Success for Leiden with Vidi subsidies
NWO has awarded a Vidi subsidy to a total of 89 young and innovative researchers. Leiden researchers have won twelve of these subsidies and three subsidies have gone to the LUMC. Each researcher will receive up to 800,000 euro to develop a particular research theme or to set up a research group.
High score
Fifteen subsidies out of 89 is equivalent to 17%, much higher than in previous years when Leiden's share was generally in the order of 10%. Even 10% was above the national average, but this year Leiden is by far the most successful awrad winner. A total of 508 researchers submitted a research plan. The applications were assessed by national and international scholars, and a total of 89 proposals were honoured. From this year, more funds are available for NWO's Veni, Vidi and Vici awards, which has resulted in an increase in the amount per subsidy and the total number of subsidies. Vidi winners will in future receive 800,000 euro, rather than the 600,000 euro that was previously awarded. These sums are 'gross', which means that they no longer have to be matched by the university.
Incentive scheme
The Vidi scheme is aimed at excellent researchers who have carried out successful research some years after obtaining their PhD. The Vidi winners have been able to show that they are capable of generating innovative ideas and are also able to develop their ideas independently. These researchers are among the top 10 to 20 per cent in their field. The Vidi subsidy will allow them to continue their research for five years and to set up their own research group.
The Leiden Vidi winners
Dr Annemieke Aartsma-Rus – LUMC, Human Genetics
Unravelling dystrophine splicing
Splicing is a complex process that takes place in our cells when genes are translated into protein. Splicing is extra complex in the dystrophine gene - the largest of the human genes. The researchers intend to make a more detailed study of dystrophine splicing with a view to optimising a therapy based this process.
Professor Roberta D’Alessandro – Leiden University Centre for Linguistics
Unexpected sisterhood
All Roman languages have comparable grammars. But the grammars of a group of southern Italian dialects demonstrate similarities with the grammars of Basque, Georgian, Hindi, Urdu and Mayan languages. How is this possible? In this project we want to understand how and why these similarities occur.
Dr Tinde van Andel – National Herbarium
Plant usage from mother Africa
African slaves in Surinam had to learn to recognise plants from a forest with which they were not familiar in order to survive. This research investigates the medicinal and magical plants that Afro-Surinamers learned about from the Indians and which they recognised from Ghana, Bénin and Gabon (West Africa).
Dr Gijs van den Brink – LUMC, Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Understanding and treating oesophagal cancer
Cells exchange signals with one another so that they behave in an orderly fashion. If these signals are disturbed, the result van be unbridled proliferation. This research investigates irregular communication typical of oesaphagal cancer and methods of combating this.
Dr Jeroen Codée – Bio-organic Synthesis
Synthetic sugar molecules to activate the immune system
Custom-made sugar molecules are crucial for their role in clarifying biological processes. This research focuses on automating and miniaturising the synthesis of challenging sugar molecules, which can activate the immune system.
Dr Maarten Delbeke – Art History
The origin of good architecture
Since ancient times people have believed that good buildings are an integral part of good society. Civilisation and architecture should go hand in hand. Enlightenment thinking gives rise to new ideas about the origin of civilisation. The researchers aim to study the impact of these ideas on architecture.
Dr Carlos Fitzsimons – Medical Pharmacology
Putting the brake on epilepsy
Neurogenesis, the development of new nerve cells, may help repair brain damage caused by epileptic fits. This research project aims to study how neurogenesis can be modified to improve the treatment of epilepsy patients.
Dr Erik Kwakkel – Pallas
The 12th century book revolution
The book as we know it today was born during the 12th-century Renaissance, an intellectual revival that brought about a major renewal in European culture. This project explains the development of the new book genre by linking its characteristics to the 12th century text culture and reading habits.
Dr Judi Mesman – Centre for Family Studies
‘Boys will be boys?’
Are boys simply more difficult than girls, or is this (at least partly) due to their upbringing? This study will investigate to what extent fathers and mothers bring up girls and boys differently, and what effect this has on difficult behaviour among brothers and sisters.
Dr Sense Jan van der Molen – Condensed Matter
Making charge transport visible through a single molecule
How does an electric charge pass through a single molecule: a quantum mechanical system? I want to investigate this phenomenon and develop a completely new method for this purpose. I connect molecules with minuscule electrodes (nano particles) and study the conductivity with a very advanced (electron) microscope.
Dr Johannes Neugebauer – Theoretical Chemistry
Quantum quest for artificial photosynthesis
Quantum mechanics are the basis of understanding the principles of photosynthesis, such as the transport of energy and electrons in photo systems. This research focuses on developing theoretical methods, based on quantum chemistry, that are able to focus automatically on relevant sub-systems in biomolecular aggregates. These methods can help scientists unravel the main design principles of photosynthesis in nature.
Dr Marcel Rost – Interface Physics Group
Metal coatings with atomic precision
Present-day and future products, varying from computer chips to X-ray mirrors require the application of extremely thin and flat metal layers. The process of forming these layers and their behaviour during application will be followed atom by atom using special scanning probe microscopes.
Dr Merlijn van Spengen – Surface Physics
Small devices, big questions
Micro devices made in chip technology wear too quickly to be practically useful. To prevent this, Van Spengen and colleagues intent to study how diamond-like carbon films in micro devices can be used to achieve 'superlubrication', the complete absence of friction.
Dr Miguel John Versluys – Archaeology
Antique globalisation?
The Romans were without doubt lord and mastr of the whole Mediterranean worls but at the same time they gave the cultures that they conquered an important role in the construction of their own identity and community. This research will study how this process of cultural innovation worked. The primary case study will be the relations between Rome and Egypt.
Dr Henri Versteeg – LUMC
Blood-clotting cancer
The blood-clotting process has an effect on the growth of cancer cells, the creation of blood vessels between the cancer cells and the distribution of these cells. The researchers intend to analyse how and why elements of the blood-clotting system encourage cancer.