Three more Vici grants!
Subsidies for archaeologist and medical scientists
Three more Vici grants!
Door Christien Boomsma
By Christien Boomsma
Christien Boomsma
Christien is sinds 2016 achtergrondcoördinator bij UKrant. Ze plant de achtergrondverhalen en begeleidt de auteurs. Bij haar eigen verhalen ligt de focus op wetenschap en academisch leven. Daarnaast schrijft ze veel over onderwerpen als sociale veiligheid en maakt ze graag persoonlijke interviews. In haar vrije tijd schrijft ze jeugdboeken en geeft schrijftrainingen.It took a while before the Vici grants were announced. The NWO’s computer systems were hacked on February 8, freezing the research financier’s network. The only grant that could be announced was the one for geneticist Lude Franke, because it was handled by ZonMw.
But now it’s been announced that Lidewijde de Jong will receive a grant to study how trends in epitaphs, portraits, and decorated memorials changed after the Romans went to the Middle East.
Brain tumours and intestinal bacteria
Inge Zuhorn will focus on new treatments for brain tumours. These are currently difficult to treat because medication can’t penetrate the brain. Nanoparticles could help, but only if they change in size and shape after they’ve been administered. Zuhorn is trying to make this work.
Finally, Jingyuan Fu is getting a grant to study variations in the genome of intestinal bacteria. This should help determine the role they play in the risk of cardiometabolic illnesses.
Thirteen women and seven men
NWO received a total of 287 Vici applications. 33 percent had been submitted by women, and 67 percent by men. In the end, thirteen women and seven men were awarded grants.
The hack at NWO has since been dealt with, although it’s left its mark. Many Veni grants won’t be announced until April 2022. The only grants that will still be announced in 2021 are those in the science and health domains. They’re scheduled for December of this year.