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Prizes and grants

An overview of the acchieved prizes and grants in the past years.

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  • 2025

    Grants and Awards

    News

    Highlighted Papers

  • 2024

    Grants and Awards

    • NWO grant for development of innovative technologies Einstein Telescope. Listening to collisions of black holes from across the universe is possible through the Einstein Telescope. With the NWO ENW-XL Open Competition grant, VU Amsterdam scientists Andreas Freise and Conor Mow-Lowry are developing technologies essential to enable the telescope's sensitivity.
    • NWO finances groundbreaking fundamental research projects. 21 research consortia, three of whom are from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, receive funding from the ENW-XL Open Competition to reach a breakthrough. Physicist Iddo Heller, neurobiologist Mark Verheijen and Andreas Freise, together with Conor Mow-Lowry are closely involved in the research.
    • €1.375M Award for Einstein Telescope Led by Conor Mow-Lowry. The six partners of the Sensor Engineering for Noise and Vibration Isolation and Damping in the Einstein Telescope (SENVIDET) consortium has been awarded a grant to develop advanced vibration damping technologies critical for the operations of the Einstein Telescope.
    • Baraa Alsaadi Won Best Presentation Award for AI-Enhanced Fracture Detection. Bachelor student of Medical Natural Sciences Baraa Alsaadi, who is doing an internship at the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at Meander Medical Center, won the award for the best presentation on her research into the added value of GLEAMER.
    • ERC Consolidator Grant for Dierck Hillmann. The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded physicist Dierck Hillmann from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam a Consolidator Grant for his project "FunMicroRetina." Hillmann aims to enhance the resolution of images of the retina.
    • Bringing ChiPS (Compact High-Performance Sensors) to ASML and Einstein Telescope. VU physicists Joris van Heijningen and Conor Mow-Lowry receive subsidy of about 2 M€ with a collaboration between Nikhef and TU Delft and industry partners ASML, Demcon, Settels Savenije Group of Companies, IBS Precision Engineering, and IDE.
    • All-optical Approach for Studying Human Neuronal Signal Processing (ELEANOR). In the NWO-ENW Open Competition M2 call, Assoc. Prof. Imran Avci from the Biophotonics and Medical Imaging Group at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, has been awarded an €800,000 Open Competition M2 grant for the "ELEANOR" project.
    • Imran Avci receives Nationaal Groeifonds Grant for Cancer Research. Associate Professor Imran Avci of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Biophotonics and Medical Imaging Group, receives €200,000 in funding from the Nationaal Groeifonds through the Biotech Booster Programme.
    • FNS grant for Juan Rojo to study the feeblest particles in the universe. The Swiss National Research Council (FNS) has awarded a CHF1.250M grant to a team composed by Prof. Dr. Anna Sfyrla (Univesite de Geneve) and Prof. Dr. Juan Rojo (VU Amsterdam & Nikhef) to fingerprint neutrinos and feebly interacting particles with the FASER experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
    • EU grant awarded to Roberta Croce as member of Solar Fuels Production Consortium. Biophysicist Prof. Dr. Roberta Croce from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is a member of a European consortium aimed at converting solar energy and CO2 into butanol, an efficient and sustainable biofuel.
    • Demonstrator funding for Imran Avci . Associate professor Imran Avci of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Biophotonics and Medical Imaging Group - receives funding for the project SOHO: A new approach for photonic microchip measurements with ultrahigh precision, speed, and sensitivity.
    • Development of vibration-free cooling technology Einstein Telescope . VU physicist Joris van Heijningen is part of the Consortium ICVI that receives a NGFT ET subsidy for the development of vibration-free cooling technology Einstein Telescope. 
    • NWO Take-off Phase2 Grant for the Startup Company of Dr. Imran Avci. The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded a Take-off Spring Round 2024, Phase 2: Early phase trajectories, grant to Rapid Photonics, which was co-founded by Associate Professor Imran Avci from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at VU Amsterdam. The grant totals €250,000.
    • Peter Kraus takes next step towards application with ERC Proof of Concept grant. The research group of Peter Kraus receives an ERC Proof of Concept grant amounting 150 k€ to bring the innovation of Kraus’ ERC Starting grant on correlated materials closer to the application stage. The new project is called ‘Super-resolution microscopy for semiconductor metrology’ (MICROSEM).
    • Research begins to make plastics circular. Ten research proposals, including one by scientists Sven Askes and Charusheela Ramanan from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, have been awarded funding under the call "Making Plastics Circular: Technical Innovations." These research projects will commence within the National Growth Fund Program Circular Plastics NL of NWO.
    • NWO Summit Grant for the evolution of living cells from lifeless molecules. A large consortium involving Gijs Wuite as a Task leader, Professor in Physics of Living Systems from the department of Physics and Astronomy at the Vrije Universiteit has been awarded a NWO Summit Grant to work on the EVOLF programme. This program aims to bridge the knowledge gap between non-living and living matter by proposing to assemble a living synthetic cell from lifeless molecules. The ten-year funding from the Summit Grant will enable research groups to start the programme and play a prominent international role, thereby strengthening the long-term position of Dutch science. 
    • Outstanding results for Physics and Astronomy in 2024. The Physics and Astronomy department is thrilled to share the exceptional results of the 2024 Nationale Studenten Enquête (NSE; National Student Survey) for the Bachelor in Physics and Astronomy.
    • Annual LaserLaB Best Paper Award 2024. The winner of the Best Paper Award competition for young scientists was announced. This year's prize goes to Frank Cozijn from the Physics of Light group for article Lamb Dip of a Quadrupole Transition in H2 at Physical Review Letters vol 131, 073001, doi: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.073001
    • Dr. Sven Askes, in collaboration with UT colleagues from civil engineering, has received a UT-VU grant of 40k€! This funding will support the innovative project aimed at enhancing landmine detection in conflict areas using thermal imaging with drones.
