Several consortia in which Leiden University is involved have been awarded Dutch Research Agenda funding. Leiden is the coordinator of five of these consortia. These five consortia will receive grants worth a total of almost 24 million euros. They relate to interdisciplinary projects that will bring scientific and societal breakthroughs within reach.
In total, over 149 million euros has been made available, 131 million euros of which is from the Dutch Research Agenda and 18 miljoen of which has been funded by the (international) consortia partners.
Leiden University is the coordinator of the following projects:
Dilemmas of diversity (DIDI): diversity policies and practices in Dutch towns in the past, present, and future
Policymakers, politicians, journalists and academics stress the importance of a cohesive society, with room for diversity (according to ethnicity/race, gender, class, religion and sexuality). Diversity policies are meant to enhance social cohesion, but in practice, they oftentimes do not work as intended or planned. This is a severe problem because the idea that policies are 'failing', and that part of the people are excluded, undermines trust in and the resilience of democracy. The dilemma is that, in order to be able to address all citizens equally, they must be treated unequally. How does 'doing diversity' work best?
Coordinator: Marlou Schrover - Faculty of Humanities, Institute for History
Sum awarded: 1.8 million euros
Bridging the gap between quantum computing and society
The first quantum computers have shown that they can perform calculations far beyond the capabilities of classical computers. Now is the time to convert this computing power into useful applications for Dutch society. The researchers in this consortium will tackle this challenge from two sides. First, they will collect socially relevant computational problems together with partners from the business sector, TNO and universities of applied sciences. Second, they will conduct fundamental research into new quantum algorithms to solve these problems. This approach offers the best guarantee of achieving the consortium's common goal - a first useful application of quantum computers.
Coordinator: Alfons Laarman - Faculty of Science, LIACS
Sum awarded: 2 million euros
CURE4LIFE: Development and societal impact of stem cell based genetic medicines
For a number of rare genetic diseases, correcting the genetic defect in the patients' own blood stem cells can mean a lifelong cure. Many curative gene therapies do not reach patients for reasons other than a lack of treatment quality. The consortium proposes to develop a platform infrastructure that can be used for many diseases rather than focusing each time on a unique approach for each disease. The researchers will also address challenges regarding the regulation, reimbursement and public acceptance of these therapies in a knowledge hub for dialogue with society.
Coordinator: Frank Staal - Faculty of Medicine/LUMC
Sum awarded: 5 million euros
