Almost every year, with the exception of the war years, the Stichting Wetenschappelijk Radio-fonds Veder awards a prize to one or more scientists, belonging to the Dutch nationality, who have made extraordinary merits in the field of radio or related sciences or techniques.

This award is called the Veder Prize.

The Vederfonds website provides extensive information about the Stichting Wetenschappelijk Radio-fonds Veder, which was founded on 4 August 1927, and about the process of selecting the prizewinner.

The presentation of the Veder Prize in a theme evening is open to members of the KIVI Telecommunications Department. At this theme evening, the prize winner will make a presentation and a second presentation will highlight the social and technical relevance of the prize winner's topic.

This year's Veder Prize goes to Wim van Cappellen of ASTRON for his work on the APERTIF receiving system of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. A unique system, consisting of many small Vivaldi antennas in the focal point of the 25-metre Westerbork mirrors.

The new system allows instantaneous observation of a 35x larger field of view than with "traditional" receivers. Almost 50 years after the completion of the mechanical realisation of the 12 (now 14) telescopes, this has given Westerbork a new scientific impetus and enables new astrophysical research in the radio domain.

Would you like further information? Then contact Mark Bentum(bentum@astron.nl).