The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded economist Nadine Ketel from VU Amsterdam a Veni research grant to investigate inequality of educational opportunity.
Ketel, associate professor in Economics, will investigate the influence of the environment and selection procedures on inequality of educational opportunity. "One of the most crucial decisions early in life concerns the level and type of education pursued. The aim of my research is to examine how choices for higher education are influenced by one's family and neighborhood and to explore whether admission procedures restrict access to education." Ketel intends to assess the long-term effects of being randomly allocated to a first-choice school. "I also want to investigate to what extent immediate family members and neighbors influence the choice for higher education and whether selection in higher education exacerbates existing educational opportunity inequality based on socioeconomic background," says Ketel.
"With my Veni research, I hope to contribute to reducing inequality of educational opportunity in higher education by investigating the consequences of selection procedures. The Veni grant provides me with the time to explore an important and highly relevant topic at a time when many changes are being implemented in higher education," says Ketel.
About the Veni Grant
The NWO Veni grant, of up to 280.000 euros, is awarded to excellent researchers who have recently obtained their PhD, to conduct independent research and develop their ideas for a period of three years. Laureates are at the start of their scientific career and display a striking talent for scientific research.