4 Vici awards for Leiden researchers
Chemist Alexander Kros and astronomer Joop Schaye are two of the four Leiden researchers who have been awarded a Vici as part of NWO's Innovation Research Incentives scheme. They each have 1.5 million euros to set up a research group and employ PhD candidates.
The Leiden winners
- Dr Alexander Kros (Chemistry)
- Prof. Joop Schaye (Astronomy)
- Prof. Eveline Crone (Psychology)
- Dr David Fontijn (Archaeology)
A total of 216 Vici applications were submitted, 36 of which have been awarded a subsidy, which works out at a success rate of 17%.
Understanding membrane fusion at the molecular level using a biomimetic model system
Dr Alexander Kros, Chemistry
The transport of molecules is crucial for living cells, but it is also very complex. Based on a biomimetic model system devised by the researchers themselves, this research project will examine the controlled transport of incoming and outgoing molecules at molecular level. This knowledge can be applied, for example, in targetting medicines at exactly the right place.
How do galaxies regulate their growth?
Prof. dr. Joop Schaye, Astronomy
Galaxies grow as a result of the influx of gas from their environment. Their growth is regulated by young stars and black holes ejecting much of the gas back into the intergalactic space via enormous shockwaves. This research looks at these poorly understood processes, with the help both of observations and computer simulations.
The neural signature of self-concept development in adolescence
Prof.dr. Eveline Crone, Psychology
Adolescents’ self-image is constantly changing. This makes them sensitive to the opinions of other people, which can have a negative effect on their social development. New insights from brain research show that different aspects of the self-image are discernable in the brain. This research looks at how these areas of the brain develop in adolescents.
Economies of Destruction. The emergence of metalwork deposition during the Bronze Age in Northwest Europe, c. 2300-1500 BC
Dr. David Fontijn, archeologie
In prehistory, very valuable objects were destroyed on a large scale and buried. This project aims to study why people did this and to reconstruct how a whole ‘economy of destruction’ arose in North Western Europe between 2300-1500 BC.