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Over thirty promising, young Utrecht researchers will receive a Veni grant of up to 320,000 euros from the Dutch Research Council (NWO). This will allow them to further develop their own research ideas over the next three years. 1 in 7 Venis went to Utrecht researchers this year. 

Eight Venis went to researchers from the Faculty of Science and six to scientists from the Faculty of Social Sciences. The Faculty of Law, Economics, Governance & Organisation and Faculty of Humanities will each receive four Venis. Three Venis go to researchers from the Faculty of Geosciences. In addition, three Venis will go to researchers attached to the UMC Utrecht; four Venis will go to a researcher attached to the Prinses Maxima Center and one to a NIOZ researcher. 

Below is a summary of all research projects in alphabetical order (by researchers' surnames). 

Taking out the trash: Understanding the mechanisms of neuronal secretory autophagy

Our brain cells need to stay healthy for our whole life. To do that, they have to clean up damaged proteins and other parts inside the cell. In diseases like Alzheimer’s, the cells cannot properly break down the waste. Instead, they can push the waste outside of the cell, as if they are taking out the trash. This helps the cell itself, but it can cause problems for nearby brain cells, because the waste can spread through the brain. 

With his Veni grant, Maarten Bebelman is developing a smart new way to measure this "trash removal" process quickly and accurately. He wants to find out how it works, and whether it’s possible to manipulate this process to combat neurodegenerative diseases. His research helps us better understand how brain diseases begin, and how we might one day treat or prevent them. 

• dr. M.P. (Maarten) Bebelman

  Researcher

  Science - Biology - Biodynamics and Biocomplexity - Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics
• "With this Veni grant, we can uncover a process that may play a key role in brain diseases like Alzheimer’s."

Kippah Controversies: Jewish In/Visibility in Plural Settings

“Jewish minorities worldwide – and in Europe especially – report that they are compelled to hide their Jewishness, fearing that being identified as Jews will endanger them. My Veni project asks how the kippah – a small yet conspicuous religious head-covering – became a focal point in the struggle over Jewish visibility within diverse public spheres. The kippah is a powerful emblem of Jewish visibility, yet at the same time a symbol of the ‘invisibilisation’ overtaking contemporary Jewish life: there are state authorities in for example Germany, France, and recently also in the Netherlands, that have advised Jews to remove it in public for their own safety.” 

This project traces societal and political ‘controversies’ surrounding the Jewish kippah, from its nineteenth-century emergence to the present. Using these controversies as a starting point, Ben Ami examines the diverse forms of Jewish life in Europe, the United States, and Israel. He studies how the kippah became a metonym for these Jewish forms of life, how different Jewish groups dispute its meaning, and how it structures ongoing debates over Jewishness in public. By situating the kippah within a comparative context of inclusion and exclusion of ethno-religious minorities, the project aims to understand the structural logic of Jewish visibility and invisibility. 

• 

  dr. Itamar Ben Ami

  Assistant Professor

  Humanities - Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies - Religious Studies
• "My Veni project asks how the kippah – a small yet conspicuous religious head-covering – became a focal point in the struggle over Jewish visibility within diverse public spheres."

From design to function: DNA origami nanomachines for protein folding

DNA nanotechnology, and in particular DNA origami, is emerging as a powerful technique for building increasingly complex nanostructures with any desired shape, tuneable dynamics, and switchable conformations. 

Assistant professor  will employ DNA origami to develop nanostructures that mimic the function of the eukaryotic TRiC chaperonin system. This system is an intricately regulated protein complex that folds client proteins. “This bottom-up engineering approach will allow full control over structural conformations, which cannot yet be achieved with current protein design methodologies”, says Bertosin.

According to Bertosin, the project will not only yield deep insights into protein folding and chaperone function; it will also serve as a stepping stone toward designing nanomachines that carry out novel complex functions. "The Veni fellowship will be an invaluable support in launching this independent research."

• 

  dr. E. (Eva) Bertosin

  Assistant Professor

  Science - Chemistry - Biomolecular Sciences - Membrane Biochemistry & Biophysics
• “This bottom-up engineering approach allows full control over structural conformations, which cannot be achieved with current protein design methodologies”

Better together: Investigating the social foundations for collective action in our closest relatives

Dr. Jake Brooker will investigate the roots of teamwork in our closest relatives: chimpanzees and bonobos. While much is known about how animals cooperate in pairs, we still know little about how they manage to collaborate in larger groups. This level of cooperation has been key to human success, from curing diseases to tackling global threats. 

