Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht awarded with fourteen NWO Vidi-grants
Researchers each receive a maximum of 850.000 euros for their own research
NWO has awarded 102 researchers with a Vidi-grant of in total 86,7 million euros. Fourteen leading researchers from Utrecht University and University Medical Center Utrecht each receive a Vidi-grant with a maximum of 850.000 euros. Vidis are annually awarded by NWO and enable the laureates to develop an innovative line of research over the next five years and further expand their own research group. Vidis are intended for experienced researchers, who have successfully conducted research for several years following their PhD defense.
Among the Utrecht based laureates, four studies will be researched at the Faculty of Geosciences, three at the Faculty of Sciences, one at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, one at the Faculty of Humanities, and five at UMC Utrecht. In addition to these Vidi’s for UU and UMC Utrecht, there is one laureate from the Princess Máxima Center, one from the Hubrecht Institute, and one from NIOZ.
Please find more information about the Vidi-projects granted to Utrecht-based scientists or visit the NWO press release to view the complete overview of Vidi projects granted.
Marc Baggelaar, Faculty of Science: Greasing the Wheels to Understand Protein Lipidation in Inflammation
With this Vidi grant, I will establish a research line to investigate the underexplored role of lipid tails on proteins in inflammation.
Chemical biologist Marc Baggelaar is awarded a Vidi grant for his project to explore protein modifications that affect inflammation. Baggelaar will focus on a process where fatty acids attach to proteins, which seems to play a crucial role in diseases with an inflammatory component like diabetes, cancer, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, and atherosclerosis. The protein modification process is known as protein lipidation.
Baggelaar’s project aims to create new mass spectrometry tools to analyze these modifications in human macrophages, immune cells that play a key role in the body’s inflammatory response. This could reveal how protein lipidation regulates inflammation and identify new therapeutic targets for inflammatory diseases.
Edwin van Leeuwen, Faculty of Science: The cultured primate: how unique is human culture?
The study of our closest living relatives holds the potential to discover why we are such a cultural species.
Culture consists of a suite of behaviours we learn from those around us and is one of humans’ most defining characteristics. Yet, other animal species seem to have culture too, which leads to the question of when in evolutionary time culture began to help animals survive and reproduce more successfully. This project investigates the evolutionary origins of human culture by studying our closest living relatives, the non-human primates, and testing whether they, like humans, learn by observing others, create social cultures, and pass down and build upon cultural innovations. In conjunction, this project holds the potential to quantify the importance of culture and pinpoint the timing of the environment of its evolutionary adaptiveness.
Pieter Belmans, Faculty of Science: Non-commutative algebraic geometry
Non-commutative algebraic geometry helps us understand structures where classical rules no longer apply, much like in quantum theory. With this Vidi-grant, I can develop new insights into how these quantum shapes work, and even discover new, higher-dimensional structures.
(Portretfoto eigendom van Université du Luxembourg)
Pieter Belmans has been awarded a Vidi grant from NWO for his research into non-commutative algebraic geometry — a field that challenges the traditional rules of geometry. In ordinary algebraic geometry, the order in which you multiply objects doesn't matter; and x times y is always equal to y times x. In the non-commutative world, this is not always the case — a property that is also seen in quantum mechanics. Belmans will study existing non-commutative surfaces from new perspectives and search for new structures in higher dimensions. To do this, Belmans uses categories: abstract tools that allow him to translate geometric problems into other mathematical theories, such as representation theory.
With this Vidi-grant, Belmans can dedicate the next five years to tackling challenging questions in non-commutative algebraic geometry and setting up his own research group in Utrecht. After holding positions in Luxembourg and Bonn, he is eager to collaborate with colleagues in the Netherlands’ vibrant algebraic geometry community.
Pooyan Tamimi Arab, Faculty of Humanities: Iran’s Secular Shift: Non-religiosity and Atheism in an Islamic Republic
I am inspired by the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom," which marks an important change in Iranian society. With the Vidi grant I want to investigate the role of secularity in this change.
