Professor of Excellence Award | Leermeesterprijs
Every year, the ‘Professor of Excellence Award | Leermeesterprijs’ is awarded to a Professor at TU Delft who excels in research as well as education, who knows how to inspire and motivate the next generation of Delft engineers and who made an impact beyond TU Delft. Recipients of the award are reckoned among the top of TU Delft. You can only become Professor of Excellence | Leermeester' per the recommendation of the Dean, as well as one’s colleagues, students and PhD-students, who consider you to be their ‘Leermeester’ and source of inspiration.
In addition to the recognition and appreciation, the award consists of a prize of €15.000 (to spend on a sabbatical), the silver medal and a Delft University of Technology recognition certificate and two business tickets any destination in the world offered by KLM.
The prestigious ‘Professor of Excellence Award | Leermeesterprijs’ was introduced in 1994 by the Delft University Fund who since then successfully awarded 29 ‘Leermeesters’. From 2023 onwards, the organisation of the award is entrusted to the TU Delft Teaching Academy.
-
Every year the Deans and study associations of the faculties are asked to nominate their candidates by the Dean sending in two motivation letters (one from the Dean and one from the study association of the faculty) and a CV of the candidate for Phase 1. Pre-selection.
Based on these proposals, the selection committee selects the top three candidates. Then the faculties from the top three candidates will be asked to compile a complete (confidential) nomination file, from which the Professor of Excellence will be selected.
- 15 March 2024: Deadline for Phase 1. Pre-selection . For each candidate the Deans of the faculties send in a CV of the candidate and 2 motivation letters: one from the Dean and one from the study association of the faculty.
- 25-29 March 2024: The selection committee selects the top three.
- Beginning of April 2024: Informing Deans about the outcome of Phase 1. The Deans of the top three candidates are asked to hand in the complete nomination files by 24 May at the latest (see details below).
- 24 May 2024: Deadline for the complete (confidential) nomination files of the top three candidates, sent in by the Dean.
- 10-14 June 2024: The selection committee selects the winner.
- June 2024: surprise visit to the faculty of the chosen Professor of Excellence | Leermeester.
- 2 September 2024: The official award ceremony will take place. The ceremony precedes the Opening of the Academic Year 24/25.
-
The Leermeesterprijs selection committee assesses candidates nominated by the Deans of TU Delft’s Faculties based on the following four criteria:
- Legacy: The candidate should, through activities in education, research/design and valorisation, have built a legacy that is based on an exceptionally positive impact on the professional and personal development of students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and early-career scientists with whom they have interacted. In other words, it is often possible to discern a ‘school’ of alumni and former colleagues who acknowledge that the candidate played a key role in their professional development. The ability of the candidate to engage and inspire is typically also reflected in activities outside academia, for example via communication with the general public or advisory roles. The candidate has the potential of becoming an even greater inspiration in the years to come. In interactions with students, colleagues, university and society, a Leermeester adheres to TU Delft’s core values (DIRECT: diversity, integrity, respect, engagement, courage, trust).
- Education: The candidate should have an excellent/outstanding[1] reputation in education. This reputation can be based on direct engagement with students in classes and projects, on contributions to innovation in education and/or on roles in organizing education programmes.
- Research/Design: The candidate should have an excellent/outstanding1 reputation in research/design based on scientific quality of research outputs. This is reflected by tangible signs of recognition by peers and/or professional organizations outside TU Delft (e.g. grants, awards, commissions of trust).
- Valorisation: The candidate should have an excellent/outstanding1 reputation in valorisation. This is reflected by, for example, involvement in start-up companies, advisory roles, applied patents/designs and/or science communication.
[1] ‘Excellent/outstanding’ indicates that the selection committee sets high standards for research/design, education and valorisation but allows for a degree of emphasis on individual core areas
-
Phase 1. Pre-selection (for all nominations)
The Deans of TU Delft’s faculties can each nominate a single candidate.
The nomination package consists of the following three elements:
- A nomination letter by the Dean, that outlines why the candidate meets the requirements/criteria outlined above. This letter plays a crucial role in the selection procedure, as the selection committee cannot itself engage in extensive fact finding.
