
A large-scale energy transition of society requires efficient electrochemical processes for generating, converting, and storing sustainable energy. Unfortunately, existing electrochemical processes have serious limitations and are inadequate to meet the grand challenges ahead. At present there is insufficient knowledge of the processes occurring in electrochemical systems at the smallest scale to fundamentally improve these processes. In this multidisciplinary fundamental research program, chemists and physicists lay the foundation for new efficient electrochemical technologies designed to dramatically reduce humanitys carbon footprint.
With increasing age, people’s cognitive skills decline. How fast this occurs, differs among people and depends on a variety of factors. Whether having autism is a risk-factor for accelerated aging or a potential protective factor is unknown. In this project this will be tested and influential factors will be determined.
This research project explores how Sinophone digital art imagines the technologically mediated future. It focuses on four key themes: online exhibitions in times of crisis, technological embodiment, the platformization of self-care, and (non-)anthropocentric AI. The study adopts a cultural analysis approach supported by art historical and ethnographic methods, and a theoretical framework constituted by the concepts Sinophone, worlding, and Sinofuturism. The findings reveal that Sinophone digital art imagines the technologically mediated future as locally specific yes not locally determined, as intertwined with the present, and as reflective of the intricate and nuanced realities of everyday life.
In the Netherlands, approximately 1 million children (0-25 years) have a chronic disease. Above and beyond the ever-present challenges of growing up with an illness, these children have 40% chance to develop psychological problems, including depression, anxiety and loneliness. Throughout their life, this translates into decreased well-being and reduced social participation and generates additional costs for society. Early prevention of psychological problems is thus key to break this vicious cycle. Therefore, eHealth applications are promising. However, scientific knowledge is missing and validated tools are not yet available for this group and involved health care professionals. Our mission is to make scientifically validated eHealth tools that allow personalized and trans-diagnostic prevention of psychological problems widely available for this highly vulnerable group of chronically ill children and future adults, through an accessible, user-friendly, safe, and sustainable platform. To succeed in this mission, we present an iterative learning cycle approach in two four-year phases during which we gather the insights, and develop, evaluate, and implement the much needed eHealth tools: I. Development: Distil and validate the theoretical and game-design factors that make eHealth effective for chronically ill children. II. Evaluation: Evaluate trans-diagnostic and personalized eHealth tools for chronically ill children, using and developing state-of-the-art methods. III. Implementation: Study and remove the barriers that currently hinder implementation and uptake, and threaten availability of eHealth applications for chronically ill children. Our eHealth junior consortium includes (applied) researchers, pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, patient organizations, knowledge centers, game designers, industrial designers, insurance companies, and business professionals. We will collaborate with the end-users (children, families, and professionals) in order to achieve both international scientific breakthroughs and optimal clinical and societal impact. Knowledge utilization is a crucial part of our project.
With its 39m primary mirror, the ESO Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) will be the largest optical/near-infrared telescope ever built. MOSAIC (Multi-Object Spectrograph for Astrophysics, Inter-galactic medium studies and Cosmology) is expected to become the E-ELTs workhorse instrument for astrophysics, intergalactic medium studies and cosmology in the coming decades. MOSAIC will fully explore the large aperture and superb spatial resolution of the biggest eye on the sky. Key science cases involve searching for extra-galactic planets, resolving stellar populations in thousands of nearby galaxies, and studying high-redshift galaxies at the edge of the visible universe. MOSAIC is a fiber-fed spectrograph, covering the telescopes full field of view with several hundred fibers and a dozen integral field units with adaptive optics capability delivering milli-arcsec spatial resolution, providing spectra ranging from the ultraviolet to the near infrared (380 - 2500 nm) at intermediate spectral resolution. The MOSAIC consortium includes scientists from Brazil, France, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, as main partners. Another 6 European countries are associated with the consortium at different levels. The Netherlands will be involved in designing and building the MOSAIC spectrographs; Brazil will contribute to its fiber system and spectrograph slit assembly. This proposal aims to study and develop the fibers to spectrograph interface by producing prototype slit assemblies for MOSAIC, exchanging expertise between Brazilian and Dutch technicians and industry, and to scientifically explore state-of-the-art MOS observations to optimize the scientific and technical requirements for MOSAIC. These activities are not covered by our currently assigned budgets.