The Mekel Prize

The Mekel Prize for Responsible Innovation at TU Delft

In 2023 we will again award the Mekel Prize

After a Covid-related hiatus, we are glad to announce that the Mekel Prize will be awarded again in 2023. The prize will be awarded to the most responsible innovation or research project at the TU Delft – projects that showcase in outstanding fashion that they have been committed from the beginning to relevant moral and societal values and have been aware of and tried to mitigate as much as possible in innovative ways the risks involved in their research. The jury is looking forward to receiving your nominations before 22 October 2023 (mekelprize-tbm@tudelft.nl).

More information on criteria and how to submit your project

Competition

The Mekel Prize is awarded to Master students and employees of the TU Delft. With the award the university wants to raise awareness amongst Master students and employees about the ethical aspects of technological developments and the responsibility of researchers and designers for taking these aspects into account.

Goal of the award

The Mekel Prize will be awarded to the most responsible innovation at the TU Delft. Over the past few years, responsible innovation has become a central concern in innovation policy and the funding of R&D programs as well as in practice. Horizon 2020 has formulated Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) as a cross-cutting theme and the Netherlands Research Organisation (NWO) has set up a program for Responsible Innovation.

The question: How can we responsibly develop new technologies that can contribute to solving societal challenges has become highly relevant.

For this competition we adopt the European Commission’s definition for Responsible Innovation: "Responsible research and innovation is an approach that anticipates and assesses potential implications and societal expectations with regard to research and innovation, with the aim to foster the design of inclusive and sustainable research and innovation."

About Jan Mekel

Professor dr. ir Jan A.A. Mekel was professor in historical geology and palaeontology at the Technical College of Delft. He participated in the resistance during the Second World War. He was arrested and prosecuted the 3rd of May 1942. TU Delft decided to dedicate this prize to Professor Mekel because he stood for resistance and dignity.