The Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp and the Royal Belgian Zoological Society annually award a scientific prize for the best Belgian master thesis presentation in Zoology.
The “Jacques Kets” Award was first installed in 1953 by the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp to arouse the love for nature in young people and to encourage them to pursue a career in natural sciences. The award was named after Jacques Kets, a naturalist and taxidermist from Antwerp who in 1843 became the first director of the newly established Antwerp Zoo.
In 2007 the Jacques Kets Award was modified into a “booster grant” to give promising Masters students the opportunity to build upon their achievements, to stimulate them to pursue an academic career in zoology, and give them a head start in building a professional network.
In addition to Kets Award, the Royal Belgian Zoological Society board has decided in 2018 to offer annually three grants (500 € each) aiming to encourage young zoologist to conduct a research internship in a laboratory or a research group, and to conduct a field trip.