In a secular age extending beyond the West, growing numbers of people worldwide distance themselves from religion. Yet, social scientists and humanities scholars continue describing Islamic countries as resistant to secularization. The theocracy established in Iran after the 1979 revolution is often cited as evidence. Iconic events, however, such as women protesting the compulsory hijab, chanting “Woman, Life, Freedom,” point to a tectonic shift within Iranian society. This project examines the role of secularity in this shift and combines large-scale anonymous online surveys with visual culture and discourse analysis, to research non-religiosity, atheism, and calls for separating mosque and state.
Ylona van Dinther, Faculty of Geosciences: Where will large earthquakes occur? A systemic answer
We will introduce a new system approach to use all satellite observations and physics to image where the next large earthquakes will occur.
Where will large earthquakes occur? This key question has challenged scientists since the discovery of plate tectonics. Recently satellite observations revolutionized our image of their future locations. However, imaging methods ignore one of the first order processes affecting surface velocities; plate tectonics. Ylona van Dinther introduces a new system concept to understand earthquake-related plate motions on all scales. To use that together with all available data, she will introduce the latest computer science advances to image future earthquake locations. This will enable us to collectively better prepare more than one-quarter of the world’s population living at risk from such earthquakes.
Tjalling de Haas, Faculty of Geosciences: How can we use vegetation to mitigate debris-flow hazards?
With this Vidi, I aim to unravel how we can use protection forests to minimize the impact of landslides.
Debris flows are fast-moving landslides that can devastate people and property. In many regions they interact strongly with vegetation, but how this affects their hazardous impact is surprisingly poorly understood. Tjalling de Haas will develop innovative experimental techniques using live seedlings and 3D-printed trees, to systematically quantify debris flow – vegetation interactions for the first time. This work will demonstrate how we can use vegetation to minimize debris-flow hazards, and provides the scientific foundation for anticipation of debris-flow hazards as a result of changes in vegetation caused by wildfires, deforestation, forest diseases, and climate change.
Jaap Nienhuis, Faculty of Geosciences: Swallowed by the sea
What is the life expectancy of river deltas? I will explore the risks of sea-level rise to project their potential demise.
River deltas have grown over the past 1000s of years and created hotspots for human civilizations to flourish. But, natural delta growth leads to a physical tipping point, after which follows evitable decline and land loss. In this project Jaap Nienhuis will simulate how river sediments, sea-level rise, and human activities have formed deltas worldwide, from 12,000 years ago all the way into the future to 2300AD. He will estimate how close we are to this tipping point that will initiate dramatic loss of land, and evaluate the effect of human adaptation strategies to increase delta resilience.
Judith Verweijen, Faculty of Geosciences: Centring Armed Organizations in the Climate-Conflict Nexus (CLIMCON)
Through this project, we can better understand the effects of climate change on areas with long-term armed violence.
Judith Verweijen generates new insights into the multidirectional links between climate change and armed conflict. Comparing two areas of protracted armed conflict in the DR Congo-Burundi borderland, she will examine how the emerging effects of climate change shape processes of armed obilization and how armed conflict in turn shapes vulnerability to climate change. To capture these interacting processes, she will focus on armed organizations and their supporters, including elites. This approach will generate an analytical framework that accounts for the long-term and multi-level nature of climate-conflict processes, while also capturing agency. This framework can help improve climate and peacebuilding policies.
Inge van den Bijgaart, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance: Climate policy for heterogeneous firms
The economy has already been decarbonizing in recent years, but to achieve climate goals, there is still a long road ahead. An important question now and in the coming years is how we will achieve this, and especially how the costs will be distributed. I am proud of the award, and I am very much looking forward to working on this together with a small team of young researchers.
Which companies are most exposed to climate policy? Can the responses of firms to the energy crisis shed light on this? How do different policy choices affect the distributional burden of climate policy across firms? How can we use these insights to facilitate a smoother transition to a climate-neutral economy, and mitigate unemployment effects? This project uses economic models and detailed data to generate insights into key differences across companies in the net-zero transition, and draw lessons for important policy choices.
Neeltje Crombag, University Medical Center Utrecht: Prenatal Family Integrated Care: An Intervention to Alleviate Parental Distress in Fetal Medicine
With this Vidi, together with parents and healthcare providers, I want to develop a family-oriented intervention that supports parents of an unborn child with a congenital condition and demonstrably reduces their stress. This prenatal intervention, which focuses on the family, will contribute to a better future for the entire family.