Brooker’s research will explore how group dynamics like social bonds, trust, and tolerance affect an ape’s willingness to work together on shared challenges. Using specially designed tasks at zoos and sanctuaries in Europe and Africa, he will observe how and when these animals join forces for getting rewards. 

The project not only sheds light on the evolutionary roots of human cooperation. It may also enhance the wellbeing of captive primates. By better understanding their natural group behaviour, researchers can develop new ways to encourage social interaction and enrich their daily lives. 

• 

  J.S. (Jake) Brooker

  Researcher

  Science - Biology - Environmental Biology - Animal Behaviour and Cognition
• "This grant lets us explore something I deeply care about: the roots of cooperation and the diversity of animal social worlds."

Learning more from therapy: using learning strategies to improve psychotherapy

After decades of research, there have been no improvements in the treatment of depression. Innovations in existing treatments are urgently needed. Storing and processing new information is important in order to learn from therapy and to be able to practise and apply the knowledge gained in daily life. However, people with mental health problems suffer from neurocognitive impairments that make learning from therapy difficult. This project translates insights about learning from cognitive and educational psychology into clinical practice so that patients with depression and other mental disorders can benefit more from therapy.

• 

  dr. Sanne Bruijniks

  Assistant Professor

  Social and Behavioural Sciences - Psychology - Clinical Psychology
• "The most widely used and researched treatment for depression, cognitive behavioural therapy, focuses on learning skills to tackle depression. At the same time, we often see significant deficits in the ability to learn in patients with depression. A promising innovation could therefore be the use of strategies to improve learning in therapy sessions."

The Guilty Mind

Ethics is traditionally concerned with how we should act. But might it also govern what we ought to believe, think, or feel? In this project, Romy Eskens will explore whether there are such things as ‘mental duties’: moral duties that regulate not our outward behaviour, but our inner lives.  

Eskens: “We sometimes blame ourselves or others for, say, harbouring racist or sexist thoughts or fantasising about inflicting violence on someone – even if these thoughts are never acted upon. But since thoughts by themselves don’t harm anyone, it is unclear how they could be morally wrong. Moreover, there are legitimate concerns about moralism and the dangers of ‘thought-policing’. In my research, I develop and evaluate philosophical arguments for and against mental duties. My aim is to better understand whether thoughts can be morally wrong – and what that means for how we judge ourselves and others.” 

• 

  dr. Romy Eskens

  Assistant Professor

  Humanities - Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

  Humanities - Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
• "I aim to better understand whether thoughts can be morally wrong – and what that means for how we judge ourselves and others."

Conditional Computing: Reimagining the Governance of Public AI Infrastructure

The EU is investing billions in public infrastructure to develop ‘AI with European values’. What is missing, however, is a framework to ensure these investments actually benefit society. This project introduces conditional computing: a framework that attaches conditions to AI investments so that public criteria like transparency and sustainability are prioritised.  

Through a national pilot study and an EU-wide analysis of AI facilities, Fabian Ferrari will investigate the factors that determine how public value creation and competitiveness can coexist. The insights will guide national and EU policymakers on aligning AI investments with societal and economic priorities, creating win-win scenarios.  

Ferrari: “As billions in public funding are spent on AI infrastructure in the Netherlands and Europe, we should ask: why is it being built, who gets to use it, and how are these decisions made? Public investments must deliver societal added value. But what exactly this added value of AI actually entails often remains unclear amid the many promises and expectations surrounding the technology. My project explores how public investments in AI can genuinely benefit society and how best to organise this.”

• 

  dr. Fabian Ferrari

  Assistant Professor

  Humanities - Institute for Cultural Inquiry - Media and Performance Studies

  Humanities - Department of Media and Culture Studies - Media and Performance Studies
• "My project explores how public investments in AI can genuinely benefit society and how best to organise this."

