Short | Four TU/e researchers receive Vidi grants

Four TU/e researchers receive Vidi grants

October 22, 2026 – TU/e researchers Irene Kuling, Christopher Hojny, Tommaso Ristori, and Elisa Perrone have been awarded Vidi grants by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). Their projects focus on haptic feedback systems, neural networks, regenerating blood vessels in the heart, and predicting hazardous weather conditions.

This year, NWO is awarding 109 Vidi grants to talented researchers. Each grant is worth up to €850,000. The grants are intended for researchers who are further along in their careers and ready to take the next step toward scientific leadership. /LA & HOP

Record number of alumni return to alma mater TU/e

October 16, 2026 – No fewer than 1,200 alumni have registered for Alumni Day, which takes place tomorrow on the TU/e campus. This is the highest number ever, according to Edith Snelders of the Alumni Office. But the university grounds won’t be crowded with gray heads alone on Saturday: “There will also be 127 children of alumni.”

That is why the program, which celebrates TU/e’s 70th anniversary, includes family-friendly activities. Alumni will also get plenty of opportunities though to take a trip down memory lane at their former departments, rediscover the campus, and network. / LvA

Lustrum gala introduces cheaper alcohol-free tickets 

October 13, 2026 – Students and staff who do not want to or are not allowed to drink alcohol can now buy a cheaper ticket for the lustrum gala. For students, an alcohol-free ticket costs 40 euros, compared with 62 euros for a standard ticket. The organizers reopened ticket sales last Friday after it became clear that there was still interest in the remaining unsold tickets. The gala will take place on Thursday evening in the Auditorium.

By offering a cheaper ticket for an alcohol-free gala, the committee is responding to feedback about the high ticket prices. “Rather than taking that feedback on board for future parties, we decided to implement the change right away,” says committee member Dillon Gonsalves. “We had to check everyone’s age anyway.” Anyone who has already bought a ticket and does not plan to drink alcohol can contact the lustrum committee. / LA

73 percent of TU/e employees sign code of conduct

October 9, 2026 – The Executive Board was the first to sign TU/e’s new Code of Conduct, and the majority of the community has followed suit. 73 percent of employees signed the new Code of Conduct through the HR system InSite. On the intranet, the university encourages employees not to hesitate to discuss any questions or concerns with their supervisor.

Employees who refuse to sign the code of conduct altogether will probably have a conversation with their supervisor anyway, integrity ambassador Ingrid Heynderickx told Cursor earlier. Several employees voiced their opinions on the university’s request to sign the code of conduct. The ombudsperson subsequently issued a call in an opinion piece: “Anyone who fears that the code will eventually be used to silence criticism, I invite to sign it precisely for that reason and then hold me to my responsibility to do my job.” / LA

25 TU/e employees shortlisted for first Staff Awards

October 9, 2026 – While scientists are usually the ones in the spotlight, TU/e is now recognizing employees in support services. On Friday, October 16, the university will present the Professional Staff Awards for the first time, during its Lustrum Staff Party.

A jury will select one winner from up to three finalists (intranet) in each service department. There is a good chance that many of the winners will be women. A quick count shows that 18 of the 25 employees on the shortlist are women. / LvA

Interest rate on student debt to highest level in years

October 7, 2026 – Interest rates on student finance and student debt will rise again in 2027. For students and former students repaying their debt over 35 years, the rate will increase from 2.33 percent to 2.70 percent. This is the highest rate in years.

Student finance provider DUO announced the increase on Wednesday. Interest on student debt repayments stood at 0 percent for years, but has risen sharply in recent years. Those still covered by the 15-year repayment plan (around 5,000 cases) will see the rate rise from 2.29 percent to 3.28 percent. / HOP

Nobel Prize in chemistry for controlling mirror-image organic molecules

October 7, 2026 – Just as the left hand is the mirror image of the right hand, organic molecules in nature often occur in two forms. However, for some molecules, such as amino acids, only one of the two forms is found in the human body. French researcher Henri Kagan and Japanese researcher Kenso Soai are receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their research into these organic molecules.

The very first Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to a Dutch scientist, Jacobus Henricus van ’t Hoff, in 1901. Three other Dutch scientists have won the prize since then, including University of Groningen professor Ben Feringa, who received it ten years ago. / HOP

Second compensation payment for ‘unlucky’ students 

October 7, 2026 – Students affected by the student loan system will receive a second compensation payment from the government. A large majority of the House of Representatives approved the measure on Tuesday. Next year, they will receive 44.50 euros for each month they missed out on the basic grant. The government has set aside 1.4 billion euros for the payments.

This second payment comes on top of the first, which amounted to nearly 1,700 euros for four years without the basic student grant. That payment cost approximately 1 billion euros. The government believes the issue should now be settled, but some opposition parties still want the former students to receive full compensation. / HOP

Nobel Prize in physics goes to Belgian researcher

October 6, 2026 – Francis Halzen is receiving the Nobel Prize for his neutrino detector embedded in the ice of the South Pole. The detector enabled the physicist to detect particles arriving from the depths of the universe.

Halzen (born in 1944) grew up in Flanders and studied in Leuven, but has been working in the United States for decades. The most recent Dutch Nobel laureate received the prize in 2010. That was Andre Geim, a Dutch-British scientist who grew up in Russia. / HOP, LvA