The team

My name is Frans Nelissen, and I am the Director of Research at the Faculty.

 I would like to introduce the team at the Research Office so you can understand what we do and how we can support researchers. We focus on all aspects of research, including securing research funding, enhancing the visibility of research, internationalization, as well as addressing ethical issues and data management.

My name is Alma Erenstein, Faculty Funding Officer. External funding is an important source of funding for academic research. My main goal is to create the right framework conditions for acquiring external funding. I help researchers navigate the constantly changing maze of national and European funding, in particular grants and fellowships from NWO, the European Commission and the ERC. A good example is the NWO Open Competition project of Marc Hertogh.

Awards and memberships are an important form of recognition and help to obtain a personal grant. Together with Frans Nelissen, I advise the faculty board on nominations and coordinate the process.

Acquiring funding is all well and good, but then the real work starts!
Since 2021, the Research Office offers project management support for consortium projects. I manage the team of two dedicated project managers and a project assistant who provide support for these projects.

My name is Christine Penninga, and I am the Faculty Policy Officer for Research and Secretary of the Scientific Research and Ethics Committee (CWB) and the Research Ethics Review Committee (CETOR).

As a policy officer, I translate national and university-wide policies into a tailored version for our Faculty, ensuring that the research of our staff is well presented. In addition, I draft policy memoranda and advisory documents on research-related issues for the Faculty.

In my role as CWB Secretary, I coordinate the review of PhD research proposals and advise on research proposals for grant applications. As secretary to CETOR, I oversee the process of ethical review of applications and co-assess aspects of data management and GDPR compliance.

As project manager and project assistant, we support our researchers in starting, leading and participating in externally funded consortium projects, especially Horizon Europe projects.

Pre-award
In the pre-award phase, among other things, we provide support for grant applications - from project initiation to submission. For example, we help in finding suitable partners, setting up the complete application, keeping track of the planning and coordinating efforts between project control, legal and the researcher. So if you have an idea for a project or want to participate in one, let us know in good time, because the sooner you apply, the better we can ensure appropriate support.

Post-award
In the post-award phase, we manage the implementation and delivery of projects so that they can be realised within the grant conditions. With a helicopter view, we monitor project planning and execution and help to improve processes. For example, we handle administrative questions, liaise with partners and grant makers, monitor project progress and provide reporting.

Our aim is to unburden our researchers as much as possible so that they can devote their time to their research.

My name is Nynke Kleinenberg-Scheurer, and I am the Management Information Officer for Research and an Editor.

I am involved in quality assurance for research, including scientific reporting and providing various types of data related to research inputs and results.

Additionally, I serve as the coordinator for the Netherlands Institute for Law and Governance (NILG), a collaboration with three other Dutch Law Faculties, and the Legal Research Network (LRN), a partnership with ten other European Law Faculties. For both networks, an annual conference is organized, where researchers from our Faculty are invited to present their work.

Researchers can also reach out to me for support from the Fund Promotion Internationalization (FPI) for participating in conferences abroad, for assistance with the research information system Pure, for applications for visiting fellowships, and for general research-related inquiries.

As project manager and project assistant, we support our researchers in starting, leading and participating in externally funded consortium projects, especially Horizon Europe projects.

Pre-award
In the pre-award phase, among other things, we provide support for grant applications - from project initiation to submission. For example, we help in finding suitable partners, setting up the complete application, keeping track of the planning and coordinating efforts between project control, legal and the researcher. So if you have an idea for a project or want to participate in one, let us know in good time, because the sooner you apply, the better we can ensure appropriate support.

Post-award
In the post-award phase, we manage the implementation and delivery of projects so that they can be realised within the grant conditions. With a helicopter view, we monitor project planning and execution and help to improve processes. For example, we handle administrative questions, liaise with partners and grant makers, monitor project progress and provide reporting.

Our aim is to unburden our researchers as much as possible so that they can devote their time to their research.