Breaking Immune Barriers: Targeting myeloid inhibitory receptors in pediatric brain cancers

Childhood brain cancers are the most common and lethal solid tumors, urgently demanding better treatments. While immunotherapies focused on T-cells revolutionized cancer treatment, they have thus far failed in children with brain cancers. This research proposal by from Prinses Máxima Centrum takes a different approach, focusing on myeloid cells present in the tumor, by targeting inhibitory receptors that release the brakes of an anti-tumor response. Using functional assays, spatial biology, and ex vivo models with patient-derived samples, inhibitory receptors will be used to enhance pro-inflammatory myeloid cells with anti-tumor activity. This work will boost the understanding of these receptors and facilitate development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies. 

Should a doctor know what health care costs?

Costs for prescription medication are high, but Dutch doctors are often not aware what drugs actually costs. Which reason do doctors have when choosing a drug, and can healthcare become better and more sustainable if doctors would actually know the price of the medication they prescribe? Aernoud Fiolet from UMC Utrecht will investigate that with this Veni.

Abortion at home: changing regulations and experiences in reproductive care

Amid growing polarisation and transformative events like the COVID-19 pandemic, European abortion landscapes are rapidly changing. This research focuses on the Netherlands and Italy to explore the rise of at-home abortion – a safe, legal, medication-based method for terminating early pregnancies outside traditional clinics. While scholarly debates often centre on abortion pills’ legality and movement, little attention has been paid to what happens when home becomes a legal space of abortion care. This project challenges the notion of home as a neutral backdrop for abortion procedures and examines how the intersecting power dynamics of abortion and domesticity reshape the spatial organisation, social relations, and embodied/affective experiences of abortion care. 

• 

  dr. Elisa Fiore

  Assistant Professor

  Geosciences - Human Geography and Spatial Planning - Urban Geography
• “Aside from advancing scientific discussions on reproductive politics in Europe, the Veni grant allows me to set up collaborations with local activist groups, policy- and lawmakers, medical professionals, and patient organisations to ensure that at-home abortion practices are inclusive, responsive to diverse needs, and continuously improved based on empirical insights.” 

The Domestic and Sex Work of Migrant Women on Digital Platforms

Due to the informal, undervalued, and sometimes illegal nature of their labour, domestic and sex workers face exclusion from social protections and other challenges. To find work, they – often migrant women – increasingly use digital platforms. This project examines how platforms and the regulatory contexts of migration, domestic work, and sex work, affect the daily working conditions and lives of this marginalised group. In collaboration with the communities concerned, it also develops solutions to improve their position.

Franco: “As more and more people find work through digital platforms, there is growing concern about how these platforms contribute to deteriorating labour conditions. But what about groups who already work under difficult circumstances – and who are excluded from social protections because their work isn’t always recognised as such? In the Netherlands, domestic work and sex work are regulated in ways that often make life even harder for workers. This project will explore the role of digital platforms in the precarious position of domestic and sex workers, and on identifying policies that are needed to improve their working and living conditions.”

"This project will explore the role of digital platforms in the precarious position of domestic and sex workers, and on identifying policies that are needed to improve their working and living conditions.”

Collective voice for worker-friendly AI advancements

Automation has contributed to job loss and rising inequality, and the rapid spread of AI intensifies concerns about the future of work. However, these changes are not inevitable. In her research, Sabrina Genz studies how collective bargaining agreements, which include provisions like training and layoff protection, influence the impact of technology on workers. By analyzing all Dutch agreements since 2000 and linking them to firm and worker data, she explores through causal analysis whether Dutch collective bargaining agreements can protect workers amid technological change. The results will offer practical recommendations for unions, employers, and policymakers for building a more inclusive, worker-friendly future of work.  

Sabrina Genz: ‘Technology is often portrayed in the media as something that simply "overcomes" workers, as if they have no say and can only hope to keep their jobs. But why should they leave the direction of technological change solely to tech developers and the technology elite? As a society, and as workers, we can also voice what we want from technology and AI. By connecting such a conversation to collective agreements and unions, firms can make better-informed choices about technology adoption. When management understands what employees value, decisions can be made with broader support, reducing resistance and enabling a smoother, more inclusive technological transition.’ 

