AMSTERDAM.- As a farewell to Ronald de Leeuw as general director of the Rijksmuseum in 2008, the Van Gogh Museum has inaugurated the ‘Ronald de Leeuw Research Grant’. This year the research grant worth € 5000,- will be awarded for the first time to a talented researcher.

The grant is intended as a lasting tribute to Ronald de Leeuw's achievements as director of the Van Gogh Museum (1986-1996). During his time as director De Leeuw promoted the importance of research into 19th-century West European art history. From this year onwards, the Van Gogh Museum will each year offer a talented researcher the opportunity to conduct research into a subject pertaining to the museum's field of collecting. This grant will offer the researcher the opportunity to adapt for publication their dissertation on a subject in the field of West European art history 1830-1914, to write a PhD research proposal or to undertake a field trip.

A selections committee will determine the suitability of the (research) proposals submitted. The closing date for entries is 1 September 2009.

Potential applicants can go to www.vangoghmuseum.com/research for more information.