    • The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions - Staff Exchanges (SE) European Award A consortium of researchers, including VU Amsterdam and Nikhef, has been awarded a MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE Staff Exchange action for the High-Energy Intelligence (HeI) project. This project aims to achieve breakthroughs in Quantum Field Theory, Quantum Chromodynamics, String Theory, and Quantum Gravity through advanced AI and ML algorithms. Juan Rojo from the Amsterdam node will lead efforts to develop AI strategies to scrutinize proton structure, leveraging recent advancements in AI and ML. The EUR 700,000 funding will support these research activities over the next four years. This grant will foster collaboration across multiple European institutes, bridging fundamental physics and artificial intelligence.
    • ERC Advanced Grant for Johannes de Boer. Physicist Johannes F. de Boer, professor of Biophotonics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been awarded an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). In this five-year research program 'Immuno-OCT', he will develop a new optical endoscopic imaging technique to detect cancer in the human body with a resolution 10 to 100 times higher than currently possible. The major challenge is to develop very small motorized catheters that can penetrate deep into the body to determine both the structure and the molecular composition of tissue with light.
    • ERC Advanced Grant for Roberta Croce. Photosynthesis is necessary to sustain life on earth, but it is very inefficient. Biophysicist Roberta Croce receives an ERC (European Research Council) Advanced Grant for her research into improving photosynthesis. Currently, less than one percent of accessible solar energy is turned into biomass in crops, and plants only utilize visible light, discarding more than half of the sunlight that reaches us. This is particularly limiting for crops. Limits of photosynthesis . When plants grow close together, the lower leaves receive almost exclusively far-red light, which has been thought to be unusable for oxygenic photosynthesis. Recent discoveries, however, show that certain cyanobacteria, the ancestors of plant chloroplasts where photosynthesis takes place, can grow under far-red light. This insight challenges previous beliefs about the limits of photosynthesis.
    • New investment in VU spin-off Rapid Photonics for even faster internet. Rapid Photonics B.V. is a spin-off of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Through the new convertible loan of €300,000, the company will be getting their technology market-ready to produce integrated photonic chips with lithium niobate, a next-generation material for integrated photonic chips.
    • Prestigious NWO grant for research to understand the sense of touch in plants. You probably don't realize it when you walk on the grass: the blades of grass not only feel the pressure of your feet, but adapt their growth accordingly. But how do plants register forces, without a brain and central nervous system? The Green TE (Green Tissue Engineering) consortium will investigate how this works over the next 10 years. The group has been awarded a Gravitation subsidy of 22.8 million euros for this purpose. Prof. dr. ir. Gijs Wuite from the Physics of Living Systems group is one of the main co-applicants in this interdisciplinary consortium which is led by Prof. Dolf Weijers and Prof. Joris Sprakel of the Laboratory of Biochemistry of Wageningen University & Research.
    • NWO Open Competition Science-M grant for dr. Matz Liebel. The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded an ENW-M grant to dr. Matz Liebel of the Biophotonics & Medical Imaging Group for his project Table to Farm: turnkey SERS for real-life applications. Analytical techniques play a crucial role in our daily lives, aiding medical diagnostics, ensuring clean food, water, and safe travel. The design of analytical platforms involves balancing specificity, precision, sensitivity, speed, and cost. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) assays have the potential for sophisticated, low-cost analysis, but current read-out platforms are slow, complex and very expensive, limiting their widespread use. FASTSERS offers a solution: an affordable, easy-to-use widefield SERS reader that maximizes SERS capabilities. Additionally, user-friendly SERS-sensing and barcoding assays will be developed, expanding the analytical potential of SERS beyond academic applications.
    • NWO Open Technology Program Grant for DoPredict. The research project DoPredict: Dynamic 3D Biopsy Based Response to Treatment Prediction, led by Professor of Biophotonics and Medical Imaging Marloes Groot, has been awarded funding by the Open Technology Program from the NWO domain of Applied and Technical Sciences.  With the DOPREDICT project, the research team, consisting of Marloes Groot from VU LaserLab, Jan Willem Duitman (Respiratory Medicine, Amsterdam UMC), and Francesco Ciompi (Pathology, Radboud UMC), will develop a system to predict the outcome of lung treatment relatively quickly and simply by testing a combination of potentially applicable drugs on a small piece of the patient's tissue (biopsy).
    • Dr. Anouk Post received NWO Faculty of Impact Award for Life Sciences & Health. From radiotherapy against prostate cancer to detecting biomarkers in sweat, and from new drugs against Alzheimer's disease to a camera the size of a pill, the new Faculty of Impact fellows want to bring these and more ground-breaking innovations to the market. With the Faculty of Impact the selected researchers with entrepreneurial ambitions will receive two years of intensive and personal guidance from experts in entrepreneurship, intellectual property and investment. They keep (or get) an appointment at their university for that period, but are exempted from administrative and teaching obligations. This gives them time and space to take their innovation into the world.
    • NWO Perspectief funding for flat optics VU Amsterdam assistant professor Lyuba Amitonova, amongst others ARCNL group leader, is one of the participating researchers. With the Perspectief program, NWO challenges researchers to establish broad, cross-disciplinary consortia with industry, civil society organizations and governments to conduct research focused on societal challenges and key technologies.
    • Prestigious Quantum Delta NL Award for our researchers . Dr. Maximilian Beyer and Dr. Laura Dreissen receive Quantum Delta NL award. Quantum Delta NL, in collaboration with NWO, announces that 19 Honorees have been awarded €10.4 Million in grants as part of the second call of the National programme’s Actionline 1 ‘Research & Innovation’. Quantum innovations in the categories of quantum sensing applications, quantum computing, and quantum networking were recognized. 

