Young physics researcher off to foreign top institute thanks to Rubicon
This afternoon NWO published that 22 researchers who have recently received their PhDs can do their research at foreign research institutes thanks to a Rubicon grant from NWO. One of them is former FOM PhD researcher Dr. Femi Ojambati (University of Twente). He will be doing quantum research with single molecules at the University of Cambridge. The Rubicon programme gives young, highly promising researchers the opportunity to gain international research experience.
Fifteen Rubicon researchers will go abroad for a period of 24 months. Three are going for 12 months, two for 18 months, one for a period of 15 months and one for 14 months. For many researchers, experience abroad is an important step in their career. The awards are for the third funding round of 2016. In the list of awards (see the NWO website) a brief description of the research proposals awarded funding is provided, as are several facts and figures for this funding round.
Rubicon for physicist Femi Ojambati
Femi Ojambati will be doing research at the NanoPhotonics center Cavendish Laboratory of the University of Cambridge for two years. His research will be focussed on quantum research with single molecules. In his research he will try to demonstrate a small optical switch that is able to switch a single photon with another single photon; a feat that has never previously been achieved at room temperature. The switch contains a single dye molecule in an ultra-small golden cage and is an essential building block in ultra-rapid quantum information processing.
Facts and figures
A total of 78 researchers submitted a proposal for Rubicon, of which 45 men and 33 women. The overall award rate was 28 percent. The award rate was 20 percent for men and 39 percent for women. Twelve laureates are going to the United States, four to the United Kingdom, two to Germany, one to Australia, one to Canada, one to France and one to Belgium. For many researchers, experience abroad is an important step in their career.
About Rubicon With a Rubicon grant researchers can conduct research for a period up to 24 months at a foreign research institute. The size of the grant depends on the destination chosen and the length of stay. NWO is able to fund around 60 young researchers through Rubicon every year (for a total sum of 7 million euros, spread over three rounds). The Rubicon programme is named after the river Julius Caesar crossed after his series of victories, which ultimately led to his declaration 'veni, vidi, vici'. NWO chose the name Rubicon in 2005 for its individual grant programme aimed at retaining talented researchers, who have recently gained their PhD, in science.
FOM and NWO Transition
As of 1 January 2017 FOM is converted to the NWO Institutes Organisation. Together with other NWO divisions FOM forms a new organisation, as part of the NWO Transition. FOM is divided into three parts: 'granting' will be part of the NWO Domain Science, another part will join the Operations division and the staff supporting the institutes (AMOLF, ARCNL, DIFFER and Nikhef) and university Work groups has become the NWO Institutes Organisation (NWO-I). 200 FOM workgroups are part of the NWO Institutes Organisation, where physics research takes place at Dutch universities and institutes. This research will take place untill the former FOM-projects have been seen to an end. For more information about the transition, please visit the NWO website as well.