ERC advanced grants for five UvA researchers and Netherlands is again awarded many grants
The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded 23 advanced grants of up to €2.5 million to highly experienced researchers from Dutch knowledge institutions. Five of these go to UvA researchers. More awards to Dutch researchers may follow.
The small country of the Netherlands has been winning many ERC grants for years. Last year, the number of advanced grants awarded was suddenly a bit disappointing and the Netherlands ranked seventh with 14 awards. But in the 2023 round, with 23 of the 255 grants awarded, the Netherlands is back in the top 4. It was only beaten out by Germany (50 grants), the United Kingdom (42 grants), and France (37 grants).
A total of €652 million was distributed in this round. The success rate of applicants was almost 14 percent.
UvA
At the UvA, five scientists were awarded the ERC grant. Among them was University Professor of Humanities and AI Tobias Blanke who will use the research money for his research on the cultural implications of deep learning. Professor of Critical Data Studies Stefania Milan will investigate how facial recognition and digital identity systems have started becoming a part of governance since the corona pandemic.
At Amsterdam UMC, internist-endocrinologist and UvA professor Max Nieuwdorp was awarded a grant for his research on how alcohol production in the intestines is linked to cardiovascular disease. Sociologist Don Weenink will use the money to study how people can suddenly become violent. Finally, Linda Amaral-Zettler, Associate Professor of Marine Microbiology, received the grant through science funder NWO for her research at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) on the effects of plastic waste in oceans.
Provisional
The awards are still provisional because the United Kingdom has not actually participated in the European research program since Brexit. Therefore, the scientists chosen from British universities will only receive the grant if they take it to a research institution in a country that does participate.
Therefore, if they do not transfer to another country, they will not receive the ERC grant. However, they will then receive a similar grant from the UK government, which has continued to recognize selections made by the ERC.
Reserve list
European grant money then becomes available and is transferred to the reserve list of researchers who just missed out. Dutch institutions may also benefit. For now, most grants go to the two universities in Amsterdam, Utrecht University and the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
Each year, the ERC distributes grants to young researchers (starting grants of up to €1.5 million), experienced researchers (consolidator grants of €2 million), and top researchers (advanced grants of €2.5 million).
The grants are similar to the Dutch veni, vidi, vici grants from the Talent Program of research financier NWO, although the European grants are higher.
Advanced grants 2023
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 4
University of Amsterdam 3
Utrecht University 3
Dutch Cancer Institute 3
Radboud University 2
NWO Institutes 2
Royal Netherlands Academy of
Arts and Sciences (KNAW) 1
University of Twente 1
Eindhoven University of Technology 1
University of Maastricht 1
University of Amsterdam AMC 1
University Medical Center Utrecht 1
Total: 23