    News

    Highlighted Papers

  • 2023
    • Arie den Boef appointed as Fellow of the Netherlands Academy of Engineering At last week’s ASML Technology conference, ARCNL group leader and VU professor Arie den Boef has been awarded with the title of ASML Corporate Fellow. Only one other person currently working for ASML holds this title, which shows the great appreciation of his work for the company ASML.
    • ERC Starting Grant Award for physicist Sven Askes The researcher receives the grant for the HEATPULSE project. With his research, Askes aims to challenge the traditional approach for the use of catalytic reactors in the chemical industry. These reactors are typically used to produce essential building blocks for our society, such as raw materials for plastics and fertilisers.
    • Honorable mention Loreta Angela Muscarella for Christiaan Huygens Science Award Loreta Angela Muscarella has awarded 'honorable mention’ for the Prestigious Christiaan Huygens Science Award, an annual honor presented by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) to recognize exceptional achievements in the world of science. Muscarella has been selected as one of the three nominees for the prize, whereas the first prize has been awarded to Dr. Nico Hendrickx.
    • Gold Medal award for Roberta Croce Roberta Croce has been honored with the Gold Medal award for Excellence in Photobiology. The award is presented during the biennial congress of the European Society of Photobiology to eminent scientists recognized globally for their exceptional contributions to the field of Photobiology and to the ESP activities. 
    • ERC Starting Grant for Maximilian Beyer Physicist Maximilian Beyer receives a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for his research into laser cooling of molecular helium. Beyers research is focused on precision measurements of the simplest molecules in our universe - molecular hydrogen (H₂) and its ion (H₂⁺) – to test quantum electrodynamics.
    • John Sheil develops lithography light source simulation capability with Veni ARCNL group leader and VU physicist John Sheil receives a Veni grant from NWO for his project “ARIES”. Sheil will develop a unique laser-plasma simulation capability to guide the design of tomorrow’s more powerful and more sustainable EUV sources for nanolithography.
    • Laura Dreissen develops quantum sensor for dark matter with Veni grant What is the origin and composition of dark matter? Although 85% of all the matter in our universe consists of dark matter, we still know very little about it. Physicist Laura Dreissen therefore plans to use her Veni grant to search for signs of this mysterious and remarkable phenomenon.
    • NWO funding for Andrea Baldi to study valuable metal nanoparticles features For his research proposal titled: Selective CO2 photoreduction on plasmonic nanoparticles, VU Amsterdam physicist Dr Andrea Baldi, is awarded a NWO Open Competition Domain Science grant. The funding will be used to study how metal nanoparticles under illumination can drive CO2 towards specific desired products.
    • Max Beyer joins as new member Die Junge Akademie and receives Ewald Wicke Price Every year Die Junge Akademie, academy for excellent young academics, welcomes new members. This year, VU physicist Max Beyer will join as a new member, a great achievement! For five years, the members collaborate on interdisciplinary projects and express their vision of shaping the scientific and academic system, in addition to continuing their research.
    • Peter Kraus receives Vidi and NWO Open Competition funding Peter Kraus, VU physicist and ARCNL group leader Peter Kraus has received the Vidi grant for his ARCNL research HIMALAYA, which focuses on super-resolution for ''dancing electrons.'' The funding will allow Kraus to conduct this research at ARCNL. The researcher also received funding from the NWO Open Competition for a project called "Ultrafast X-ray access to strongly correlated designer materials" (UltraX).
    • Million grant for early detection and treatment of lung cancer by Marloes Groot Can you simply take a biopsy from a lung tumour via the trachea, and then treat that tumour locally in the same procedure? According to the IMAGIO research team, including VU professor of Biophotonics & Medical Imaging Marloes Groot, this is getting closer. Additional and new technology is being developed that allows a doctor to find lung cancer earlier, results in better identifying and treat the cancer more vigorously.
    • Andreas Freise receives NWO grant for improvements Virgo detector VU physicist Andreas Freise has received funding from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) Scientific Research Infrastructure programme to further improvements to the Advanced Virgo detector for gravitational waves in Pisa. Freise leads the Virgo innovation project at Nikhef. NWO has awarded 2.7 million euros to the project.
    • Peter Kraus receives NWO grant for visualising structures in computer chips VU physicist and ARCNL group leader Peter Kraus has received funding from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) Open Technology Programme for the project 'Integrated nanophotonic and extreme-ultraviolet access to semiconductor metrology' (NANOXUV). NWO has awarded 1 million euros to the NANOXUV project.
    • Volha Chukhutsina receives L’Oréal Unesco For Women in Science fellowship Biophysicist Volha Chukhutsina has received a research grant of 30,000 euros. On April 18, the L'Oréal Unesco For Women in Science Fellowships and Rising Talent Awards were presented for the 11th time in the field of Life Sciences and STEM disciplines. VU biophysicist Volha Chukhutsina received one of the research grants. This gives her the opportunity to spend a few months working on her research at the prestigious Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS-KNAW) in Amsterdam.
    • ERC Consolidator Grant voor Oscar Versolato Physicist Oscar Versolato has received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) of two million euro. The grant allows him to investigate the ideas put forward in the research proposal ‘Next-Generation Light Source: Driving plasmas to power tomorrow’s nanolithography (MOORELIGHT)’. Versolato is a group leader at ARCNL and associate professor of physics at VU Amsterdam.

  • 2022

    ERC Starting Grant for Photonics researcher Matz Liebel
    Photonics researcher Matz Liebel has received a Starting Grant of 1.9 million euros from the European Research Council (ERC).               

    A navigation system with 10 centimeter accuracy
    Researchers have developed an alternative positioning system that is more robust and accurate than GPS, especially in urban settings.

