Veni grants for eleven Leiden researchers
Eleven Leiden researchers have been awarded a Veni grant by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The grant will enable them to develop their research ideas for a period of three years.
From hitchhiking bacteria to the formation of exoplanets, and from protecting democracy in the EU to repairing the biological clock: the Leiden researchers who have been awarded a grant study a whole mixture of subjects. Each will receive a grant of up to 250,000 euros that will enable them to start their research project.
Read below about the research projects.
Where are the exploded stars in our Milky Way?
Maria Arias, Faculty of Science
The Galactic Plane at Two Metres: Supernova Remnants with LOFAR Exploded stars, or supernova remnants, are key to galaxy evolution. However, there is a mismatch between how many we expect and how many we observe in our Milky Way. The researchers will use a radio telescope to map the Galactic Plane with unprecedented sensitivity and find the missing supernova remnants.
Female genitalia surgery and morally informed medical and scientific practice in the Netherlands, the United States, and Indonesia
Sherria Ayuandini, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
In this project Sherria Ayuandini will ask how, in the context of female genitalia surgery, differences in geographically informed norms and values affect the way physicians and medical professionals practice science and medicine. The research will be conducted in three countries: the Netherlands, Indonesia and the US.
Tackling cardiometabolic diseases with intestinal hormones
Mariëtte Boon, Leiden University Medical Center
Obesity is one of the largest health threats for modern society since it contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, combining two intestinal hormones in one pill proved to induce spectacular weight loss. Boon will study the consequences for cardiometabolic diseases and unravel the underlying mechanisms.
Repairing a broken clock in critically ill patients in the intensive care unit
Laura Kervezee, Leiden University Medical Center
Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit receive feeding 24 hours per day and are exposed to inadequate light-dark cycles. This disrupts their circadian clock and gets in the way of a speedy recovery. Kervezee will try to strengthen the circadian clock by optimizing the timing of feeding and light exposure.
Bacterial hitchhiking
Alise Muok, Faculty of Science
Many immotile bacteria need to colonize living organisms for survival. How they reach the host is often unexplained. Muok will determine how immotile bacteria attach to motile bacteria to be moved to plant roots
Please, excuse my behaviour!
Milica Nikolić, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
The self-conscious emotion of shyness serves as a nonverbal apology that promotes social bonding, which is essential for survival. When dysregulated or absent, however, shyness relates to psychopathology. Because shyness is common in children, this project investigates how parents socialize shyness and the social benefits and costs of childhood shyness.
Consistency in decisionmaking by civil servants and judges
Nadine Raaphorst, Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs
Consistent decision-making means that there are minimal disparities in decisions about citizens in similar circumstances. Laws and rules are not always sufficient in warranting consistency. In this research Raaphorst will examine how public officials and judges perceive and manage consistency, and looks specifically at the influence of laws, rules and peer discussion.
Zooming in on star factories in the early Universe
Matus Rybak, Faculty of Science
Will a star feel a difference between being born in Orion today, or in a dusty ‘star factory’ galaxy 10 billion years ago? In this project, Rybak will use a new nanotechnology-powered instrument and magnification by gravity to understand the formation of new-born stars in the early universe.
Formation signatures in the atmospheres of giant exoplanets
Tomas Stolker, Faculteit Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappen
Observations with large telescopes have revealed giant exoplanets that are orbiting at a large distance from their star. Stolker will investigate the formation history of those planets through accurate measurements of their chemical composition.
Protecting democracy in the EU
Tom Theuns, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
What should the EU do to protect democracy, given democratic backsliding in some EU member states? Theuns will critically analyse existing EU policies to safeguard democratic values in Europe, drawing on EU law, politics and economics to lay out a more legitimate and coherent EU democracy protection policy.
Read more>>
Reproducible Experiments in Clouds
Alex Uta, Faculty of Science
Clouds are used by our society, including in high-risk activities. Yet, they do not offer performance reproducibility, leading to actions or analysis being performed in different amounts of time, if repeated. This behaviour is unsafe for many human-facing applications. Uta will design performance-reproducible approaches to cloud experimentation.
Veni - NWO Talent Programme
The Veni is an annual award from NWO. Together with the Vidi and Vici grants, the Vidi is part of the NWO Talent Programme. Veni grants are awarded to promising researchers who have recently obtained their doctorate. NWO thus encourages curiosity-driven and innovative research. In this round 162 researchers have been awarded a Veni.