What effects do large infrastructure projects in Africa have on citizens, economic opportunity and social marginalization? And how does farmland affect the liver? Two research questions that can be further investigated thanks to grants from the Leiden University Fund.

Retired Major General Rob Nypels (88) has donated a sizeable sum to the Nypels-Tans PTSD Fund that he himself established – one of the ‘named funds’ at the Leiden University Fund – to promote interdisciplinary research into psychotraumatology. The main aim is to research the effect of new treatments and thus improve the care for veterans and members of the armed forces.

Dr Sarah Cramsey (Humanities) has received a LUF grant for her research project ‘Re-thinking the Holocaust Rescuers: An Interdisciplinary Comparison of Dutch and Polish “Righteous Gentiles”.’ She will use the grant to research those awarded the title of ‘Righteous Gentiles’ by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre. There Righteous Gentiles are more than 28,000 people from 51 countries who helped Jews during the Holocaust and the Second World War.

Dominique Moïsi, a professor at King’s College London, will be the first holder of the Owada chair. ‘In the present international context of polarisation and divisions within societies and amongst nations, any effort at bringing Asia and Europe closer to each other is truly important.’

Infrastructure projects – such as ports, highways and railways – are intertwined with geopolitics, economic systems, political interests and cultural values that affect citizens. A team of researchers from several faculties and institutions was granted the LUF Impulse Grant for research on the prominent place of infrastructure in the thinking about development in Africa.

Giacomo Boffi, PhD candidate on Economics and Governance of Migration, is one of the many young talented researchers of Leiden University. We spoke to him about his research and the importance of giving scientists the opportunity to devise sustainable solutions for the challenges we face as a globalised society.

Professor of Governance of Sustainability Eefje Cuppen researches sustainability transitions and takes social values such as equity and equality into account. How, for example, can we reduce CO2 in a way that is fair?

The complex societal issues of our time rarely fit seamlessly within the boundaries of a single field of study or specialization. When seeking solutions to these challenges, it is crucial for scientists to engage in dialogue across the borders of their own domain and discipline.

Leiden University researchers Gisela Hirschmann (Political Science) and Niels van Doesum (Psychology) have been awarded a LUF/Gratama grant for their research on the effects of musical peacebuilding initiatives. When ‘enemies’ make music together, does that change the image they have of one another? And does this contribute to fostering peace in conflict areas?

Disruptions to the gut flora can affect our mental health. How could this connection be used to prevent stress-related disorders? This is what psychologist Laura Steenbergen will investigate with the aid of a project grant from the LUF and, on the basis of a partnership between the two funds, the Gratama Foundation.