How IXA-GO, VU Grants Office contributed to obtaining an NWO Veni-grant
Art historian Kyveli Mavrokordopoulou is convinced that she would never have secured her NWO Veni grant without any support. "This grant is unlike anything I've been accustomed to," she says. "It's a personal grant that offers complete intellectual freedom in my work, which makes it quite extraordinary. I've never received such a substantial postdoctoral grant before."
Mavrokordopoulou still resides and works in Aachen when we talk to her. "I'm originally Greek, I studied in France and Canada, obtained my Ph.D. in Paris in 2021, and now I'm here as a postdoc." Soon, she'll be packing her bags again, this time exchanging Germany for the Netherlands, where she will conduct her Veni research at VU Amsterdam. "It's not entirely new to me," she explains. "I lived there for six months in 2019. That's when I also met Katja Kwastek, the professor of modern and contemporary art who introduced me to IXA-GO, VU Grants Office."
Archives
The research for which Mavrokordopoulou submitted a Veni proposal revolves around the role of uranium in twentieth and twenty-first-century art. "Uranium is the core material in nuclear technology: it's used in reactors but also in nuclear bombs," she explains. "Particularly from the late 1970s, artists began to protest against the ecological consequences of uranium mining necessary for this technology. It started around the time of the 1979 dam failure near the American town of Church Rock, where tons of nuclear waste ended up in the water on the land of the Navajo indigenous people. This disaster is unknown to many, but its effects were immense."
With her research, she aims to shed light on this aspect of uranium extraction. "Artists played a significant role in the anti-nuclear mobilization, using photography and public actions, among other methods. Documentation of this can be found in archives in places where uranium is mined, such as in New Mexico, Australia, and former East Germany. I will be visiting these archives."
Grant advice
Throughout the entire application process for her Veni grant, grant advisor Marco Last from IXA-GO, VU Grants Office provided support. "From the very beginning, he was extremely helpful, and it wouldn't have been possible without him," Mavrokordopoulou says. "Such an application is a lengthy process, and he read along at every step, offering tips. We had many Zoom meetings during that time."
Last primarily assisted her in articulating her research plans in understandable language. "I work on a very specific topic, and when you're immersed in it, it's hard to gauge what others know about it. Marco intervened when I assumed something was self-evident and served as a mediator between the specialized knowledge of the researcher and the points a broad panel of specialists looks for."
Pitch
After submitting her application, when Mavrokordopoulou was invited for an interview, IXA-GO, VU Grants Office assigned her two coaches. "I had to deliver a five-minute online pitch to NWO," she explains. "The coaches helped me prepare. One focused on how to best convey my message, while the other worked on my personal presentation style. In total, I had about four training sessions, some individual, some in a group." When she still encountered questions afterward, she requested an extra session with one of the coaches. "It was invaluable. Giving a presentation in such a tight schedule wouldn't have been possible without their help."
If you want support with your Veni grant proposal please contact IXA-GO, VU Grants Office via: subsidiedesk@vu.nl
This interview has been made possible with the support of:
Text: Erica Renckens (Tatataal)
Image: Sander van Iersel (Jester and Wylde)