    Andreas Freise appointed as project director Einstein Telescope
    Professor Andreas Freise (VU/ Nikhef) has been appointed as project director for the international Einstein Telescope (ET) organization.   

    Physicists make optical hydrogen sensor with record sensitivity Photo Conversion Materials
    A group of researchers, led by VU physicist Andrea Baldi, successfully developed a new, highly sensitive optical hydrogen sensor. 

    NWO grant award to Dr. David Dulin
    Dr. David Dulin from the research group Physics of Living Systems received a NWO grant in the Open Competition Domain Science-M programme.

    Juan Rojo new Professor of Theoretical Physics Astro Particle Physics  
    As of 1 September, physicist Juan Rojo has been appointed Professor of Theoretical Physics. His chair is embedded in the Physics and Astronomy department.     

    New Nature paper proves: the proton has some intrinsic charm Astro Particle Physics          
    Researchers have found the first evidence that not only up- and down quarks exist inside the proton, but also medium-heavy charm quarks.  

    NWO Open Competition Science-XL grants for VU physicists awarded up to 3 million euros per project   
    Two research consortia led by VU physicists David Dulin and Jeroen Koelemeij have been awarded a Open Competition Domain Science-XL grant.  

    New method: studying living cells with sound
    Scientists at Gijs Wuite and Erwin Peterman’s lab developed a method to move living cells with sound and learn a lot about them in the process.                                      

    NWO grant for research on deuteron-bearing molecules, 0,7 M
    The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded a grant to Max Beyer and Jeroen Koelemeij of the Quantum Metrology and Laser Applications (QMLA) group.

    EUV light manipulation to unleash unprecedented capabilities
    A research team led by VU physicist Peter Kraus is the first one to demonstrate control over extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light pulses using nanostructures.

    David Dulin awarded with NIH grant 0,945 M each project
    NIH – National Institutes of Health - announced the nine centers that will be funded by the Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) program.

    Roberta Croce and Catarina Dutilh Novaes elected member of KNAW 
    The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has elected 22 new members, including two of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

    DNA protected during cell division thanks to elastic chromosomes
    A research team led by VU physicists has developed a new method of studying human chromosomes – and thus DNA – with optical tweezers.

    Dutch government embraces plans for Einstein Telescope in Limburg
    The Dutch government intends to conditionally allocate 42 million euros from the Dutch National Growth Fund to the Einstein Telescope.        

    Studying Alzheimer's disease more directly with laser microscopy 
    Scientists conducted research using laser-microscopic methods into the composition of so-called 'plaques' in the brains of deceased Alzheimer's patients.

    NWO funding for a variable-wavelength laser, 0,775 M
    ARCNL and VU group leaders Oscar Versolato, Stefan Witte and Wim Ubachs have received NWO funding.

    Physicist Stefan Witte awarded Vici grant
    Stefan Witte, a physicist at VU Amsterdam and ARCNL, has been awarded a Vici grant worth 1.5 million euros.

    Marlous Blankesteijn receives BETA Innovation Prize 2021
    Marlous Blankesteijn BETA Innovation Prize and European Grant 125 K€ for Science education in field of entrepreneurship within VU and the UT collaboration.

    Contradictory role of light in photosynthesis unravelled
    Researchers at VU Amsterdam discovered, at molecular level, why cells are damaged by exposure to sunlight. 

    ERC Starting Grant for Peter Kraus
    Peter Kraus has received a ERC Starting Grant of 2 million euro, which includes an exceptional investment funding of 500.000 euro.

  • 2020

    ERC Advanced Grant
    Gijs Wuite
    Mechanically mapped chromosomes (€ 2,5 million)

    ERC Proof of Concept Grant
    Wim Ubachs and Edcel Salumbides
    BREATHSENS: Breath analysis sensor for disease detection in the dairy industry (€ 150.000)

    NWO - GROOT
    Roberta Croce and John Kennis
    Nanoscale regulators of photosynthesis
    Plants depend on sunlight for their energy supply. With the use of an ingenious antenna system they use this light very efficiently but in bright sunlight the chances to induce photodamage increase substantially. Fortunately, plants can cope with these dangers with the use of a special protein called PsbS. However, it is completely unknown how this protein does its job. A broad consortium of plant biologists, chemists and physicists team up to investigate with advanced experimental and theoretical methods how PsbS can recognize the danger and set in motion a cascade of processes that lead to efficient photoprotection. (€ 2,8 million) 


    EU-Creative Europe program
    Raoul Frese
    (€ 2,8 million - A consortium of European art and science organisations)

    NWO-Veni
    Maximilian Beyer
    Weakly bound molecular ions to probe fundamental physics
    Laser light and electric fields are used to generate a molecular ion and to keep it fixed in space. The ion can be visualized as two spheres connected by a spring. A measurement of the vibrations of the spring is used to learn whether fundamental physical constants change over time. (€ 250.000)

  • 2019

    ERC Consolidatior Grant
    Stefan Witte
    (€ 2,0 million)

    NWO High Tech Systems and Materials (HTSM) Grant
    Stefan Witte

    Joint initiative of NWO Social Sciences and Humanities and the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA
    Raoul Frese
    (€ 420.000) 

    NWA-program (Nationale Wetenschapsagenda) Ideeëngenerator
    Raoul Frese
    (€ 50.000)

    Bio Art & Design Award 2019 (BAD Award)
    Raoul Frese
    (€ 25.000) 

    NWO-Demonstrator Grant
    Imran Avci and Davide Iannuzzi

    NWO Minerva Prize
    Fedrica Burla
    (€ 5.000) 

    Amsterdam Impact Award
    Erwin Peterman and Gijs Wuite 

    NWO Perspectief program ‘Licht voor beter zicht op ziekten’
    Johannes de Boer
    (€ 5,4 million)