- A nomination letter by the study association that is related to an education programme in which the candidate is active.
- A curriculum vitae of the candidate that, at least, covers an overview of the contributions of a candidate to education, research/design and valorisation.
The nomination can be submitted by the Dean, via Teachingacademy@tudelft.nl by 15 March at the latest.
Phase 2. Extensive proposal (only for top three candidates)
The Deans who have nominated the top three candidates are asked to extend the nomination package with support letters that outline the quality of the candidate, in line with the criteria shown above.
In particular, these letters provide the selection committee with important information on how a candidate’s impact extends beyond the time interval in which alumni and former early-career researchers were members of their teams. They can also provide further information on other aspects, such as the impact of the candidates inside and outside academia.Nominations can be submitted by the Dean of the faculty concerned, via teachingacademy@tudelft.nl by 24 May at the latest.
The whole process is kept confidential up until the surprise visit to the newly elected 'Professor of Excellence | Leermeester'.
-
The selection committee consists of 4 full professors who have themselves previously been named ‘Professor of Excellence | Leermeester’, the Academic Director of the Teaching Academy, and a member from outside TU Delft.
The current composition of the jury is:
- Prof.dr. Jack Pronk (Chair)
- Prof.dr. Jenny Dankelman
- Prof.dr.ir. Nick van de Giesen
- Prof.dr. Bert van Wee
- Prof.dr. Annoesjka Cabo (Academic Director Teaching Academy)
- Ir. Karin Sluis (Witteveen & Bos, external member)
-
2024 - Prof.dr.ir. I.R. van de Poel (TPM/TBM)
2023 - Prof.dr.ir. J.L. Herder (ME)
2022 - Prof.dr. K. Vuik (EEMCS/EWI)
2021 - Prof.dr.ir. M. Mulder (AE/LR)
2020 - Prof.dr. B. van Wee (TPM/TBM)
2019 - Prof.dr. J. Dankelman (ME)
2018 - Prof.dr. C. Dekker (AS/TNW)
2017 - Prof.dr.ir. P.M. Herder (TPM/TBM)
2016 - Prof.dr.ir. A. van Keulen (ME)
2015 - Prof.dr. J.T. Pronk (AS/TNW)
2014 - Prof.dr.ir. N.C. van de Giesen (CEG/CiTG)
2013 - Prof.dr.ir. P. Kruit (AS/TNW)
2012 - Prof.dr. F.C.T. van der Helm (ME)
2011 - Prof.dr.ir. H.E.A.van den Akker (AS/TNW)
2010 - Prof.dr.ir. H.H.G. Savenije (CEG/CiTG)
2009 - Prof.ir. A. Beukers (AE/LR)
2008 - Prof.dr.ir. L.P. Kouwenhoven (AS/TNW)
2007 - Prof.dr.ir. J.A. Buijs (IDE/IO) († 2015)
2006 - Prof.mr.dr. E.F. ten Heuvelhof (TPM/TBM)
2005 - Prof.ir. H. de Jonge (A+BE/BK)
2004 - Prof.dr.ir. J.C. Walraven (CEG/CiTG-ct)
2003 - Prof.dr.ir. J.J. Heijnen (AS/TNW-bt)
2002 - Prof.dr.ir. F.T.M. Nieuwstadt (OCP-wb) († 2005)
2001 - Prof.dr.ir. J.T. Fokkema (CEG/CiTG-ta)
2000 - Prof.ir. M. Risselada (A+BE/BK)
1999 - Prof.dr. I.T. Young (AS/TNW-tn)
1998 - Prof.dr.ir. J.A. Battjes (CEG/CiTG-ct)
1997 - Prof.ir. O.H. Bosgra (OCP-wbmt) († 2013)
1996 - Prof.dr.ir. H. van Bekkum (AS/TNW-stm) († 2020)
1995 - Prof.dr.ir. C.J. van Duijn (ITS)
1994 - Prof.dr.ir. A. Verruijt (CEG/CiTG-ct) († 2022)
Contact
Annoesjka Cabo | Academic Director Teaching Academy
Supported by: