Erasmus University Rotterdam
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Eleven NWO SGW Open Competition grants for researchers in the domain of social sciences and humanities

Campus Woudestein
  • Friday 10 Feb 2023, 15:38
  • General
Campus Woudestein
Alexander Santos Lima

As many as eleven researchers from Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus MC have been awarded NWO SGW Open Competition XS. The grant amounts to a maximum of EUR 50,000 for research within the NWO Social Sciences and Humanities domain. What makes this competition special is that there is no need to know in advance whether the intended goal will be achieved. So there is plenty of scope for experimentation and innovation.

An overview of all laureates of Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus MC:

  • Neuroprediction: Unraveling risk for antisocial behavior in youth

    dr. J.D.M. van Dongen, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences

    The teenage years are turbulent, during which the brain undergoes a huge transformation, and youth experiment with opposing authority in a healthy way. However, serious antisocial behavior among adolescents, such as violence and weapon use, is increasing, posing a threat to our society. In this innovative project, efficiency of neural communication in the brain is studied and whether this efficiency in communication is predictive of youth antisocial behavior. Better understanding of risk factors in the brain as mechanisms of change for antisocial behavior is key, and contributes to better prevention, and the development of interventions against these behaviors in youth.

  • Identifying the most promising exercise interventions as treatments for pediatric ADHD symptoms

    H. Gerger, Erasmus MC

    A research project that investigates the potential of exercise as treatment for ADHD in children and adolescents. Among others, the occurrence of side effects with medication treatment, and long waiting lists for specialized psychotherapy, prevents many children with ADHD from receiving the treatment they need. Exercise has the potential to complement the list of recommended ADHD treatments. In this project, we will use a mix of advanced analytical techniques (so-called network meta-analysis) and input from patients, their parents, teachers, and GPs to explore possible effects of exercise in treating ADHD in children and adolescents.

  • Reconceptualising Napoleonic Resource Extraction for War: Prussia, 1806-1814, and the Provincialisation of France

    dr. M.E. Hay, Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication

    Since the war in Ukraine, the question of financing war and reconstruction has returned to the forefront of academic inquiry. The PI has developed an innovative methodology to studying resource extraction for war at a watershed moment in the history of war, the Napoleonic age, which ushered in the era of total war. Through testing this new methodology to the case study of Prussia, 1806-1814, not only will the scholar critically engage with historiographical debates on the durability and decline of the Napoleonic order in Europe, but also will one be able to add historical depth to current day debates.

  • From Colorwashing to Diversity Champion: Using machine learning to examine the relationship between organizational diversity communication and diversity outcomes.

    dr. J. Hofhuis, Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication

    ‘Colorwashing’ is the practice of communicating positive diversity related messages with the goal to increase an organization’s reputation, without a relation to actual or intended diversity activities. Colorwashing increases public scepticism towards diversity communication, and harms existing efforts to increase workplace inclusion. This project uses machine learning algorithms to generate datasets on the prevalence of diversity communication in social media posts and annual reports of multinational organizations, and compares them to actual diversity outcomes. This will provide new knowledge on the how and why of colorwashing in organizational communication, and how to reduce it in the future.

  • The role of mobility and key-populations in HIV transmission and control in sub-Saharan Africa

    dr. J.A.C. Hontelez, Erasmus MC

    The HIV epidemic in Africa is still spreading, despite the availability of effective prevention and treatment options. I aim to demonstrate that the key in controlling the spread of HIV lies in a better understanding of the importance of mobility and high-risk populations in driving the spread of HIV. I will develop a new, highly innovative mathematical modeling tool that can simulate sexual behavior and HIV transmission in multiple countries at the district level in parallel, including their interactions by simulating population mobility. I will use the model to demonstrate the importance of population mobility in HIV transmission.

  • Differences between women and men in work and career utilization: how social network dynamics affect work performance and leadership advancement.

    dr. J. Khattab, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

    Women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions. One important explanation is that women have less valuable social networks compared to men. What we don’t know however is how women form and utilize their networks as compared with men. In this research project, I unpack these social networks dynamics in the setting of a United Nations simulation. Using data from social network sensors that capture connectivity with others and record conversations, I demonstrate how women’s compared to men’s social networks are created, how they are utilized, and how they benefit leadership advancement and work performance.

  • Little lies, big impact? Co-creating an age-appropriate instrument to assess young children’s attitudes on parental lying and the effects on trust

    dr. R. Kok, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences

    Lying to children is common in families, especially in middle childhood. Many parents find some types of lies acceptable, but express concern about its impact on parent-child trust. Although children have the cognitive and moral capacity to evaluate lying, no studies to date have captured children’s attitudes on parental lying. This project develops an online age-appropriate instrument, in co-creation with a child panel and a game designer, to study children’s attitudes (8-12yrs) about parental lying and its effect on parent-child trust. This measure will be open access published and showcased among researchers specialized in lying and moral development.

  • Corporate risk-taking and employee health

    dr. S. Obernberger, Erasmus School of Economics

    With sick leave days at all-time highs and labor supply at all-time lows, employee health has come to the forefront of the political agenda. 50% of sick leave days are work-related, the largest share of which stems from stress-related diseases. This research project explores the two-way relationship between the firm’s exposure to risk and the health of its employees. First, the project will examine the effect of financial and business risk on the (mental) health of employees. Second, the project will examine how firms adjust their willingness to take risks when their workforce is in poor health.

  • Impacts of sharing research findings with study participants: Evidence from a field experiment

    dr. M. Rieger, International Institute for Social Studies

    I analyse impacts of sharing research findings with study participants. Although research dissemination traditionally focuses on other academics, policymakers, and the public, social scientists increasingly recognize the obligation of sharing results with research participants. When research findings are shared, impacts are typically assessed qualitatively rather than quantitatively. In the context of a study on health beliefs/knowledge among parents and children, I examine whether sharing general findings (treatment 1) or personalized findings (treatment 2) improve health beliefs/knowledge, study participation/quality, and research perceptions compared to no sharing (control 1) and sharing research findings from the wider literature (control 2).

  • Affording a home: The mental health effects of increasing housing prices

    dr. C.J. Riumallo Herl, Erasmus School of Economics

    Housing prices increased since the Great Depression and reached record heights in recent years. Despite the importance of this phenomenon, there are no studies that evaluate the consequences of the housing affordability crisis on mental health at a population level. This project aims to fill this gap, by estimating the effect of reduced affordability on mental health using Dutch administrative records and exploring heterogeneity across age groups, socioeconomic status, and ownership status. This study will contribute to current policy making by identifying potential mechanisms that can help individuals cope with the mental health consequences of increasing housing costs.

  • Cash or card? Payment choice and consumption

    dr. E. Smajlbegovic, Erasmus School of Economics

    Digital payments are on the rise, while cash usage has been declining around the world. This shift in payment choice has sparked an important debate among academics and policymakers: Does a cashless society have adverse effects on households, firms, and the economy overall? Do card payments lead to overspending? This project studies whether payment type has a causal effect on consumption spending. The empirical tests rely on explosive attacks on 1,863 automated teller machines (ATMs), which introduce a plausibly exogenous change in cash availability for affected households. The findings have important societal implications for the future of money.

More information

SGW Open Competition

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