  • 2018

    NWO Valorisatieprijs 2018
    Davide Iannuzzi
    (€ 250.000)

    ERC Advanced Grant
    Erwin Peterman
    (€ 2.500.000)

    European Commission, HORIZON 2020 program, Marie Curie Innovative Training Network – European Joint Doctorate

    Rene Williams: POLYTHEA: Design and photo-optimization of Photosensitizer for Human Health and Food security applications or “how light can save lives”
    k€ 2500 (UvA: k€ 255, 2 Joint PhD; 1 defense at UvA, 1 in Dublin)

    STW Perspectief project LINX
    Stefan Witte: Lensless soft-X-ray metrology with high-harmonic sources
    (€ 600.000)

    NWO TOP grant
    Roberta Croce: Engineering light-harvesting complexes for a better coverage of the solar spectrum.
    (€ 780.000)

    NWO ECHO grant
    Fred Brouwer and Daniel Bonn
    In touch with fluorescent probe molecules: microscopic visualization of contacts and friction
    The dynamics of the physical world are mostly determined by the forces between objects at their points of contact. In the granted project, such touching points are visualized at the nanoscale with the help of fluorescent molecules. With this technique the researchers aim to test the physical theory of friction.

    Physics2Market grant, IXA
    Wybren Jan Buma: Plant Molecular Heaters - proof of concept.
    (2018, 27.5 kEuro) 

    European 'Future and Emerging Technologies' program funding
    Wybren Jan Buma: Boostcrop.
    (2018, 4940 kEuro, 845 kEuro UvA)

    HTSM-PROJECT
    Ton van Leeuwen: AN INTEGRATED OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL IMAGING AT 1300NM 

    CVON EURLY DIAGNOSIS PROJECT CINTICS
    Ton van Leeuwen: CIRCULATING NANO TRACES TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF STROKE

    TKI PROJECT
    Ton van Leeuwen: LIGHT-BASED NON-INVASIVE MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD HEMATOCRIT

    TKI PROJECT M-Cath
    Ton van Leeuwen: MEMS-CATHETER BASED 3D OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY OF BLADDER LESIONS

    VU Amsterdam Start Contribution
    Imran Avci
    (€ 30.000)

    Marie Curie Individual Fellowship
    Wojciech Nawrocki: The Fate of Excitation in Photoinhibited Chloroplasts

    VENI

    Hacking Photosynthesis: a biosensor for environmental pollutants
    Dr. V.M. (Vincent) Friebe (m), VU, Biophysics
    In order to sustain our increasing food demand, novel herbicides are constantly being developed in order to improve crop yields. This research seeks to create an accessible biosensor which is specific and sensitive to herbicides residues found in our ecosystem, drinking water and food.

    The molecular strategy of plants against sunburn
    Dr. N. (Nicoletta) Liguori (f), VU - Physics and Astronomy
    By discarding the excess absorbed energy (photoprotection), plants avoid photodamage. Protein conformational switches trigger photoprotection. How these switches are regulated is poorly understood. The researcher will develop a novel ultrafast spectroscopy method and combine it with state-of-the-art molecular dynamics to determine it.

    Best student presentation award Mengqi Du bij de OSA Computational Sensing and Imaging conference (25-28 juni 2018, Orlando, US)

    Best student presentation award Anne de Beurs bij de European Optical Society Biannual Meeting (8-12 oktober, Delft, NL)

    Best poster award Mengqi Du bij de jaarlijkse NNV meeting voor Atoom-, Molecuul-, en Optische fysica (25-26 september, Lunteren, NL)

    Best poster award Antonio Carlos Costa from the 13th annual Physics of Living Matter symposium, Marseille. 

    Best student poster award for Laura Dreissen at the Precision Physics of Simple Atomic Systems (PSAS) conference 2018 Vienna, Austria

    Best BioPM Thesis Award 2018 Yusaku Hontani.

  • 2017

    NWO Zwaartekrachtprogramma
    BaSyC (Building a Synthetic Cell) is een gezamenlijk project van TU Delft, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, VU Amsterdam, Wageningen University & Research, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen en AMOLF.
    (€19.000.000) 

    NWO Natuurkunde Projectruimte 3,5 M€

    Juan Rojo: Nuclear Parton Distributions from LHC Data
    Building upon extensive expertise in the determination of proton structure, this project uses machine learning methods to achieve a state-of-the-art determination of nuclear parton distribution functions from proton-lead collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The goal is to gain more insight into cold nuclear matter and provide essential input for the heavy ion program of the LHC.

    Wim Vassen: Probing new physics with ultracold helium atoms
    With atom interferometry, with Helium atoms cooled to Bose-Einstein condensation, this project aims to test the theory of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) at its limits in search for physics beyond the Standard Model. The experiments should yield a fivefold accuracy improvement of the dimensionless fine structure constant α, which is important or testing the Standard Model.

    Erwin Peterman and Gijs Wuite: Pump up the volume: unravelling intrinsically disordered regions of the protein BRCA2 with Acoustic Force Spectroscopy 
    The VU physicists, together with Claire Wyman (Erasmus Medical Centre), combine in this project state-of-the-art expertise in protein chemistry at Erasmus MC with Acoustic Force Spectroscopy developed at the VU, to unravel how (un)folding and conformational changes in the protein product of breast cancer gene BRCA2 affect its interaction with other proteins.

