The Dr. C. Louise Thijssen-Schoute Foundation is soliciting nominations for the 2024 award for the best MA-thesis on early modern Dutch intellectual history. Established in 1961, the Dr. C. Louise Thijssen-Schoute Foundation aims to encourage research in the history of ideas of the early modern Netherlands. According to the will of Dr. Thijssen-Schoute – the author of an influential work on Dutch Cartesianism – financial support could be given to projects and publications devoted to the emergence and dissemination of new philosophical ideas, as well as the intersections of literature and science in the seventeenth- and early eighteenth century. Moreover, the Foundation recently has established special chairs at VU University Amsterdam and the Radboud University Nijmegen.

The Foundation has established a bi-annual prize for the best MA thesis within the aims of her statutes, as summarized above. This award recognizes original and distinguished research for a final thesis at a (research)master’s level, either submitted to a university in the Netherlands or abroad. The award consists of a prize of 2000 Euros, and a certificate of appreciation. Any final-year student who has completed a Master’s thesis with distinction (80% or higher, or in the Dutch rating at least an 8 out of 10) can apply. The thesis must be written in Dutch, English, French or German. An expert jury will judge the applications submitted, and advise the board of the Thijssen-Schoute Foundation. The Board’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

The Thijssen-Schoute MA-Thesis Award 2024 is open for students who have earned their master’s degree between 31 August 2022 and 31 August 2024. All nominations should be submitted electronically as a pdf file before 1 December 2024 to the Foundation’s Secretary. These should consist of a digital copy of the thesis, a document confirming graduation (including grade) issued by the faculty, and a cv.

For more information please contact the Foundation’s Secretary, Nina Geerdink (n.geerdink@uu.nl).

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