Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is proud of the following scientists, in alphabetical order:
The meaning of human dignity for the regulation of emerging neurotechnologies
of professor of Law, Ethics, and Biotechnology Britta van Beers and professor of ethics, particularly bioethics Gerben Meynen.
Neurotechnologies, such as neuroimaging and deep brain stimulation, increasingly enable us to reveal and alter our mental lives- what we think and feel. To protect our minds, human rights organisations are currently taking steps to regulate neurotechnologies. These organisations emphasise the role of human dignity, a fundamental concept of human rights, as a guiding principle to protect our minds. However, thorough reflection on the precise meaning of human dignity for neurotechnologies is lacking. This interdisciplinary project aims to fill this gap by developing a legal-ethical account of human dignity that can serve as a basis for regulating neurotechnologies.
Is directing attention the brain’s way of looking without moving the eyes?
of cognitive psychologist Mieke Donk.
We sometimes miss crucial visual information, even when looking directly at it, with potentially serious consequences. This happens because spatial attention does not always select the right parts of the visual field. To prevent such lapses, we must understand the mechanisms of spatial attention. Using behavioural experiments and advanced brain imaging, this project tests whether directing attention to peripheral objects, while keeping the eyes still, enables the brain to recruit high-resolution foveal processing capacity. In this way, attention may both improve visual perception and anticipate the consequences of eye movements. The findings may inform clinical assessment and improve display design.
SOUND ASLEEP: How daytime strategies and good sleep help people with hearing loss stay healthy
of neuropsychologist Sophia Kramer and hearing researcher Adriana Zekveld.
About 2.6 million adults in the Netherlands have hearing loss. Even with modern hearing devices, many must work hard to follow conversations, causing tiredness. When fatigue builds up over time, it may reduce societal participation, affect mental health, and harm overall well-being. This project combines laboratory studies, real-life measurements, and long-term population data to understand how hearing loss leads to fatigue and health problems. Uniquely, it focuses on how coping strategies during the day and sleep help with recovery. The findings will guide ways to improve daily functioning and quality of life in those with hearing loss.
The “Golden Weeks”: Social Classroom Dynamics at the Start of the School Year
of prof. dr. M.T. Mainhard (Leiden University) and developmental psychologist Fanny de Swart.
In schools, it is widely believed that the first weeks of the school year, the so-called golden weeks, determine how a classroom will function for the rest of the year. If the group does not form well early on, problems such as conflict, exclusion, or aggression are expected to follow. Schools therefore invest heavily in training and interventions focused on these weeks. Remarkably, this belief lacks solid empirical evidence. This project examines how classroom groups develop over time, tracking children’s behavior, peer relationships, and classroom climate to test when early dynamics matter and how positive group development looks like.
The gamification of terror
of researcher to conspiracy theories Jan-Willem van Prooijen.
International law enforcement agencies warn against the growing online presence and activity of Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) groups whose members groom vulnerable youths into committing extreme acts of (self-)harm and terrorist violence. Combining different crime types without a clear ideological motivation, NVE groups challenge current conceptualizations of extremism. This research aims to increase understanding of these groups using unique digital trace data from undercover law enforcement investigations and live scrapes.
Yemen Beyond Borders: Migration, Ethnicity and Social Change
of anthropologist Marina de Regt.
For centuries, Yemen has been shaped by mobility across the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, producing lives and identities that do not fit neatly within national boundaries. This project tells the story of Yemenis of mixed racial descent as they navigate displacement in Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Egypt. In doing so, it explores how social relations and racial hierarchies are shaped and reshaped through migration, aiming to document marginalized life worlds that are at risk of erasure.
Why People Fall for Hazardous Health Hacks Online and How We Can Protect Against Them
of communication scientist Martin Tanis and prof. dr. M.A. Buijzen (Erasmus University)
Health advice on social media increasingly appears in the form of so-called ‘health hacks’: short, action-oriented tips that promise quick improvements but are often unproven or associated with health risks. This project examines why individuals are susceptible to such content and, using multiple methods, develops user-centred interventions that strengthen resilience while preserving individual autonomy.
Public Religious Debates in the Early Modern Low Countries and the Formation of a Public Sphere (1550–1700)
of professor of Church History Mirjam van Veen and professor of Old Testament Willem van Peursen.
The Dutch-language religious debates (1550-1700) are a unique source for investigating how religious groups developed their own confessional culture after the Reformation and how these debates contributed to the emergence of a Dutch “debate culture.” Using the latest digital humanities methods and thorough historical research, we are examining all published debate protocols. In this way, we analyze how different religious groups used classical and Christian sources to develop their own traditions and how these religious debates contributed to an early modern public sphere. A digital critical edition of the debates makes this new field of research widely accessible.
SSH Open Competition L
The SSH Open Competition offers researchers the opportunity to conduct research into a topic of their own choosing, without any thematic restrictions. This research programme is intended for a broad group of researchers at various stages of their academic careers. The SSH Open Competition L is for researchers who obtained their PhD 15 years or more ago and is open every other year.