• 

  dr. Sabrina Genz

  Assistant Professor

  Law, Economics and Governance - Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� School of Economics - Economics
• "As a society, and as workers, we can also voice what we want from technology and AI. By connecting such a conversation to collective agreements and unions, firms can make better-informed choices about technology adoption."

A CRISPR Cure for Pediatric Cancer

Childhood cancers are the leading cause of disease-related death in children, with aggressive forms like rhabdoid tumors having especially poor survival rates. Despite their aggressiveness, these cancers are driven by a single mutation. This project from from Prinses Máxima Centrum proposes a precise and safe CRISPR-based therapy to repair this driver mutation. Lab-grown tumor organoid models and mice will be used to test its safety and effectiveness. By targeting the root cause of cancer, this research offers hope for life-saving treatments with fewer side effects and paves the way for similar therapies in other childhood cancers.

Why do you still feel lonely? Research into the reasons for chronic loneliness in different cultures

Loneliness is experienced by almost everyone, but in some cases it leads to health problems. Although research is currently focused on combating all forms of loneliness, it is very important to shift the focus to chronic loneliness. This requires research into risk factors in a person's past (e.g. negative family relationships), their personal consequences (such as a tendency to feel rejected) and in a person's context (e.g. cultural norms about showing emotions). These risk factors are investigated in different cultures in order to evaluate cross-cultural generalisability and to counteract an excessive focus on Western contexts in the existing literature.

Heu: "Understanding the mechanisms underlying long-term loneliness is crucial for developing targeted interventions for people who need support to escape loneliness. And since most research into such psychological processes focuses primarily on the Western context, I will examine these processes in both Western and non-Western contexts."

• 

  dr. Luzia Heu

  Assistant Professor

  Social and Behavioural Sciences - Social Sciences - Interdisciplinary Social Science
• "Understanding the mechanisms underlying long-term loneliness is crucial for developing targeted interventions for people who need support to escape loneliness."

Redox revolutions: orbital forcing of Earth’s early oxygen rise

Around 2.4 billion years ago, a revolution in the history of life on Earth occurred as free molecular oxygen first entered the atmosphere. Precisely how oxygen levels rose is still poorly understood. In this research, Margriet Lantink will investigate how cyclic variations in the shape of the Earth's orbit and orientation of the spin axis (orbital forcing) influenced the rate at which early oxygen was produced and accumulated. This question will be answered by making key observations in the rock archive and by applying advanced models to reconstruct the underlying oxygen dynamics and processes.

Lantink: “Almost nothing is yet known about the role that astronomical cycles - periodic fluctuations in Earth's orbit around the Sun that affected climate - may have played in the development of an oxygen-rich planet that made complex life possible. Crucial insights into this I hope to glean from billion-year-old sedimentary rocks in South Africa and Western Australia in which these processes appear to have been recorded.” 

K-theory in Higher Logarithmic Geometry

For centuries, mathematicians have studied geometric shapes. Understanding them leads to pure mathematical insights, but also to a wide variety of applications in the real world, such as machine learning. “Thanks to the Veni, I will be able to realize a long-lasting vision of how tools to study geometric shapes relate to each other”, Lundemo says. He will develop a theory that enables two of the most powerful techniques to communicate with each other. The resulting theory will be used to attack problems in geometry, topology, and homotopy theory. 

According to Lundemo, who currently holds a postdoc position at the Bergische Universität Wuppertal, the project would not have been possible without this grant. “It relies on new cutting-edge results”, he explains. “For this reason, the ideas require focused time and effort to mature, which are provided for by the Veni.” In addition, Lundemo praises the Dutch mathematics community, and the Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� research group Fundamental Mathematics in particular. “I am convinced it is the ideal place for this to happen.”  

“Thanks to the Veni, I will be able to realize a long-lasting vision of how tools to study geometric shapes relate to each other.”

Unraveling the immune shield of pediatric diffuse midline glioma

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a fatal pediatric brain tumor with no curative treatments. While immunotherapy, such as CAR-T cells, has revolutionized cancer treatment, it remains ineffective in DMG due to its profoundly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In this research from Prinses Maxima Centrum aims to unravel how DMG tumors create and maintain this anti-inflammatory immune environment, how it evolves during disease progression and treatment, and what this means for the efficacy of immunotherapies like CAR-T therapy. By addressing these critical knowledge gaps, my work will provide the scientific community with the foundation needed to improve future immunotherapy for children with DMG. 

