The DSM Science & Technology Awards were founded in 1986 (under their original name, DSM Awards for Chemistry and Technology) and are presented each year. Initially open to doctoral students at research institutes in the Netherlands, in 1989 the contest was thrown open to nominees from Flanders, the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium. Three years later, in 2002, the catchment area was extended to include the French-speaking part of Belgium. In 2003 the contest was extended to Northern Germany, initially limited to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and from 2009 covering entire Northern Germany.
From 2007 onwards, a separate competition was set up along the exact same lines for the region comprising Switzerland, Austria, Eastern France and Southern Germany.
The Awards contest has grown into a major event on the international calendar. A number of former prize-winners have gone on to become professors, some of whom have in their turn delivered candidates for the DSM Science & Technology Awards.