    NWO domain Applied and Engineering Sciences
    Marloes Groot: InstantPathology
    (€600.000)

    Vidi
    Physics in the freezer
    Dr ir. I. (Iddo) Heller (m) 2-10-1979, VU – Physics of Living Systems
    Many lifeforms can survive freezing conditions with the help of antifreeze proteins. The researchers will image individual antifreeze proteins in action to discover how they control ice growth. New insights can benefit applications like crop protection and cryopreservation.
    (€ 800.000)

    Veni

    Super quality pictures through a tiny endoscope
    Dr. L.V. (Liubov) Amitonova (f), VU - Biophotonics & Medical Imaging
    Optical microscopy is a basic tool for biological research, but light scattering restricts imaging deep inside living organisms. Researchers will use advanced technology of light control in combination with unique fiber probes to create new optical methods for deep-tissue imaging with an unparalleled quality. 

    Heating and cooling at the nanoscale
    Dr. S.C. (Simon) Boehme (m), VU – Department of Physics and Astronomy
    Tiny chunks of semiconductor material (semiconductor “nanocrystals”) may enable cheaper and more efficient devices. To enable commercialization of e.g. nanocrystal solar cells, LEDs, or thermoelectric devices, the applicant will study thermal processes at the nanoscale via laser spectroscopy. Thereby he contributes to the development of urgently needed thermal management strategies.

  • 2016

    Technologiestichting STW
    Dr. Stefan Witte
    (€700.000, December 2015 / January 2016)

    NWO TOP Grant
    Prof. dr. Erwin Peterman and Prof. dr. Gijs Wuite
    (€ 780,000, 7 January 2016)

    Cottonwood Euro Technology Fund
    Dr. Jeroen Koelemeij
    (VU spin-off company OPNT BV)
    (€ 500,000, 17 Feburary 2016)

    EU Innovative training network grant
    Prof. dr. Roberta Croce, Dr. Jan Dekker and Dr. Ivo van Stokkum
    (12 April 2016)

  • 2015

    ERC Advanced grant
    Prof. dr. Wim Ubachs
    (2.5 million euro, 20 April 2015)

    ERC Proof-of-Concept grant
    Prof. dr. Gijs Wuite
    (150.000 euro, 6 February 2015)

    EU-Grant: H2020 project ‘ASTERICS’
    Dr. Jeroen Koelemeij
    (900.000 euro, 7 May 2015)

    Netherlands Space Office
    Dr. Freek Ariese
    (260.000 euro, 28 June 2015)

    FOM-projectruimte
    Dr. Wouter Roos
    (400.000 euro, 25 March 2015)

    STW 'Open Technologieprogramma'
    Dr. Jeroen Koelemeij
    A joint project with TU Delft, in which we will demonstrate real-life 'SuperGPS' positioning on a Dutch highway, with support from TNO, KPN, VSL, Fugro and OPNT.
    (1.400.000 euro, February 2015) 

    Horizon2020
    Dr. Jeroen Koelemeij
    Work package in a 15 M€ Horizon2020 project, in which we collaborate with astronomers and Surfnet to provide timing via optical fiber for VLBI and LOFAR. Same technology, different application. 
    (800.000 euro, February 2015)

    STW onderzoeksprogramma Research Through Design
    Dr. Raoul Frese
    Biosolarcells to Mars. 
    (235.000 euro, 19 November) 

    KNAW
    Prof. dr. Wim Ubachs
    Collaboration with China, Wuhan.
    (24.690 euro, 7 December) 

     

  • 2014

    STW Valorisation Grant
    Dr. Jeroen Koelemeij
    (15.000 euro) (May 2014)

    ERC Starting grant
    Dr. Stefan Witte    : High-resolution imaging without lenses: a new generation of imaging technology
    (1.500.000 euro) (November 2014)

    STW Perspectief
    Prof.dr. Ton van Leeuwen and Dr. Wouter Roos
    (5.700.000 of which AMC 1.000.000 euro and VU 700.000 euro) (November 2014)

    STW
    Prof. Johannes de Boer, Femke Bouwman, Arjen Brussaard, Matthijs de Groot, Stevie Tan, Frank Verbraak    : Alzheimers detection in the eye 
    750.000 (December 2014)

    Vrije FOM programma
    Dr. Greg Stephens and Prof.dr. Erwin Peterman    : The signal is the noise: seeking physical origins of fluctuation in organism-scale behavior
    (2.400.000 euro) (November 2014)

    FOM projectruimte
    Dr. Stefan Witte:     Beyond optical microscopy: phase-contrast imaging of cells with a table-top soft-X-ray microscope
    (400.000 euro) (January 2014)

    FOM valorisation grant
    Prof. Kjeld Eikema and Dr. Stefan Witte:     Compact lensless microscopes for quantitative phase contrast imaging
    (50.000 euro) (Februari 2014)

    ISAO grant
    Prof. dr. Johannes de Boer    : In vivo optical detection of Amyloid Beta plaques in the human retina
    (bedrag?) (November 2014)

    Three proposals of chemistry researchers from the Amsterdam Universities were selected for the final matching phase of the ‘Computational Sciences for Energy Research' public-private partnership, a multi-million euro research initiative of Shell, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research NWO and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM).
    Solar Energy Conversion – Breaking the 700 nm Absorption Barrier
    Koop Lammertsma, Wybren Jan Buma, Matthias Bickelhaupt
    (272 kEuro)

    NWO-NCI Programme (Fonds Nieuwe Chemische Innovaties)
    Molecular Photonics (Wybren Jan Buma, UvA), Theoretical Chemistry (Luuk Visscher, VU), Scientific Computing & Modelling N.V. (Nederland) and BioTools, Inc.(Verenigde Staten):    Development of a Vibrational Optical Activity analysis toolbox from chiroptical spectra to molecular stereochemistry and conformation
    (1147 kEuro)

    VENI
    Dr. ir. F. (Frank) A.W. Coumans (m), UvA/AMC - Biomedical Engineering & Physics: ExoFlow: leren luisteren naar fluisterende cellen
    Cellen in ons lichaam kunnen met elkaar praten via kleine 'spraakbalonnen' in het bloed. In dit project wordt de techniek ontwikkeld om 'spraakbalonnen' te onderscheiden van het 'achtergrondlawaai'. Dit maakt het mogelijk om de 'spraakbalonnen' te lezen, waardoor ernstige ziekten eerder te voorspellen zullen worden.