The race for resources in shared ocean waters and the need for fair dispute settlement

We know more about the Moon and Mars than we do about vast parts of our own ocean – especially the deep seabed and open waters beyond the control of any single country. Yet, these seemingly remote areas are increasingly targeted for activities like deep-sea mining or industrial fishing. This race for resources unleashes complex and unconventional conflicts amongst different actors of unequal power and status. The current legal framework for resolving disputes in areas beyond national jurisdiction, however, does not account for all interests. This creates an imbalance in the protection of community interests that could have serious consequences for the health of the ocean. My project dives into this challenge. I will investigate how international legal institutions could and should resolve disputes arising from profit-oriented activities in a way that ensures equity and sustainability. 

Sustainable and inclusive governance of our planet’s global commons requires rethinking how we handle conflicts in these remote yet critical parts of our ocean.

How small proteins can boost dendritic cell function in childhood cancer

Microproteins, a recently discovered group of very small proteins, were overlooked due to their size but are now possible to detect and broadly recognised for their important functions. from Prinses Maxima Centrum will develop new methods to study microproteins in dendritic cells, the architects of the immune response. If microproteins influence the way dendritic cells work in the presence of cancer cells, this offers opportunities for new therapeutic strategies that exploit microprotein mechanisms to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in children with cancer. 

A toolbox for social safety in online gaming

Ten million people in the Netherlands regularly play digital games. Worldwide, online gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment, with over a billion enthusiasts. Yet many players say that they feel unsafe during gameplay due to the community culture. Competitive games in particular are notorious breeding grounds for discrimination and hate speech, which is often normalised as ‘banter’, says Susanne Poeller. “The current tools available to game developers allow players to report, block or ban those who break the rules, but these are merely band-aid solutions. Moreover, by the time negative behaviour is punished, the harm has already been done.” 

Poeller therefore advocates for more preventative strategies. “With the Veni-grant, I want to explore new solutions to de-normalise verbal abuse and promote positive behaviour. The aim is to strengthen gaming communities by developing tools that foster empathy, diversity and cooperation between players.” 

• 

  dr. S. (Susanne) Poeller

  Assistant Professor

  Science - Information and computing sciences - Interaction - Human-Centered Computing
• "With the Veni-grant, I want to explore new solutions to de-normalise verbal abuse and promote positive behaviour."

Cost-benefit analysis as a guideline for visual attention

It is impossible to process all incoming visual information at once; instead, we must decide where to focus our attention. Current theory explains this attention selection through goals, salience and selection history, but ignores costs, leaving influential findings unexplained. By combining knowledge from different disciplines, I introduce and test an improved theory: attention selection is the result of cost-benefit calculations, in which energy consumption is optimised even at the level of individual eye movements. Advanced behavioural studies, eye tracking and EEG form the basis of this physiologically grounded, testable model. The resulting theory leads to better neuropsychological diagnostics, more effective learning materials and safer environments, such as in aircraft cockpits.

Strauch: "In my research, I propose that every eye movement is a trade-off between the effort it takes to look at something and the benefit it brings us. Because we are constantly moving our eyes, this is perhaps the most common decision we make. By making this cost-benefit analysis measurable, I lay the foundation for a better understanding of visual attention, with potential applications in neuropsychological diagnostics, education and the design of safer working environments. This contributes to a better understanding of what is probably the most fundamental decision made by the brain, and of economic decision-making in general.”

• 

  dr. Christoph Strauch

  Assistant Professor

  Social and Behavioural Sciences - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• "By making this cost-benefit analysis measurable, I lay the foundation for a better understanding of visual attention, with potential applications in neuropsychological diagnostics, education and the design of safer working environments."

Are we cleverly irrational? Investigating the evolutionary roots of decision-making heuristics in primates foraging in virtual worlds

Evy van Berlo’s Veni project explores how seemingly irrational decisions may actually be universal survival strategies. Think of our tendency to follow the majority without knowing why, or to keep investing in something even when it’s clearly a lost cause.

Using a custom-designed computer game, Van Berlo studies how people, chimpanzees, macaques and lemurs search for virtual food on touchscreens. She doesn’t just track their choices, but also where they look and how their bodies respond, to reveal the cognitive processes behind these decision-making rules.

