Four Veni grants awarded to the Faculty of Arts

Four researchers from the Faculty of Arts were awarded a Veni grant by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) this summer. These grants are awarded annually and amount to a maximum of €320,000.

Defne Abur

Giving Parkinson’s a voice
Imagine knowing what you want to say but not being properly understood or heard. This is what happens to many people with Parkinson’s disease. This Veni research project tracks speech and brain activity over time to determine how speech problems develop. The aim is to detect these changes earlier and treat them more effectively.

Alex Lorson

Reaching agreement amidst disagreement
People with opposing views often need to make decisions together. This research examines how perspective-taking, cognitive effort, and the framing of arguments influence collaboration. Through experiments, debates, and online discussions, it develops practical communication strategies that foster constructive decision-making when disagreements arise.

Lucas van der Deijl

Stories Crossing Borders: A Computational History of Early Modern Dutch Theatre in a European Context (1500–1800).
The early modern Dutch Republic shaped its identity not only on its own terms but also through stories from other European cultures. This research demonstrates how imported plays, characters, and narratives influenced Dutch theatre (1500–1800). By employing digital archives and innovative text analysis, it offers a new, transnational perspective on the history of Dutch literature.

Ezra la Roi

Linguistic time travel with translations of the Greek New Testament
How do languages ​​change over time? This research develops a new method to measure structural language change using translations of the Greek New Testament. A unique parallel corpus of Greek translations reveals how Greek has evolved since the sixteenth century and offers new insights into language change worldwide.

To be eligible for a Veni grant, researchers must have obtained their PhD no more than three years ago and demonstrated academic qualities that clearly exceed the average. Furthermore, the research must be scientifically innovative. Together with Vidi and Vici, Veni is part of the NWO Talent Programme. A total of 21 researchers from the University of Groningen (RUG) and the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) received a Veni grant. Nationwide, the NWO awarded Veni funding to 205 researchers.

Click here for information about all Veni grants >>