Katja Loos wins NWO Team Science Award with HyBRit research group

Katja Loos wins the Team Science Award of the Dutch Research Council (NWO) with her research group HyBRit. The prize is awarded to research teams with researchers from different disciplines, in which young talents work in collaboration with senior researchers. They each receive €10,000 to spend on  strengthening the team further. The Team Science Award will be presented to two teams this year; the other winner is the iCMR team of the Maastricht University Medical Center+.

Katja Loos

Katja Loos has been working at the UG since 2003, and in 2012 she was appointed Professor of Macromolecular Chemistry and New Polymeric Materials. Her research mainly focuses on the synthesis and characterization of new, tailor-made macromolecules and the development of sustainable, eco-efficient, and competitive production methods of polymeric materials. Her work won several prizes, including the IUPAC 2021 Distinguished Women in Chemistry prize.

HyBRit research group

Together with Chongnan Ye (UG), Vincent Voet (NHL), Renate Lemos (NHL), and Rudy Folkersma (NHL), Loos has created a hybrid research group that aims to make the chemical sector more sustainable: HyBRit (Hybrid research group Biopolymer and Recycling Innovations). The collaboration between the UG and NHL Stenden is an initiative of the University of the North to develop new knowledge, innovation, and activities. By joining forces, the HyBRit research team is able to cover the entire spectrum, from fundamental to applied research in the multidisciplinary field of sustainable polymer science.

Prize for Team Science

The Team Science Award is a part of the NWO Science Awards Week.  During this week, the NWO awards five special scientific prizes to inspirational scientists and research teams when it comes to impact, team science, outstanding research, diversity, and communication. According to the jury report, the jury was very enthusiastic about the intensive collaboration between the University and the University of Applied Sciences, and they see tremendous added value in the collaboration because it stimulates further interaction. Furthermore, the jury is also impressed by the attention HyBRit received from the general public.

More information

• More information about Katja Loos
• More information about HyBRit
• Recyclable plastics for a sustainable future
• University of the North: Universities and universities of applied sciences join forces