Vening Meinesz Prize 2026 awarded to Junjie Wang

Dr. Junjie Wang (Department of Earth Sciences) has won the Vening Meinesz Prize for Earth and Environmental Sciences. She receives the €10,000 prize for her innovative research as an environmental geochemist, which not only has significant scientific impact but also broad societal implications for water quality management, nutrient policy and global greenhouse gas accounting. The prize was awarded on 9 April 2026 during the 22nd NWO Dutch Earth and Environmental Sciences Conference (NAC) in Noordwijkerhout.

The committee is particularly impressed by this candidate’s broad scientific versatility and high degree of autonomy and independence. Wang began her academic career with a Master’s degree in physical geography at Nanjing University (China), followed by PhD research at Ocean University of China, where she focused on marine chemistry and nutrient dynamics in the western South Yellow Sea. She obtained her PhD with distinction in 2020 and continued her career with postdoctoral research positions at Utrecht University and Sorbonne University in Paris. Here, she developed coupled numerical models to study the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen, carbon and oxygen in inland waters on a global scale.

Societal issues

Since January 2024, Wang has been an assistant professor at Utrecht University. Her research has shown that inland waters are increasingly producing and emitting nitrous oxide — the third most significant greenhouse gas — and that the global nitrogen cycle in inland waters accelerated sharply during the twentieth century. Her findings and models have been incorporated into the Global Carbon Project and are taken into account by the IPCC. She also coordinates a transdisciplinary research project into the broader impacts of dam construction on climate, ecosystems and water quality. Her work links fundamental scientific research with pressing societal issues surrounding water quality, food safety and climate change.

Assessment

Candidates for the Vening Meinesz Prize are assessed on their commitment to scientific research, independence, research output, impact on the research community, creativity in the conduct of their research, and, finally, the prospects for their future careers. The committee commends Junjie Wang, a highly productive and versatile environmental geochemist, for her exceptional interdisciplinary approach, her ability to combine quantitative modelling techniques with observational and data-driven research, and her extensive international collaborations. Her work has not only significant scientific impact but also broad societal implications for water quality management, nutrient policy and global greenhouse gas accounting, particularly in light of future IPCC reports..

Vening Meinesz prize

The prize is named after Professor Felix Andries Vening Meinesz (1887–1966), one of the founders of the Dutch earth sciences. In his will, he stipulated that NWO should award a prize to young talents in the Dutch earth sciences. NWO awarded the prize between 1965 and 2022. From 2024 onwards, the Royal Dutch Geological and Mining Society (KNGMG) will administer the prize and award it annually to young earth and environmental scientists. From 2024, the prize will be funded by the Earth and Environmental Sciences Advisory Board of the NWO ENW domain. Candidates may only be nominated if they obtained their PhD less than six years ago.