Her research offers insights into why we sometimes make illogical choices, with potential applications in behavioral science, public policy, and technology design. With the support of the Veni grant, she can now further develop her virtual research platform and make it widely accessible.

Thanks to this Veni grant we can explore where our sometimes irrational behavior comes from, how it evolved, and whether it’s really as irrational as it seems.

Correcting for irrationality in probability judgement

People often think qualitatively about probabilities: something is either a certainty, or it is uncertain. People often do not perceive differences in probability very clearly, while these can be important. In their models, economists assume that people interpret differences in probabilities correctly. In this project, I will develop a method to measure the extent to which people deviate from the economic model. This will enable economists to test their models better and to 'debias' choices. The latter can help people make better choices, for example for their pension or investments. 

• 

  dr. Paul van Bruggen

  Assistant Professor

  Law, Economics and Governance - Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� School of Economics - Economics
• "I want to better understand how people deal with probability.”

Navigating between Populism and Protest

Across Europe, right-wing populist parties enter government. This changes the relations between cabinets and bureaucrats. Public servants generally adjust but sometimes also openly resist. Public service leaders need to navigate between populism and protest. Erik-Jan van Dorp studies how public service leaders in the Netherlands, Norway and the US adapt their behaviour in times of populist politics and public service protest. 

Erik-Jan van Dorp: 'Wars, the climate crisis and the government's position on controversial issues often lead to polarisation, also within government organisations. Not only in the Netherlands. How do public service leaders navigate between the populist politicians above them and protesting civil servants below them? Public service leaders are experiencing pressure in a new way that forces them to show public leadership. I will investigate what that entails systematically and in comparison.' 

• 

  dr. Erik-Jan van Dorp

  Assistant Professor

  Law, Economics and Governance - Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� School of Governance - Public Governance and Management
• "How do public service leaders navigate between the populist politicians above them and protesting civil servants below them?"

Adrenocortical organoids as human endocrinology avatars

The adrenal gland produces vital hormones that regulate stress, metabolism, and blood pressure. However, how the cells in this organ adapt their roles to maintain hormonal balance is still unclear. This project from Jelte van der Vaart from UMC Utrecht will create lab-grown adrenal organoids—miniature, functional tissue models—from human tissue to study these processes in a human-specific system. By uncovering the molecular signals that control hormone production as well as cell transitions, this study aims to deepen our understanding of adrenal function and provide insights into disorders like Cushing syndrome and hormonal imbalances, paving the way for targeted, less invasive therapies. 

From words to action? The relationship between language and behaviour in threats against public figures

Public figures are increasingly being threatened, particularly online. Sometimes a threat can lead to violence. However, it is still unclear whether the language used in threats says anything about the future behaviour of the person making the threat, such as a violent attack. This project investigates whether large-scale linguistic analyses can be used to identify the behaviour and characteristics of threats, based on real cases. The results will provide important insights into whether linguistic information can be used to prevent violence.

Van der Vegt: "My project is about threat assessment, the process whereby professionals – for example within the police force – try to assess the risk of violence or other undesirable consequences. They look at things such as threatening letters and social media posts. With all the developments in AI, the question arises as to whether this process can be (partially) automated. I will investigate whether and how this can be done in a responsible manner.”

• 

  dr. Isabelle van der Vegt

  Assistant Professor

  Social and Behavioural Sciences - Social Sciences - Sociology
• "My project is about threat assessment, the process whereby professionals – for example within the police force – try to assess the risk of violence or other undesirable consequences."

Shapeshifters: how wind and vegetation interact to form coastal dunes

Coastal dunes form a crucial line of defence against flooding. Dune development is driven by the interaction between wind, dune shape and dune grass. In this research, I collect unique field measurements before and after removing dune grass from a small as well as a large dune. I will use these measurements to quantify the effect of dune shape and dune grass on sand transport and improve predictions of dune development. With improved predictions, managers can optimize dune management strategies, ensuring that dunes remain resilient against storms despite sea level rise and climate change. 

