Recognition
Our researchers are highly appreciated by their colleagues. Here some of their fellowships, prizes and memberships.
Some Awards received by CWI researchers
Most important Dutch science prize, sometimes described as 'the Dutch Nobel Prize'.
Boncz was the second Dutch computer scientist receiving the Humboldt Research Award, which recognizes career-wide achievements.
The prestigious Gödel Prize is given to authors of outstanding papers in theoretical computer science. The Gödel Prize is jointly awarded by the ACM Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory (ACM SIGACT) and the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science (EATCS).
The prize is awarded by international Optimization Society INFORMS for outstanding life-time achievements in the area of optimization.
The George B. Dantzig prize is the highest award in mathematical optimization, awarded by the Mathematical Programming Society and SIAM.
- Lex Schrijver, 1982
- Bert Gerards, 2003
- Lex Schrijver, 2003
The Fulkerson prize is awarded 'for outstanding papers in the area of discrete mathematics' by the MPS and American Mathematical Society.
A CWI paper on a new way of implementing database systems - vectorized execution - has won the 2024 CIDR Test of Time Award at the Conference on Innovative Data Systems Research (CIDR). The paper by CWI's DA group, 'MonetDB/X100: Hyper-Pipelining Query Execution' was published in 2005 and is the first paper to receive a CIDR Test of Time Award.
The ACM CCS Test of Time Awards honour research with long-lasting influence, which has had significant impacts on systems security and privacy. Marten van Dijk and his co-authors won it for their research on Path ORAM, an algorithm to prevent adversaries from using access patterns to computer memory to infer confidential information.
The ACM STOC Test of Time Award recognizes papers with exceptional long-term impact published in the ‘Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing’. Earlier winners of these awards include Cynthia Dwork, Manuel Blum, Dan Spielman, Avi Wigderson, David Chaum and Ivan Damgård.
The VLDB 10-year Best Paper Award is annually granted for the best article that was presented at the VLDB conference ten years ago, and that has had the most impact since then.
This prize is awarded by the IEEE Computer Society for outstanding and innovative contributions to the fields of computer and information science and engineering or computer technology, usually within the past 10-15 years.
- Rob van der Mei (CWI and VU) en Sandjai Bhulai (VU Amsterdam) - Huibregtsenprijs 2021
The Huibregtsen Prize is awarded to researchers who manage to combine scientific quality and innovation in their research with a special social value.
- Pablo Cesar (2020)
- Joost Batenburg (2018)
- Peter Boncz (2006) (ICTRegie Award)
The Van Dantzig Award, named after one of CWI's founders - David van Dantzig, is the highest Dutch award in statistics and operations research and is awarded once every five years.
- Sophie Huiberts (2021-2022; CWI)
- Freek Witteveen (2021-2022; UvA & QuSoft, hosted at CWI)
- Benjamin Sanderse (2013). CWI
- Jop Briët (2011), CWI
- Marc van Raalte (2004), CWI
Since 1996, the Stieltjes Prize has been awarded annually for the best PhD thesis in mathematics defended at a Dutch university.
- Sophie Huiberts, Gijs de Leve Prize 2020-2023
- Pieter Kleer (2018-2020)
- Arnoud den Boer (2012-2014)
- Ton Dieker (2006-2008)
- Bert Zwart (2000-2002)
- Sem Borst (1994-1996)
The Gijs de Leve Prize is awarded every three years for the best PhD thesis in Mathematics of Operations Research during that period. It is awarded by LNMB, the Dutch national network for operations research.
Above mentioned are the winners of the De Leve prize who won the prize for their PhD research at CWI.
- Steven Pemberton won the ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Practice Award 2022
- Steven Pemberton received the ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Service Award in 2009
Some Fellowships and Memberships of CWI researchers
CWI Fellows receive this distinction of honour because of their contributions to science and management for CWI. The title of CWI Fellow is given to outstanding members of CWI's research staff and enables them to pursue free research directions supported by CWI.
- Monique Laurent [2021]
- Jos Baeten [2020]
- Dick Bulterman [2016]
- Paul Klint [2012]
- Jan Karel Lenstra [2011]
- Martin Kersten [2011]
- Jan van Schuppen [2011]
- Jan Verwer [2007] (*passed away in 2011)
- Krzysztof Apt [2008]
- Lex Schrijver [2005]
- Jan Willem Klop [2005]
- Paul Vitányi [2003]
- Piet Hemker [2002] (*passed away in 2019)
- Jaco de Bakker [2002] (*passed away in 2012)
- Piet van der Houwen [2000]
(Last update: January 2022)
- Harry Buhrman (since 2020)
- Monique Laurent (since 2018)
- Ronald Cramer (since 2013)
- Jan Willem Klop (since 2003)
- Lex Schrijver (since 1995)
- Jaco de Bakker (since 1989, *passed away in 2012)
- Former CWI/MC researcher Edsger Dijkstra (1971; *passed away in 2002).
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has approximately 585 members. They are chosen on the basis of high scientific achievements. Members are appointed for life.
Former CWI director Jan Karel Lenstra chaired advisory committees of the KNAW on mathematics
teaching in primary education and digital literacy in high schools.
(Last update: October 2022)
- Tim Baarslag (since 2020)
- Ronald Cramer (2005-2010)
ACM Fellows:
- Peter Boncz (2023)
- Martin Kersten (2016; *passed away in 2022)
- Former CWI/MC researcher Andrew Tanenbaum (VU, since 1995)
- Former CWI/MC researcher - and later ACM Turing Award winner - Edsger Dijkstra (1994; *passed away in 2002)
Further recognition by ACM:
- Lynda Hardman is an ACM Distinguished Scientist (2014)
- Steven Pemberton became an ACM Distinguished Speaker in 2023
- Arnold Smeulders, 2013 (COMMIT/, UvA and, at the time, CWI)
- Paul Vitányi, 2010 (CWI Fellow & UvA)
- Jan Willem Klop, 2010 (VU & CWI Fellow)
- Krzysztof Apt, since 2006 (CWI Fellow & UvA)
Membership of the Academia Europaea is a recognition of skill and knowledge in the international field of research. The invitation to join can only be received by peer-reviews. There are only few Dutch science researchers in the Academia; one of them is Robbert Dijkgraaf.
- Monique Laurent (2019)
- Arnold Smeulders (2014) (UvA, COMMIT/ and at the time also CWI)
- Jos Baeten (2010)
- Ute Ebert (2006)
The Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen or KHMW) in Haarlem is the oldest academic society in the Netherlands. Established in 1752, the society aims at promoting science by awarding prizes and stipendia. Nowadays, it aspires to bridge the gap between science and society.
