Vidi grant for FSE researchers Dr. Kamenz and Dr. Vedantham

Dr. Julia Kamenz of the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB) and Dr. Harish Vedantham of ASTRON/Kapteyn Astronomical Institute have received a Vidi grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). With the Vidi grant, worth EUR 800,000, they can develop their own innovative line of research and set up a research group for five years.

The researchers will investigate the communication between essential proteins and magnetism on a planetary scale.

Julia Kamenz, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute | Take your time: How cells ensure ordered cell division

To avoid errors and prevent cancer, the complicated steps of cell division have to occur in an orderly manner, one step at a time. This project will explore how proteins communicate with each other to ensure that every step only happens at the correct moment during cell division.

Harish Vedantham, ASTRON/Kapteyn Astronomical Institute | e-MAPS (exploring Magnetism on the planetary scale)

The Earth’s magnetic field traps and speeds up charged particles that create aurorae and radio-waves. This project will detect radio-waves from objects outside the solar system to answer a longstanding question: what determines the magnetic field strength of planets?

Vidi

Vidi grants are intended for experienced researchers who have been conducting successful research for some years after gaining a PhD. Alongside the Veni and Vici grants, the Vidi grant is part of the NWO Talent Programme. Within this programme, researchers are free to submit their own topics for funding. In this way, NWO wishes to stimulate innovative and curiosity-driven research. The researchers are selected based on their research quality, the innovative nature of their research, the expected societal impact of their research proposal and the possibilities for knowledge utilization.