LISF Prize and Janneke Fruin-Helb Grant 2019
In academic year 2018/2019, over 80 students set off for destinations all around the world to study, do an internship or carry out research. From the final reports that we received, ten deserved a place on the shortlist for the LISF Prize. A further five students were nominated for the Janneke Fruin-Helb Grant.
The best research question
Before the winner of the LISF Prize was announced, Chair of the LISF Committee, Dr Rachel Schats, took to the stage to award the Janneke Fruin-Helb Grant. This grant is awarded to a student nominee who submitted a grant proposal with a ‘research question that is highly creative, of exceptional quality and formulated on the basis of academic freedom.
‘Fantastic how the LUF helped make my research in Italy possible.’
The honour went to Shirley van der Maarel, a master’s student in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, for her proposal concerning research in her specialism of Visual Ethnography in Valle di Comino (Italy) that will use participatory and visual methods to understand how refugees create a feeling of home. Shirley was over the moon with the prize: ‘Now I’ve been offered a PhD place in Manchester, I’ll use the prize money for new projects. Fantastic how the LUF helped make my research in Italy possible. And now this prize too!’
The best report
The LISF Prize for 2019 was presented by head juror and member of the LUF board, Roderik van Grieken. The honour this year went to Laura Lübbert. While studying for her master’s in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Laura spent some time working – with the aid of an LISF grant (LUF International Study Fund) – at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the United States. She conducted research into how antidepressants work at the cellular level.
According to the jury, Laura’s report was best at showing what an internship abroad can lead to if you take the initiative. ‘Carving out your own space in a lab by developing your own research and finding your feet in a metropolis such as Los Angeles: Laura has made a roaring success of it.’ After graduating, Laura managed to secure a PhD place at the same institute. This explained why she attended the ceremony via Skype. In her acceptance speech, she said how glad she was to have won the prize. With due pride, her supervisor Dennis Claessen accepted the bouquet on Laura’s behalf.
We would like to congratulate all of the nominees – and winners Laura and Shirley in particular – with their fabulous achievements.
Header photo: Daniëlle Vink-Reizevoort
The winner of the LISF Prize not only receives €500, but is also given the opportunity to speak at a Cleveringa Meeting abroad. Laura will give a talk in Paris this year about her research at Caltech. The winner of the Janneke Fruin-Helb Grant receives the sum of €2,250.