• 

  dr. Christa van IJzendoorn

  Assistant Professor

  Geosciences - Physical Geography - Delta Evolution and Subsurface Processes
• “By studying how wind, sand, and dune grass shape coastal dunes, I will deepen our understanding of coastal dune systems. This knowledge will improve management practices and help ensure that coastal dunes remain resilient in the face of climate change.”

The power of interaction: How turn-taking and screen time influence language development in children with and without SLI

Approximately 5–7% of children have serious language problems. These children are diagnosed with a specific language impairment (SLI) and experience challenges at school and in social situations. Early treatment is crucial and includes training to improve parent-child interactions. However, we do not yet fully understand why parent training is effective. This project by Merel van Witteloostuijn investigates the influence of turn-taking between parent and child and screen time on the language development of children with and without SLI. The insights gained from this project are important for language acquisition theory and will provide practical tools for parents and professionals to better support children with SLI.

Van Witteloostuijn: "My research is important because it contributes to a better understanding of how parent-child interaction relates to language development in young children. My research can contribute to more effective help, especially for children with a specific language impairment (SLI), which affect around 5 to 7% of children. In addition, my research provides new insights into the relationship between screen use and language development, thereby supporting parents and professionals in making responsible choices about screen use."

Origin and evolution of an ancient cellular membrane mystery

All living cells are surrounded by a membrane. Two membrane types exist with distinct main lipid components. Why cells of different organisms incorporate one or the other lipid type, and how this ‘lipid divide’ came to be, is still unknown. To unravel this, Bastiaan von Meijenfeldt from NIOZ will study the proteins that are embedded in both membrane types. Using large-scale computational analyses he will investigate the constraints that the lipids exert on membrane proteins, to reconstruct the evolution of the lipid divide. Findings will be important for understanding early life, the rise of complex cells, and the detailed functioning of cellular membranes. 

The origins of social bonding through shared experiences in a world full of smartphones

People create bonds by sharing experiences, for example during rituals, storytelling or watching a film. But when do young children start doing this? How does it manifest itself? And does the use of smartphones, which can disrupt social interactions, make children less sensitive to shared experiences? Through a series of experiments, Wouter Wolf is investigating whether children between the ages of 9 and 18 months already respond more positively to their interaction partner after a shared experience, and whether this sensitivity is related to how much smartphones are used in the family in the presence of the children.

Wolf: "There is growing concern about parents who are constantly on their smartphones in the presence of their young children. But we don't really know what effect this has on the development of the ability to share experiences between parents and children. Because smartphones are so good at distracting attention, parents' interactions with their children may be disrupted. As a result, children may be less able to recognise and use the behavioural patterns that children (and adults) use to share experiences (such as following with the eyes and making eye contact). I will investigate whether this is the case.

Unveiling Antarctic sea ice secrets: AI meets geostatistics to decode impacts from snow

Antarctic sea ice has hit record-low levels five times in the past eight years, a clear signal of rapid climate change with global consequences. Melting sea ice contributes to sea level rise, disrupts ocean circulation, weakens the ocean’s ability to absorb CO2, and threatens unique ecosystems, including penguin colonies. A major challenge in understanding these changes is the snow that blankets the ice, making it difficult for satellites to measure how much ice remains. In this project, Lu Zhou will create the first large-scale snow depth maps over Antarctic sea ice using satellite data, field observations, and machine learning. These insights will help improve climate predictions and policies for climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and dealing with rising sea levels. 

“This Veni grant gives me the opportunity to tackle one of the biggest challenges in our understanding of the role of the polar regions in world-wide climate change.”

Ecological requirements for wildlife conservation in fragmented agro-commodity landscapes

Worldwide, forests are being cut for palm oil plantations. For many animals, this poses serious threats. Their habitats become fragmented, making it harder to find food, connect with others, or reproduce. Still, some species show they can adapt, if small patches of forest remain between the plantations. 

With his Veni project, Joeri Zwerts aims to understand what animals need to survive in these changing landscapes. He uses satellite images, camera traps, drones, and smart technology to track how animals move through the area. 

The results will help governments and companies make better decisions about how to produce palm oil in ways that are less harmful to nature. 

With this Veni grant, I can work on sustainable landscape solutions that reconcile the growing demand for palm oil with the protection of unique and vulnerable biodiversity, including the orangutan.