Vici is one of the largest scientific grants for individuals in the Netherlands and targets advanced researchers. The funding enables academics to pursue research of their own choice. This gives innovative research a boost and encourages the promotion of talent at scientific research institutes. Overall, 43 Vici grants were awarded by NWO.

The recipients at UvA

Nathalie Degenaar (Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy): How the sloppy table manners of black holes and neutron stars shape our universe
Black holes and neutron stars are notorious for their enormous gravity that allows them to devour anything near them. However, these cosmic cannibals are messy eaters and fling gas and energy into space via so-called jets. These carry such enormous power that they play a key role in our universe. For instance, jets determine how galaxies develop, produce ultra-fast particles and enrich the cosmos with exotic elements. How jets are launched and energized remains a mystery. In this project, an innovative technique is applied to astronomical observations of large telescopes to enforce a breakthrough in understanding jets.

Tim van Erven (Korteweg-de Vries Institute for Mathematics): Mathematical foundations for explainable Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) keeps getting better. How it makes its decisions often remains unclear, because these depend on many incomprehensible numbers in the software. In this project researchers will develop new mathematical techniques that can explain AI's internal mechanisms by generating understandable explanations from these numbers. They will achieve this by creating the first mathematical framework for explainable AI and applying advanced methods from mathematical machine learning theory.

Timothy Noël (Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences): Synthetic robots for safer and greener chemistry
Chemistry labs have long relied on manual processes that are time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes hazardous. SynthBot is a groundbreaking robotic platform that will automate key steps in chemical synthesis, from discovering new reactions to optimizing them. By using machine learning and 3D-printed components, SynthBot will make chemical research faster, safer, and more efficient. This innovation has the potential to reduce waste, improve safety, and make advanced chemical techniques more accessible to researchers in academia and industry, ultimately paving the way for new breakthroughs in medicine, materials, and sustainability.

Rachel Spronk (Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research/Antropology): The social life of sexuality: erotic practices, cultural formations, and the unruliness of sexuality
Both opponents of 'gender ideology' and proponents of sexual rights assume that sexuality is based on fixed categories. However, research shows that this is not the case and that a significant minority moves between strictly heterosexual and non-heterosexual identities. This study examines sexual practices and experiences in Ghana, Kenya, the Netherlands, and Poland. It employs ‘theory from the South’ to reflect on the current state of research on sexual identity, rights, and social inequality. The goal is to understand how our current perceptions of sexuality are culturally shaped.

Chun-Xia Yi (Amsterdam UMC/Location AMC): Unravelling microglial obesogenic memory underlying body weight rebound to combat obesity
Weight regain after weight loss poses a major obstacle in obesity treatment. This research explores how microglia in the brains of obese individuals store an 'obesogenic memory', affecting neurons that regulate food intake and body weight, ultimately driving weight regain once treatments are discontinued. The pathways identified in this process will be validated in human brain cells, offering new insights that could pave the way for more effective anti-obesity therapies.

Joost Wiersinga (Amsterdam UMC/Location AMC): Stopping sepsis before it strikes: from treatment to prevention
Every infection can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening organ failure caused by a dysregulated immune system response to invading bacteria and viruses. Mortality is high, and aside from antibiotics and antiviral medication, no specific treatment exists for sepsis. The focus of this project is to gain a better understanding of the transition from uncomplicated infections to sepsis, in order to prevent sepsis. The future approach to treating sepsis can be shifted from treatment to prevention.