In 2012 he received the highest distinction in Dutch science, the Spinoza Prize.
[1] Tielens has contributed significantly to several fields of astronomy, including interstellar physics and astrochemistry.
[2] He is mostly known for his work on large aromatic molecules (PAHs) in space[3] and on photodissociation regions.
[5] Tielens is the project scientist of the HIFI instrument on board of the Herschel Space Observatory.
Since 2012 Tielens has been a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.