From fundamental research on the effects of certain materials on the methane cycle to the study of maize in order to have more food security; a total of 64 million euros has been awarded. One to three million euros will be awarded to each project. Radboud University is the main applicant in four of these projects, but is also involved in several others as a co-applicant. A full overview can be found on NWO's site.
With this funding, it is up to the researchers to start, strengthen or expand groundbreaking and innovative world-class research lines together. Karen Aardal, board member of the NWO domain Science (ENW) and former recipient of funding from the Open Competition ENW-XL, names the value of fundamental research. 'Many of the results of fundamental research eventually end up in society. You just don't know in advance how and when. Think of fundamental mathematical research, much of that is eventually reflected in logistics. Without fundamental research, there is no foundation to build on.'
Efficient and SCA--Aware Post-Quantum Cryptographic Design for Embedded Systems (ESCAPE)
Simona Samardjiska, Institute for Computing Science
Post-quantum cryptosystems run on regular computers, but are secure against quantum computer attacks. Currently, a major hurdle for the migration to post-quantum cryptosystems is ensuring security of their real-world implementations against attackers observing physical emissions of the devices. Current mitigation strategies against the attacks, either do not work for post-quantum cryptosystems or are prohibitively expensive. The ESCAPE project will take a different route in place of the typical approach of dealing with implementation security later in the deployment process and include it already at the design stage, thus ensuring a faster deployment, cheaper implementations, and better security guarantees.
The potential of the Higgs Boson
Pamela Ferrari, Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics en Nikhef
The Higgs field, which fills the universe, gives elementary particles their mass through a unique quantum property called the Higgs potential. The shape of this potential, similar to the bottom of a wine bottle, is critically linked to how two Higgs bosons interact with each other. By making significant improvements to the efficiency of identifying Higgs bosons in the ATLAS detector at CERN and utilizing advanced machine learning techniques, we can provide evidence of this incredibly rare process, which will allow us to better understand not only the Higgs field, but also the formation and ultimate fate of our Universe.
Symmetry on the interface of topology and higher algebra
Magdalena Kędziorek, Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics
In the mathematical area of topology one studies geometric shapes by allowing them to be transformed into each other without cutting or gluing them. This idea of a continuous transformation can also be used to set up a higher form of algebra where it replaces the stricter notion of equality. This project studies symmetries in higher algebra in order to obtain new powerful structures in higher algebra, topology, and their applications to geometry and physics.
HEAL-SEPSIS: a systems immunology approach for nanomedicine to heal sepsis and its long-term complications
Mihai Netea, Radboudumc
Severe infections are sometimes complicated by complex imbalances in the way that the immune system of the patient reacts to the microbe: sometimes too strongly, and sometimes not powerful enough. The way that we should treat these infections thus depends on the type of immune regulation in each particular patient. This program will investigate how to identify the precise type of immune imbalance in each patient with a severe infection, and how to adjust the treatment in order to re-balance the host defence and improve the outcome of the patient.