Seven Utrecht-based top scientists to receive Vidi research grants

Seven academics of Utrecht University and University Medical Center Utrecht have been awarded Vidi grants with a maximum of 800,000 euros each. With these funds, these Utrecht-based talents can develop their own research projects and set up their research centres for a period of five years.

In the Netherlands, a total of 572 researchers applied for grants. In the end, NWO approved 87 of them. NWO selects the Vidi laureates on the basis of the researcher's quality, the innovative character of the research, the expected scientific impact the proposal could have and the possibilities for utilizing the obtained knowledge.

Vidi is meant for excellent researchers who have obtained their doctorates and have subsequently successfully been conducting research for a number of years. The academics are among the top ten to twenty percent of their respective fields of expertise.

THE VIDI LAUREATES FROM UTRECHT:

Causes and consequences of the sharing economy

Dr. Rense Corten, Utrecht University

Under which conditions is trust between strangers possible in sharing-economy interactions, and to what extent does the sharing economy lead to more social cohesion? This project investigates these questions with a combination of methods: laboratory experiments, online experiments, digital user data and questionnaire data.

Optimizing the methodological framework for studies of the effects of medical interventions using routine-care data.

Dr. Rolf Groenwold, University Medical Center Utrecht

Big digital data files have an enormous potential to answer important biomedical questions. The advanced methods that are required will be developed within the project.

Two ends of one world: Bridging microscale cytoarchitectonics and macroscale connectomics in the human brain

Dr. M.P. van den Heuvel, University Medical Center Utrecht

How do the different levels of our brains come together to form one efficient brain? Neurons process information on a microscopic scale, but brain regions form big communication networks together on a macroscopic scale. We are going to investigate how big brain processes, and developing changes within them, depend on the smallest parts of our brains.

The Himalayas: an unknown water tower

Dr. Walter Immerzeel, Utrecht University

"Himalaya" is Sanskrit for "house of snow" and its meltwater is of vital importance to millions of people in Asia. However, we know little about the water cycle in this high-mountain area. In Hi-Cycle, a team of researchers will unravel this water cycle with the help of drones, measuring equipment and simulation models.

Studying paths through the pore labyrinth of catalysts

Dr. Florian Meirer, Utrecht University

Functional porous materials such as catalysts are essential for producing modern everyday-life products. The materials’ pores form a complex maze that influences their macroscopic properties. This project will explore how matter travels through this labyrinth and relate this to catalyst performance.

Shaping nanomaterials for future electronics

Dr. Carmine Ortix, Utrecht University

Semiconductor nanomembranes – sheets of materials with nanoscale thicknesses – can be rolled or folded into a variety of curved geometric shapes, such as spirals and helices. Researchers will investigate how quantum effects in these curved nanoarchitectures can make new electronics possible.

When will the ice caps melt?

Dr. Martin Ziegler, Utrecht University

By measuring the arrangement of isotopes, it becomes possible to measure the temperature of forming calcium carbonate. With this technique, this project will discover the deep-sea temperature and sea-level variations of the past 65 million years. With this data, better predictions regarding the future of the polar ice caps will be possible.

HUBRECHT INSTITUTE, NIOZ AND PRINCESS MAXIMA CENTER

Besides them, there are three other laureates at the Hubrecht Institute, NIOZ and the Princess Maxima Center

• Dr. Jop Kind, Hubrecht Institute
• Dr. Furu Mienies, NIOZ
• Dr. Jan Molenaar, Princess Maxima Center