Edgar Steenstra from TU Delft has been awarded the Vening Meinesz Prize for Earth and Environmental Sciences. He receives the €10,000 prize for his innovative research on the formation and evolution of planets, particularly Venus and the Moon, as well as his role in international planetary missions. The award was presented on 20 March 2025 during the 21st NWO NAC in Noordwijkerhout.
Simulating Extreme Environments on Venus
Since 2024, Steenstra has been an Assistant Professor at TU Delft, where he is currently establishing his own research group. This has been made possible by a €2.2 million ERC Starting Grant to set up a laboratory that simulates the extreme environments of Venus. His project contributes to the preparations for future ESA and NASA missions to Venus—research that is also relevant to climate studies on Earth—while enhancing Dutch scientific involvement in planetary research. Additionally, he leads experimental studies on the interaction between lava and planetary surfaces, co-funded by an NWO M-Investments grant. The selection committee was particularly impressed by his independence and autonomy as a researcher.
Exceptional Multidisciplinary Approach
Candidates for the Vening Meinesz Prize are assessed based on their dedication to scientific research, independence, research output, impact on the scientific community, creativity in conducting research, and their future career potential. The committee commends Edgar Steenstra—a highly productive scientist—for his exceptional multidisciplinary approach, his ability to bridge Earth sciences and space research, and his strong international collaborations. His work not only has scientific impact but also holds significant implications for future space missions and for advancing our understanding of planetary formation and atmospheric evolution.
The Vening Meinesz Prize
The prize is named after Professor Felix Vening Meinesz (1887–1966), one of the pioneers of Dutch Earth sciences. As part of his legacy, he stipulated that NWO should award a prize to outstanding young talents in the Dutch Earth sciences. Between 1965 and 2022, NWO presented the prize. Since 2024, the Royal Netherlands Geological and Mining Society (KNGMG) has taken over the award, granting it annually to early-career Earth and environmental scientists. The prize is financially supported by the Advisory Table for Earth and Environmental Sciences of the NWO-ENW domain. Candidates must have obtained their PhD within the past six years to be eligible.
Source: TU Delft – Edgar Steenstra wins the 2025 Vening Meinesz Prize for groundbreaking planetary research