    VENI
    Dr. ir. N. (Nienke) Bosschaart (v), UvA/AMC - Biomedical Engineering & Physics: Meten zonder prikken
    Zieke of te vroeg geboren baby's worden soms wel drie keer per dag geprikt om hun bloedwaarden te bepalen. Het doel van dit onderzoek is om deze bloedwaarden niet-invasief (zonder prikken) te meten met een nieuwe techniek: laag-coherente spectroscopie.)

    Mt. Changbai Friendship Award
    Prof.dr. Steven Stolte     as Friendship Foreign Expert at the State University of Jilin, China.
    29 September 2014

  • 2013

    ERC Consolidator grant
    Prof. Davide Iannuzzi
    (2.000.000 euro) (November 2013)

    VIDI
    Dr. Wouter Roos    : Boarding cells by imaging viral nanopirates
    In spite of all the immune mechanisms of cells, viruses are highly successful in penetrating cells. Using advanced atomic force and light microscopes the physicists will study this process at the molecular scale. This will ultimately clarify how these viral nanopirates board cells so effectively. (800.000 euro) (May 2013)

    VENI
    Dr. Miroslav Kloz    : Observing molecular core of life in action with a laser
    By designed ultra-short light pulses (bio-)molecules can be interrogated in a very exhausting way, recording not only their bonding and 3D-structure, but also how this structure changes during (bio)chemical reactions.  (250.000 euro) (July 2013)

    TA-COAST subsidy
    Dr. Freek Ariese    : New analyse methods for micro particles
    Analysis of individual cells by Flow Cytometry (FC) is an established approach for medical diagnosis. So far, the technique has largely relied on the measurement of fluorescently labelled cells. The time has now come to bring particle flow analysis to a next level and a consortium was assembled of three academic partners with complementary expertise (1. medical flow analysis and sorting, 2. laser spectroscopic detection and 3. multidimensional data analysis) and six private partners that will benefit from innovation in particle analysis in 1. Medical, Food, 2. Environment, 3. Drinking water and sewage, 4. Food, 5. Paint, as well as 6. FC instrument manufacturing. The main goals are:
    1. To extend flow analysis to all single cells ranging from blood cells to algae in environmental samples. Even multicellular organisms composed of limited cell numbers can be analysed.
    2. To apply flow analysis to unlabelled man-made artificial particles, such as micro-plastics, by extending the detection arsenal with in-flow Raman spectra, UV induced scatter, as well as off-line identification after sorting.
    3. To analyse and visualise single particles in as many dimensions as can be measured by our new detection methodology, to detect emerging new properties of  cells and/or man-made particles.
    4. To apply FC to a broad range of microparticles in various matrices, and develop a mobile flow analyser for local analysis of e.g. microparticles in the environment or of blood at the bed-side.
    (770.000 euro) (September 2013)

    ERC Proof of Concept Grant
    Prof. Gijs Wuite, Prof. Erwin Peterman and Andrea Candelli
    (150.000 euro) (September 2013)

    FOM-funding

    Dr. Jeroen Koelemeij: Time will tell; leads to new physics from a molecular opticalclock
    The project proposes to build a novel and versatile molecular clock for which an ultrastable laser is locked to the vibrations of a single ion of molecular hydrogen, H2+. This ion is stored and cooled near absolute zero temperature in an ion trap. One of the goals of the project is to determine at extreme precision the value of the proton-to-electron mass ratio and to search for a possible variation of this fundamental constant of nature. The project targets physics beyond the Standard Model and General Relativity, while the new clock may be used as 'Einstein sensors' for relativistic geodesy. (400.000 euro) (April 2013)

    Dr. Wim Vassen: Ultracold helium elevator and interferometer for measuring alpha
    The project aims to measure one of the fundamental constants of nature, the fine structure constant alpha, via a measurement of the velocity change of a helium atom, when it absorbs one photon of light. To do this a beam of helium atoms, cooled to a temperature of 0.000001 degree above absolute zero, will be trapped by two counterpropagating laser beams. Quantum physics tells us that the atoms behave as waves at these temperatures and will show interference. From interference patterns a very accurate measurement of alpha is possible. Long-term goal is to use the measured value of alpha to perform the most accurate test of Quantum Electrodynamics. (550.000 euro) (April 2013)

    Prof. Kjeld Eikema: Exploring the boundaries of QED with He+"
    In this project we will precisely measure the energy structure (ground state) of helium+ ions for the first time, using a unique extreme-ultraviolet frequency comb laser system. The aim is to shed light on a recent and puzzling disagreement in the interpretation of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) for normal atomic hydrogen, and muonic hydrogen (where the electron in hydrogen is replaced with a 200 times heavier muon). QED is one of the most tested and successful theories in physics. However, if QED is used to explain the energy structure as measured by precision spectroscopy in hydrogen and muonic hydrogen, then this leads to the strange conclusion that the proton size is clearly different in both systems. Because helium+ resembles hydrogen, but with a different nucleus and energy scaling, it will provide vital new input for the QED and proton-size puzzle. (531.000 euro) (April 2013)

    NWO-grants

    Insitute QuantiVision
    (1.500.000 euro) (March 2013)

    Prof. Roberta Croce: Optimizing light-harvesting with directed evolution" in Meer met minder
    (250.000 euro) (September 2013)

    European Commission
    Biophysics group
    2 MEuro for PAPETS In the framework of the European program for Quantum Informatics (STREP) a consortium of 7 European (NL, Germany, UK, Portugal, Italy, Greece, France) research groups (including the VU-Biophysics group) was awarded a grant of 2 MEuro to study quantum effects in biology with a focus on the role of phonons/vibrations in driving fundamental biological processes: the transfer of electronic excitations, electrons, protons (PAPETS). (June 2013)

    STW

    Dr. Wouter Roos en Prof. Gijs Wuite:publiek-private samenwerking
    (750.00 euro) (Novmeber 2013)

    ECHO and STW grant for Prof. Marloes Groot
    NWO awarded biophysicist Marloes Groot on her spectroscopy and on the imaging research line: Elucidating the role of protein dynamics in the efficiency of biological signal transduction and Optical Bladder Anatomy Mapping and functional Analysis.

