdisciplinary and brings together perspectives from the humanities and/or social sciences with the natural and/or technological sciences.
  • The interdisciplinary approach will contribute to achieving the research goals.
  • The topic has the potential to produce exciting advances at the interface of scientific fields.
  • The topic is relevant to current societal issues.
  • The topic will broaden the scope of the NIAS-Lorentz Program.
  • The quality of topic and researcher will attract wider interest.

DNLF Fellowship Eligibility and Regulations
The Distinguished NIAS Lorentz Fellow will become a member of the fellows community at NIAS. This means that the NIAS criteria and regulations apply. To learn more, please refer to the rules and regulations.

Contact
For information about the suitability of candidates, please contact Professor Jan Willem Duyvendak (director NIAS) or Professor Roeland Merks (director Lorentz Center). For general information about the fellowship and the nomination procedure, contact Robert Raub.

 

DNLF 2027 2028

Current and previous Distinguished NIAS Lorentz Fellows

2026-2027
Towards a counter-colonial epistemology and philosophy of science
Catarina Dutilh Novaes, VU Amsterdam

2025-2026
Towards an embodied theory of brain function
Francesco Battaglia, Radboud University
Workshop: Brain and Organisms, Neuroscience beyond Computation

2024
Progressively lifelike virtual embodiments in the metaverse
Wijnand IJsselsteijn, Eindhoven University of Technology

2023
The emerging of curiosity
Eveline Crone, Erasmus University Rotterdam

2022
Computational Linguistics to aid Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring in Psychiatry
Iris Sommer, University Medical Center Groningen
Workshop: Crosslinguistic speech patterns: biosocial markers of psychiatric disorders