Veni Grant by NWO for research on Saharan mineral dust and its role in a changing climate
Dr. Michèlle van der Does, a postdoctoral researcher who completed her PhD dissertation in 2018 with Jan-Berend Stuut at NIOZ, has been awarded a Veni grant from NWO. In her Veni research, Van der Does will focus on the complex interactions between mineral dust particles and climate change.
Mineral dust particles are transported through the atmosphere from the world’s deserts, deposited over the oceans, and affect climate and global warming in many different ways. Changing winds and rain determine how much and how far dust is transported, but the exact relations and feedbacks between dust and climate are unclear. Dust from the Sahara Desert that blows over the Atlantic Ocean will be collected, its particle size, shape and composition will be studied, and climate models will reveal how dust and climate affect each other. This knowledge is fundamental to make more accurate predictions for our future climate.
''Over 2 trillion kg of mineral dust is emitted from Northern Africa every year. I am fascinated by these immense amounts, and I want to investigate how this dust impacts climate, and how this changes due to climate change'', Van der Does says.
Dr. Michèlle van der Does. (photo: Lars van den Brink)
NWO has awarded Veni funding of up to EUR 320,000 to 174 promising researchers from across the full breadth of science. This will allow the laureates to further develop their own research ideas over the next three years. The Veni is a personal scientific grant, is part of the NWO Talent Programme and is aimed at researchers who have recently obtained their PhDs.