CMEC researcher named Villum Young Investigator
Assistant Professor Naia Morueta-Holme from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate (CMEC), Globe Institute, receives grant from VILLUM FONDEN on a new project. On 23 January she was celebrated alongside 21 fellow Villum Young Investigators 2023.
Based on the evaluation of 98 applications, 22 researchers across five Danish universities were selected through the VILLUM FONDEN Young Investigator Programme following a process of academic evaluation and interviews with the foundation’s scientific committee, as well as final approval from the board of the foundation.
Amongst the selected researchers is Naia Morueta-Holme, Assistant Professor at the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate (CMEC), Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen.
New project on drivers of biodiversity change
Naia Morueta-Holme receives a 3 million DKK grant for her DORA project - Drivers of biOdiversity change through Resurveys in the Anthropocene:
"Understanding what drives biodiversity change – from genes to species communities and across ecosystems – is essential to make robust predictions and effective conservation actions. The project will use historical biodiversity data, museum genomics, and field resurveys to reconstruct changes in plant communities and genetic diversity the past century", explains Naia Morueta-Holme in a VILLUM FONDEN press release.
The grant will support the funding of two postdocs who will be working on revealing the ecological and evolutionary impacts of human-induced environmental change around the world.
Supporting early-career researchers
The Villum Young Investigator Programme (YIP) is aimed at early-career researchers to support them in creating the best possible framework for pursuing their ideas and projects. The grants are used to develop research groups and hire other young researchers to participate in the research projects.
As part of the programme, the researchers are given the opportunity of being a part of a research community with networks and seminars on issues such as research management:
"With the Villum Young Investigator Programme, we are supporting universities’ development of research environments at the highest international level by attracting and retaining talented young researchers from Denmark and abroad. The recipients are outstanding researchers, and I’m pleased to see that the universities are providing many of them with good career opportunities with tenure track positions,” says Thomas Bjørnholm, Executive Chief Scientific Officer of VILLUM FONDEN, in a press release.
The 22 new Villum Young Investigators were celebrated at VILLUM FONDEN’s presentation of the Villum Kann Rasmussen Annual Award in Science and Technology on 23 January – the birthday of Villum Kann Rasmussen (1909-93), founder of the foundation.
Naia Morueta-Holme receives the grant alongside two fellow Globe Institute Villum Young Investigators and grant recipients Assistant Professor Elishevah van Kooten, and researcher José Víctor Moreno Mayar.
Contact
Assistant Professor Naia Morueta-Holme