Parents who receive the news that their unborn child has a severe congenital anomaly, often face mental health challenges, both during and after birth. Parental well-being strongly influences child development. This study aims to develop a personalized psychosocial support intervention during pregnancy, assessing its efficacy in reducing parental stress. Addressing stress and preparing parents for post-birth may positively impact the child's long-term development. By reducing parental stress and adequately preparing parents for the post-birth period, we anticipate a positive impact on the long-term development of the child.
Albertien van Eerde, University Medical Center Utrecht: AGENDA - Advanced Genetics Exploration for Nephrologic DiseAse
The Vidi makes it possible to, together with my team, discover hidden genetic causes of kidney diseases and to develop personalized treatments in the future. This allows us to improve care for kidney patients.
Errors in a single gene cause up to one quarter of the most severe kidney diseases. Yet, there are few targeted treatments for these monogenic kidney diseases, and many more types of these monogenic kidney diseases almost certainly remain to be detected. Over the past decade, a wealth of data and insights has been collected. Now, researchers will combine cutting-edge DNA analysis and kidney cell models to shed much-needed light on monogenic kidney diseases. This is expected to improve diagnostics and enable effective individualized treatments, ultimately improving patient care and quality of life.
Maarten van Smeden, University Medical Center Utrecht: The MOT for artificial intelligence in healthcare
There is lots of enthusiasm for developing new AI algorithms in healthcare, but we still know little about how we can continue to guarantee quality after such an algorithm has actually been implemented in healthcare.
Predictive artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing in healthcare to support doctors and patients in making important medical decisions. Just as cars need a general periodic inspection (MOT), it is also important to periodically test whether the artificial intelligence is still good enough for use and to carry out the appropriate maintenance if necessary. In this project I develop the MOT for artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Chantal Tax, University Medical Center Utrecht: Microstructural mysteries unveiled with ultra-high field diffusion MRI
This project brings us one step closer to virtual biopsy: imaging structural cell features with MRI without taking an invasive biopsy.
Diffusion MRI helps understand diseases and treatment effects by imaging properties of cells without having to take a biopsy. This project aims to improve the accuracy of these estimates by combining diffusion MRI with electron microscopy and computer simulations. By using powerful MRI machines, studying organoid models, and developing efficient computer programs, the researchers hope to better understand brain tumours in children and ultimately improve their treatment.
Hanneke Willemen, University Medical Center Utrecht: When pain stays: the metabolic switch of pain chronification
It is unclear why some people develop chronic pain after recovering from an infection. With this Vidi-grant, we will investigate whether disturbed metabolism in nerve cells can predict which patients are at risk of developing chronic pain. This could lead to new treatments for chronic post-viral pain.
Chronic pain affects one out of five persons. After recovery from an infectious disease (e.g. COVID-19), patients often continue to suffer from pain, and this pain is difficult to treat. Currently we do not know who is more prone to develop chronic pain. Preliminary evidence from Hanneke Willemen points to a disturbed metabolism in sensory neurons (neurometabolism) promoting chronic pain. Willemen aims to identify how neurometabolic alterations link to long-lasting neuronal activity and the duration of post-viral pain, and test whether restoring these alterations dampen neuronal hyperactivity. This knowledge may create novel options to prevent and treat chronic pain.
Hubrecht Institute, Princess Máxima Center en NIOZ
- Francesca Mattiroli, Hubrecht Instituut (listed as Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences): How do cells copy the instructions on how to read their DNA?
- Dennis van Vuurden, Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology: Ultrasound-enhanced nano-immunotherapy for brain tumors
- Fleur Visser, NIOZ (listed as NWO-institute organisation): Tracing top predator-prey interactions into the deep sea
About the NWO Talent programme
The NWO Talent Programme gives researchers the freedom to pursue their own research based on creativity and passion. The NWO Talent Programme encourages innovation and curiosity. Curiosity-driven research contributes to and prepares us for tomorrow’s society. That is why NWO focuses on diversity in terms of researchers, domains and backgrounds. Together with the Veni and Vici grants, Vidi is part of the NWO Talent Programme.
NWO selects researchers based on the academic quality and innovative character of the research proposal, scientific and/or societal impact of the proposed project and the quality of the researcher.