Applications Rob Goldbach Fonds
The Rob Goldbach Fund supports students, researchers and (guest) staff who carry out special scientific research and teaching activities of the Chair of Virology at Wageningen University & Research. It also offers the chair group the opportunity to organise lectures and conferences on this subject, such as the biennial Rob Goldbach Lecture.
Who is eligible
The fund provides support for the following activities:
- grants for congress visits and study trips for researchers and guest staff.
- exceptional scientific research- and education activities of the Virology chair group at Wageningen University, among which the biannual Rob Goldbach Thesis prize.
- readings and congresses, among which the biannual Rob Goldbach Lecture.
- other activities that benefit the Wageningen Virology in a broader sense.
How to apply
Notice: As the full budget for the 2025 scholarships has been allocated, we have decided to close the application process with immediate effect. Proposals for a grant can be submitted again starting January 2026.
Please follow the Application Guidelines carefully.
More information
Prof. Rob Goldbach was a figure head of Dutch virology and also meant a lot to Wageningen virology. He was professor Virology at Wageningen University & Research from 1986 until his death in 2009. He was very involved with the students and PhD students and always stimulated them to make a fundamental contribution in solving virology problems in an international setting. The fund was established by his late wife Evelien Goldbach in 2010: “Rob was in the middle of his career when he died. Honouring his enthusiasm led me to establish this fund in his memory.”
The Rob Goldbach Fund Board of Trustees is comprised of:
Prof. Dr. Monique van Oers, Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research
Drs. Onno Goldbach
Dr.ir. Richard J. M. Kormelink, Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research
2022 - Maria Carla Saleh, PhD, afdeling Virologie, Instituut Pasteur, Parijs, Frankrijk.
"WHAT THE FLIES GAVE ME: LESSONS ABOUT INSECT ANTIVIRAL IMMUNITY"
2018 – Prof. Dr Michael R. Strand : Regents Professor, Department of Entomology, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, USA.
“EVOLUTION, FUNCTION AND ENDOGENIZATION: LESSONS LEARNED FROM VIRUS ASSOCIATIONS WITH PARASITIC INSECTS”
2016 – Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, The Herbert S. Gasser Professor, Departments of Medicine, Molecular Microbiology, Pathology & Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, USA
“NEW INSIGHTS INTO ZIKA VIRUS PATHOGENESIS”
2014 – Prof. Dr Marilyn Roossinck, Professor, Plant Pathology and environmental Microbiology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, USA.
“PLANT VIRUS ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION: PATHOGENS TO MUTUALISTS”
2012 – Sir Prof. Dr David Baulcomb, Regius Professor of Botany and Royal Society Research Professor, Cambridge University, UK
“PLANT VERSUS VIRUS: DEFENSE, COUNTER DEFENSE AND COUNTER COUNTER DEFENSE”
The Goldbach MSc Thesis prize is a continuation of the Van der Want MSc Thesis prize and is awarded to an MSc student who was written an excellent thesis in the area of virological research. The prize is awarded during the Rob Goldbach Lecture. The winner of the prize gives a twenty minute account about his/her research in advance of the lecture.
2024 Carlota García Clemente: Exploring the antiviral role and redundancy of gamma-RDRs in siRNA biogenesis and their phenotypic impact on A. thaliana knockout lines.
2020 Joyce van Bree: West Nile and Zika virus non-coding RNAs interact with Aedes aegypti antiviral proteins
2018 Erick Bermúdez Méndez: Development of neutralizing nanobody complexes using bacterial superglues.
2017 Sandra Abbo: Development and optimisation of vaccines against Zika virus, Ross River virus and Chikungunya virus.
2015 Jim Baggen: Chikungunya virus nsP3: Intracellular localization and interaction with host and viral proteins.
2013 Mark Sterken: The structure – function relations of the West Nile virus 3’UTR.
2009 Iris Dautzenberg: Binding capacity of Reovirus σ1 mutant proteins to artificial cell receptors in vitro.
2007 Sabine van der Sanden: Expression of tick antigens for vaccine purposes in the baculovirus expression system.
Questions?
Get in touch.
EMA (Lies) Boelrijk, B Ec
Director University Fund Wageningen
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