Highly Cited Researcher (2025)
By Clarivate ‘In recognition of exceptional research performance, demonstrating of significant and broad influence ... for multiple Highly Cited Papers which rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science over the past decade’.
Zennström Professorship in Climate Change Leadership (2025)
Awarded by Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
Volvo Environment Prize (2024)
Volvo Environment Foundation 2024. The Volvo Environment Prize, awarded since 1990 by an independent foundation and science committee, is considered one of the world’s most prestigious awards in environmental and sustainability science. I have been honoured ‘for defining new pathways for international environmental governance in a period of global change’.
Alexander von Humboldt Professorship (2024)
The Alexander von Humboldt Professorship is Germany's most valuable international research award, with an endowment of 5 million EUR to take up a professorship at a German university. I was successfully nominated by the rector of the University of Munster for this award, but decided to stay with Utrecht University.
Distinguished Scholar Award in Environmental Studies (2021)
International Studies Association (2021). Award that ‘recognizes outstanding scholars whose long history of excellent research and teaching has had substantial impact on fields associated with international relations and environmental issues [with] a long and distinguished career in both teaching and research, including a substantive publication record on international environmental issues and/or global environmental governance’.
Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science
Elected Fellow of the Academy. The World Academy of Art and Science was established in 1960 as a non-official network of over 700 Fellows ‘chosen for eminence in art, the natural and social sciences, and the humanities’.
Ecological Society of America's Innovations in Sustainability Science Award (2019)
For paper: Bennett, Elena, … Frank Biermann, et al. 2016. Bright spots: Seeds of a good Anthropocene. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
European Research Council Advanced Grant (2017)
The Advanced Grant is the European Union’s most important science award, worth 2.5 million Euros.
Runner-up, Teaching Award ‘Best Teacher of the Year’ (2018)
Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University
Societal Impact Award 2013 (senior category)
Awarded by VU University Amsterdam for ‘internationally path-breaking research on global environmental policy’, including ‘pioneering conceptual work on earth system governance’ and standing as an ‘excellent researcher who belongs internationally to the top of his field’
Research Prize in Social Sciences (2011)
Awarded by VU University Amsterdam in 2012 for ‘outstanding qualities as a top researcher’ and for ‘significant contributions to international research and political debates in the field of global environmental politics’
German UNESCO Commission (1999)
Nominated as the representative for Germany to the International Forum of Young Scientists at the 1999 UNESCO World Conference on Science
Joachim Tiburtius Dissertation Prize (1998)
Awarded by the Ministry of Science, Research and Education of the State of Berlin for the best dissertation of the Berlin universities.
Pre- and Postdoctoral Scholarships
- Harvard University full-time postdoctoral scholarship (1998–1999)
- German Academic Exchange Service postgraduate scholarship (1998–1999)
- Academic Council of the United Nations System scholarship (1998)
- State of Berlin PhD scholarship (1994–1996)
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (1993–1994)
- Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Talented Student Scholarship (1991–1993)