     Prof. Rienk van Grondelle:
    • Chinese Academy of Science Fellowships (2013-2014) (30 kEuro)
    • Humboldt Feodor Lynen fellowship (2013-2014) (30 kEuro)
    • EMBO fellowship for Michal Gwizdala (2013-2015) (130 kEuro) 

  • 2012

    VICI
    Dr. John Kennis    : Levensprocessen sturen met licht  (27 January 2012)
    Een van de grote uitdagingen in de biologie is om levensprocessen in cellen en organen te kunnen sturen met behulp van licht, teneinde diepe inzichten te verkrijgen in hun verloop en te kunnen ingrijpen waar gewenst. De onderzoekers gaan de moleculaire 'gereedschappen' die zulke sturende processen mogelijk maken ontwikkelen, bestuderen en verbeteren.

    VIDI
    Dr.  Jeroen Koelemeij    : Super-GPS via glasvezel  (3 July 2012)
    Dit onderzoek richt zich op nieuwe methodes voor het versturen van nauwkeurige tijd en frequentie via glasvezel. Hiermee kan in de toekomst een 'Super-GPS-systeem' worden gerealiseerd dat nauwkeuriger, betrouwbaarder en veelzijdiger is dan het bestaande Global Positioning System, GPS.

    Fondation de France Jacques Monod prize
    Dr. Pierre Mangeol (9 February 2012)

    New Frontiers In Cosmology prize
    Prof. dr. Wim Ubachs (12 October 2012) 

    Japanese Morino Lectureship 2012
    Dr. John Kennis (15 November)

    Foundation Kinderen Kankervrij: Diagnosis of vital tumor tissue by OCT and MRI in retinoblastoma patients
    Prof.dr. Johannes de Boer (266 keur), December 2012 

    STW HTSM 2012 grant: Quantitative disease characterization and Retinal tracking in Ophthalmic Imaging (Q-ROI)
    Prof.dr. Johannes de Boer (669 keuro), December 2012 

    ZonMW topsubsidie: Quantitative in vivo characterization of optical properties of ocular tissue for diagnosis and monitoring of chorioretinal diseases.
    Prof.dr. Johannes de Boer (675 keuro ), December 2012

  • 2011

    ERC starting grant
    Prof. dr. Roberta Croce (25 July 2011)

    ERC Proof of Concept
    Dr. Davide Iannuzzi:  Small, but many: scalability to volume production in fiber-top technology (10 March 2011)

    VENI
    Dr. Bart van Oort: Mapping photosynthetic energy migration in relation to stress with novel microscopies (20 July 2011) 

    VICI
    Prof. dr. Roberta Croce: Harvesting the sun....safely (26 January 2011)

    VICI 
    Dr. Erwin Peterman: Intracellular-traffic monitoring in living animals with single-motor resolution (26 January 2011)

    NWO BAZIS
    Dr. Freek Ariese, Prof. dr. Wilfried Niessen and Prof. dr. Peter Schoenmakers: Instrumentation for targeted bioanalysis of living systems (1 February 2011)

    NWO Middelgroot
    Prof. dr. Marloes Groot: Hoe doen enzymen hun werk? (1 February 2011)

    NWO Middelgroot
    Dr. John Kennis: From sunlight to fuel: a versatile all-timescale spectrophotometer to assess solar energy conversion in artificial photosynthetic devices. (1 February 2011) 

    STW-perspectief
    Dr. Yves Bollen en dr. Erwin Peterman

    NWO Vernieuweingsimpuls
    Dr.  Steven Knoop: Giant few-body states probed with ultracold atoms (1 June 2011)

    Senter-Novem
    Prof. dr. Ton van Leeuwen: IOP PHOTONIC DEVICES PROJECT LCHH OCT: Low-cost handheld optical coherence tomography device. (total subsidy 1.25 M€, 2011-2015)

    EMBO Long-Term Fellowship
    Dr. Graeme King: Quantifying the Biophysical Properties of DNA (June 2011)

    APS Beller Lectureship
    Prof. dr. Rienk van Grondelle

    G.G. Stokes Award
    Prof. dr. Johannes de Boer

    Best poster prize at the "Nano meets spectroscopy" conference in Teddington, UK
    Title: Time-Resolved, Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
    Ingeborg Iping Petterson, Biomolecular Spectroscopy group

  • 2010

    ERC Advanced Grant
    Prof. dr. Rienk van Grondelle

    ERC Strating Grant
    Prof. dr. Gijs Wuite

    VICI
    Prof. dr. Johannes de Boer

    VIDI
    Dr. Raoul Frese
    Dr. Steven Knoop

    VENI
    Dr. Stefan Witte
    Dr. Rudi Berera
    Dr. Matthijs de Groot
    Dr. Iddo Heller
    Dr. Lieneke van der Sneppen

    FOM
    Prof. dr. Rienk van Grondelle 
    Prof. dr. Wim Ubachs
    Dr. Davide Iannuzzi

    NWO
    Prof. dr. Wim Ubachs
    Prof. dr. Harold Linnartz

    Research Grant from Human Frontier Science Program
    Prof. dr. Gijs Wuite

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