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Korteweg-de Vries Institute for Mathematics Korteweg-de Vries Institute for Mathematics

Vidi Grants awarded to Miranda Cheng and Mingmin Shen

4 June 2018

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded a Vidi grant worth 800,000 euros to 11 experienced researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Academic Medical Center (AMC-UvA). The grant will enable the researchers to develop their own innovative line of research and set up their own research group.
NWO

The KdVI recipients

 

2013_Miranda Cheng-Siesja Kamphuis
Miranda Cheng. Photo: UvA

Dr Miranda Cheng (KdVI and IoP) received a grant for her project entitled 'Moonshine in String Theory'. String theory is a physical theory aiming at a uniform description of all laws of nature. The word moonshine refers to a mysterious relation between two different types of mathematical structures: special functions and finite groups. In this project, Miranda and fellow researchers will solve the puzzle of the origin of this relation by studying it in the context of string theory.

 

Portret
Mingmin Shen. Photo: UvA

Dr Mingmin Shen (KdVI) received a grant for his project entitled 'Algebraic or not?'. Shen proposes to develop an obstruction theory to the integral Hodge conjecture by studying it in special - but important - cases and by relating it to the Grothendieck-Katz conjecture. He will then use the results to attack some long-standing rationality problems.

See also the other UvA and AMC recipients

About the Vidi grant

Vidi is aimed at experienced researchers who have carried out successful research for a number of years after obtaining their PhDs. Together with Veni and Vici, Vidi is part of the NWO Talent Scheme. Researchers in the NWO Talent Scheme are free to submit their own subject for funding. NWO thus encourages curiosity-driven and innovative research. NWO selects researchers based on the quality of the researcher, the innovative character of the research, the expected scientific impact of the research proposal and the possibilities for knowledge use.