The European Research Council (ERC) award the prestigious Consolidator Grants to the best scientists at European universities every year. To be eligible, researchers have to have between seven and twelve years of experience after their PhD, a promising track record, and an excellent research proposal.
This year, the ERC is dividing a total of 630 million euros in Consolidator Grants among 329 scientists in 22 countries. Twenty-five Dutch researchers are receiving a grant. Three of them work at the RUG: Catarina Dutilh Novaes, with the Faculty of Philosophy, and Ming Cao and Syuzanna Harutyunyan, who both work at the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Arguments, robots and chemistry
Catarina Dutilh Novaes is an associate professor and Rosalind Franklin Fellow. She teaches various philosophy classes and is an expert in the field of philosophy and the history of logic and mathematics. Dutilh Novaes is currently studying the role of arguments in producing and sharing knowledge.
Ming Cao is a professor of Networks and Robotics. He does groundbreaking work on control systems that make groups of autonomous robots work together. He collaborates with colleagues from the fields of sociology, mathematics, and biology. His work is partially inspired by the movements of animals, specifically fish and birds.
Syuzanna Harutyunyan is connected to the Stratingh Institute of Chemistry as associate professor of Synthetic Organic chemistry. In her research, Harutyunyan develops new chemical processes, which can be used in the pharmaceutical, fine chemical, or agrochemical industries.