Five promising UG researchers to top institutes abroad on Rubicon grants

Five promising PhD graduates from the University of Groningen will be able to conduct research at top institutes abroad for two years thanks to the
Rubicon programme
organized by the
Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
and
ZorgOnderzoek Nederland Medische Wetenschappen (ZonMw; Healthcare Research Dutch Medical Sciences)
. The NWO and ZonMw Rubicon programme enables talented, young researchers to acquire international research experience to help kick-start their academic careers.
Read below who the laureates are with a brief description of their research projects, and where they will conduct their research over the next two years.
Judaea and Nabataea: Relations between Jews and Arabs in Antiquity
Dr A. W. Aksu -> University of Groningen -> Belgium -> KU Leuven-> 24 months
Jews and Nabataeans (an early Arab group) lived side by side in the ancient Levant. However, we know little about how these groups related to each other. This project sheds new light on Jewish-Nabatean relations by examining the Nabataean Dead Sea Scrolls from the perspective of their materiality and contents.
Breaking barriers: Improving speech recognition for underrepresented languages and dialects
M. Bartelds, MA -> University of Groningen -> United States -> Stanford University -> 24 months
Recent advances in deep learning improved speech recognition performance for many languages. Unfortunately, the performance is low for underrepresented (minority and regional) languages and dialects. This project investigates the most effective approach to adapt deep learning-based systems to improve speech recognition performance for a broad range of languages and dialects.
Getting a picture of redox-related cell states
Dr A. Sigaeva -> University of Groningen -> Sweden -> KTH Royal Institute of Technology -> 24 months
Like people, no two cells are the same, and they change over time. The researchers will use microscopes to capture the transient cell “moods”: the differences in cell metabolism under stress and during differentiation. This will help scientists to better understand how individual cells respond to normal and excessive stress.
New light on the origin of X-ray variability in Galactic accreting black holes
Y. Zhang -> Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen -> USA -> Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University -> 24 months
Black holes in binary systems in our Galaxy emit X-rays varying on timescales of seconds to years, much faster than the timescale of star and galaxy evolution. Zhang will use NASA’s NICER X-ray mission onboard the International Space Station to study these systems and unveil the origin of this variability.
The Social life of galaxies: Unfolding the Mystery of Galactic Interactions and Transformations in Different Environments
Dr. T. Deb -> University of Groningen -> United States of America -> Harvard University -> 24 months
Galaxies are very social astronomical objects, when migrating into a dense environment, they lose their gas, stop forming stars and sometimes merge together. However, the physics behind these transformations remain a mystery. Using observations from SMA, ALMA and MeerKAT telescopes, Deb will explore the mechanisms behind these enigmatic transformations.
Last modified: | 23 September 2024 09.15 a.m. |
More news
-
07 February 2025
Four FSE start-ups take part in Academic Startup Competition
Four start-up companies founded by FSE scientists have been nominated to participate in the fifth edition of the Academic Start-up Competition.
-
03 February 2025
Flexible solar panels and a tattooed sensor
The black dots and lines on this plastic plate conduct electricity, and are as flexible as the plastic it is on. And that is special, Ranjita Bose, associate professor of Polymer Engineering, explains: ‘It’s a conductive polymer that combines the...
-
30 January 2025
Highlighted papers December 2024 - January 2025
Read our highlighted papers from December/January: new insights into electronics from 2D materials, and into the protein clumps that cause Huntington's disease.