The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded Associate Professor Niels Rietveld of Erasmus School of Economics a prestigious Vidi grant. The NWO Vidi grant of up to 850.000 euros is awarded to researchers who are in the transition to leadership.
Recipients of the Vidi grant possess unique academic qualities that clearly exceed what is usual. The grant funds scientifically innovative research and gives researchers the opportunity to establish or expand a research group.
Dean of Erasmus School of Economics, Patrick Groenen, is impressed with this achievement: ‘In current times the competition for personal excellence grants is steeper than ever, as is the importance of grants. Obtaining one requires great efforts, patience and clear leadership skills. We applaud Niels for this impressive achievement.’
Adhemare de Rijk, Funding Manager Research reacts: ‘Niels’ research is innovative and interesting and helps us understand the genoeconomics debate from a novel angle. I am very happy to see this wonderful result. Now the work really begins!’
Summary of Niels Rietveld’s NWO Vidi research project
Children inherit a random combination of their parent’s genes, but the non-random matching of parents contributes to the stratification of societies and the proliferation of socio-economic inequalities through generations. Gene-environment interaction studies may, however, improve our understanding of how environmental circumstances can change genetic influences on socio-economic inequalities. The project will refine and extend statistical methodology to account for assortative mating in heritability and gene-environment interaction studies, and detach genetic from non-genetic assortative mating. By drawing on a unique combination of data, this project advances the gene-environment interplay and intergenerational mobility literature on both theoretical and empirical frontiers.
Earlier recognition
This Vidi grant follows earlier recognition for Niels Rietveld’s research. In 2015 he was awarded an NWO Veni grant. In 2019 he obtained an ERC Starting grant, and in 2022 he was awarded a Marie Curie Sklodowska Doctoral Network grant. These grants have enabled him to consistently explore and further advance his research agenda on the use of genetic data in economics.
- Associate professor
- More information
For more information, please contact Ronald de Groot, Media & Public relations Officer at Erasmus School of Economics: rdegroot@ese.eur.nl, mobile phone: +31 6 53 641 846.
