english:
Dekker grants 2023 awarded to 14 talented researchers
For the 37th time we have awarded our personal Dekker grants to young, talented researchers. Patients, relatives and donors presented the certificates during a festive afternoon.
With a personal Dekker grant, young researchers can start or expand their own line of research. On Wednesday, March 6, the festive presentation took place at our office in The Hague, presented by Dieuwertje Blok. Last year, a total of 79 applications were submitted, and the assessment committee honored 14 of them. This amounts to a total of 5.5 million euros.
With his or her research, each researcher contributes to the mission of the Heart Foundation: everyone has a healthy heart, now and in the future. “We congratulate all researchers on their grants,” said Rebecca Abma-Schouten, research manager. “Their work is of great importance to prevent cardiovascular disease, detect it earlier and treat it better. This financing would not be possible without donations from our donors and the advice of committee members and referees. We are very grateful for their contribution .”
The circle is round
One of the presenters was Henriëtte Grimbergen. Her husband died suddenly of cardiac arrest at the end of 2022. Because he wanted to run the Leiden Marathon, Henriëtte set up a campaign to raise money for the marathon. The four other recipients, patients and donors, also told their personal stories. This afternoon, all parts of cardiovascular research came together.
Best referee
For the Dekker grants, we cannot do without the efforts of three assessment committees and more than two hundred referees from home and abroad. They ensure an independent and transparent assessment. During the award ceremony we reflected on the best referent from the Netherlands, in 2023 that was Beatrijs Bartelds. Watch the video below to see how she received the award and why she thinks it is important to be a referent.