Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is welcoming two leading international researchers following an award from the new Tulip Fund of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). It concerns legal scholar Itamar Mann and cell biologist Miguel Gonzalez Lozano.
With their arrival VU Amsterdam is strengthening its research in international law, human rights, and brain science.
The Tulip Fund, a joint initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and NWO, was established to attract leading international researchers with their own research programs to the Netherlands. The fund supports researchers from countries where academic freedom is under threat. As a result, 34 researchers will join Dutch knowledge institutions.
New momentum for international law and human rights
Itamar Mann will join VU Amsterdam's Faculty of Law. Mann is an internationally renowned expert at the intersection of international law and political theory. His research focuses on migration, human rights, the law of the sea, and international criminal law. He is the author of Humanity at Sea: Maritime Migration and the Foundations of International Law and the forthcoming Liferaft Manifesto: Democratic Survivalism and the Sea.
In addition to his academic work, Mann served as Chair of Border Forensics from 2021 to 2026 and has collaborated with several human rights organizations. Most recently, he co-authored the report Destruction of Conditions of Life: A Health Analysis of the Gaza Genocide (2025) for Physicians for Human Rights Israel. In Israel, an increasingly hostile legislative and political climate toward independent human rights documentation has put the kind of work Mann conducts at risk.
"Today, it is clear that international norms are under an unprecedented attack, “ says Mann. “Unlike international lawyers in previous decades, we cannot rest content either with defending the existing system or with criticising its injustices. We need to begin envisioning a new system, from the ground up. Such thinking, however, requires two conditions: one is abundant research time, and the other is a company of brilliant scholars and interlocutors. I'm confident that working at the law faculty at VU Amsterdam with the support of the Tulip grant will realize them both."
Mann is an Associate Professor at the University of Haifa, Israel, currently on leave. He was awarded a Humboldt Fellowship (September 2024 – February 2026) and is currently Acting Professor of International Law and International Human Rights Law at the University of Münster. His expertise lies at the intersection of law and political theory, with research spanning migration, human rights, the law of the sea, and international criminal law.
Strengthening research into brain disorders
VU Amsterdam's Faculty of Science welcomes scientist Miguel Gonzalez Lozano, who is joining the university with support from the Tulp Fund. His research focuses on identifying and characterizing the molecular building blocks of cells using innovative, multidisciplinary approaches. In particular, he investigates how proteins are organized within cell membranes and how these processes are disrupted in brain disorders.
With support from the Tulp Fund, Gonzalez Lozano will be able to continue this line of research and develop new methods that combine biology, technology, and data analysis to improve our understanding of the brain's molecular mechanisms.
"I am deeply grateful for this award, which provides crucial support at an important stage of my career," says Gonzalez Lozano. "I look forward to contributing my expertise to the Dutch scientific ecosystem and collaborating in an open and innovative research environment."
International talent addressing societal challenges
Through the Tulip Fund, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and NWO are investing in the Netherlands' attractiveness as a destination for international research talent. The researchers welcomed in this first funding round are working on challenges ranging from health and artificial intelligence to climate, energy, and democracy.
The arrival of Itamar Mann and Miguel Gonzalez Lozano underscores VU Amsterdam's ambition to connect world-class international research with pressing societal challenges. Their expertise will not only strengthen research at the university but also contribute to the continued development of the Dutch knowledge and innovation ecosystem.