Posted on: 19 June 2018

Dr. Thomas Weinhart has been awarded the prestigious personal Vidi grant from NWO; see NWO announcement for details.

The Vidi grant programme is aimed at experienced researchers who have successfully conducted research for several years after gaining their PhD. Together with the Veni and Vici grants, Vidi forms part of the NWO innovation incentive scheme. Researchers in the innovation incentive scheme are free to submit their own subjects for consideration for funding. This way, NWO encourages innovative research that is driven by a desire to break new ground. NWO selects researchers on the basis of their quality, the innovative nature of their research, the expected scientific impact of the research proposal, and the potential for using the knowledge. In this funding round, research proposals were submitted by 571 researchers. Only 86 of them were awarded a grant.

Thomas' Vidi entitled "Virtual Prototyping of Particulate Processes (ViPr) – Design and Optimisation via Multiscale Modelling and Rapid Prototyping" is aimed at developing a novel multiscale modelling framework to design and optimise particulate machinery on the computer, replacing time-consuming and expensive experimental methods by virtual prototyping. Applications are countless, from product development in the chemical, pharmaceutical, agri-food, energy and high-tech industries to the prediction of natural hazards, such as avalanches and erosion.

The work will be undertaken in the open-source code MercuryDPM framework, massively extending its capabilities.

See UT news article for more information: https://www.utwente.nl/nieuws/!/2018/6/168692/vidi-subsidie-voor-thomas-weinhart