Our History
Since the early 1960s, the Niels Stensen Stichting - renamed the Niels Stensen Fellowship in 2012 - has awarded grants to enable young postdoctoral students to gain international experience abroad early on in their careers. More than a hundred fellows have become professors at renowned academic institutions.
About Niels Stensen
The Dane Niels Stensen (1638–1686), also known by his Latinised name of Nicolaus Steno, was a brilliant anatomist, natural scientist and geologist.
After studying medicine in Denmark, he left for the Netherlands, where he studied and carried out research in Leiden and Amsterdam.
How the Brenninkmeijer family relates to the Niels Stensen Fellowship
The Niels Stensen Fellowship is a programme by Porticus. Porticus is a family philanthropic organisation that coordinates the philanthropic endeavours of the Brenninkmeijer family business owners. Porticus’ vision is to create a just and sustainable future where human dignity flourishes. Socially committed researchers have an important role to play in shaping this future.