Millions worth of grants for five Groningen top researchers

Five prominent academics from the University of Groningen have been awarded EUR 1.5 million each, to be spent on five years of research and the establishment of their own research groups. They have been awarded VICI grants as part of NWO’s Innovational Research Incentives Scheme (‘Vernieuwingsimpuls’).

NWO awards VICI grants on the basis of the researchers’ quality, the innovative nature and academic impact of their research proposal and application of knowledge. The VICI grants are intended for ‘excellent, experienced researchers who have successfully developed a new research line and thus established themselves prominently at both national and international levels’, says NWO. This year there were 216 applicants for a VICI grant. A total of 36 academics have eventually been awarded VICI grants.

VICI laureates in Groningen (in Dutch)

Galactic Archaeology in the Gaia era: Discovery and characterization of fossil records to uncover the history and distribution of mass of the Milky Way

Prof. dr. A (Amina) Helmi (v) Faculty of Science and Engineering (voorheen de Faculteit Wiskunde- en Natuurwetenschappen), Kapteyn Astronomical Institute

Dankzij de recentelijk gelanceerde Europese Gaia-satelliet kunnen we de komende 5 jaar de vormingsgeschiedenis van de Melkweg ontrafelen. Gaia stelt ons in staat de resten van de bouwstenen van ons sterrenstelsel te vinden, zodat we kunnen reconstrueren hoe deze is gevormd en wat in detail de massaverdeling is.

More information.