Erik van Sebille joins the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

Erik van Sebille (Physics) has been asked to join the Young Academy, an independent platform of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences staffed by young top-level scientists who are visionaries in science and science policy. Besides Van Sebille, nine other young researchers have joined. In order to be eligible for membership of the Young Academy, a young researcher must have expressly distinguished themselves scientifically. A broad interest in science, the role of science in society and science policy are of essential importance as well.

Erik van Sebille

Oceanographer Erik van Sebille researches things that float in oceans: plastic, but also bacteria, fish and larvae. In 2016, he received an ERC Starting Grant of 1.5 million euros to research how plastic moves in the ocean. Van Sebille studied and obtained his PhD at Utrecht University, and worked as a Postdoc in Miami, as a Lecturer/Fellow in Sydney and as a Lecturer at Imperial College London after that. Since the spring of 2017, he is a Senior Lecturer at Utrecht University.

The Young Academy

The Young Academy has fifty members, who are all appointed for a term of five years. Ten new members are appointed every year, who at that point have obtained their respective PhDs less than ten years ago. The Young Academy consists of top-level scientists of all scientific disciplines who work at Dutch universities or research institutes. Within the Academy, the researchers focus on one or more themes: interdisciplinarity within science, science policy, science and society and internationalisation.