Vision seems to be the most objective sense, purely reflecting the optical properties of the environment. However, as known from psychophysiological research, our perception can be fooled by optical illusions indicating the influence of cognition on perception. The neuronal underpinning of this process is still unknown. In this proposal, the functional neuroanatomy of visual areas will be studied at an unprecedented level of detail using ultra-high field fMRI. In particular, the subcortical visual brain areas will be investigated, which have been incorrectly but widely assumed to be just relay stations for passing visual information to the cortex for further processing.

Although the SDGs are supposed to apply to all children equally, one group of children have remained largely invisible to the international community, namely: children living in unrecognized states. Since the goal of the UN is to provide access to justice for all, and to build effective and inclusive institutions at all levels, we propose to do research on the main question: (How) can development rights of children living in unrecognized states be better realized? From research in law and development, we know that for laws (including development rights) to have an impact on society, they must first be embedded in local norms. However, researchers have not yet found a way to systematically acquire and process the relationship between children’s development rights and the relevant local norms. Furthermore, there is no research currently available on what it means to say that children living in unrecognized states have development rights. To remedy this gap, the envisaged research will apply a three-pronged approach to answer our main question by: 1) Conceptualizing what development rights actually entail for children living in unrecognized states from an international law perspective 2) Developing a theoretical framework and methodology to study the different norms related to the protection/violation of children’s development rights in different socio-legal contexts 3) Formulating - through field research and literature study – a deeper understanding of legal and non-legal normative mechanisms that protect/violate development rights of children living in four unrecognized states: Abkhazia, Palestine, the SADR and Somaliland

The granted three projects of this NWA-call span the continuum from chemicals, materials and products and their safety, sustainability and circularity during their entire life cycle from design to waste. Here, we will synthesize the knowledge and tools developed, and in this way facilitate interaction between the domains of chemicals, materials or products. This Phase II BenignSynthesis project will as far as possible further generalize, integrate and simplify methods developed in the three Phase I projects, aiming for an overarching Safe,Sustainable&Circular-by-Design approach for the Chemicals-Materials-Product continuum in which the life cycle of design, production, consumption and waste is accounted for.

What connections between production and consumption provide access to locally produced affordable and healthy food? Research in the Netherlands identified three main types of initiatives contributing to a movement around local food: social initiatives focused on participation; ecological community farms prioritizing social and ecological values; and short-chain initiatives centred on the economy. Research in Kenya investigated aggregation practices of soy used for porridge for low-income consumers. Research in India documented frugal practices of food collectors-processors ensuring access to affordable mustard oil. All cases represent bottom-up practices with different values, arrangements and degrees of autonomy in the food chain.

The DARTBAC project will prepare the Netherlands for the time when antibiotics are much less effective in the prevention and eradication of infection due to AntiMicrobial Resistance (AMR). DARTBAC will, from a material perspective, develop new antimicrobial technologies that are not based on antibiotics to target infection prevention and eradication on implant surfaces, in hard tissues and in soft tissues and assess their safety and efficacy in in vitro and in vivo models. In this way, we are unique yet synergistic with most other initiatives that focus on an antibiotics approach. Collectively, we are bridging the entire knowledge-chain regarding development of new material technologies to combat AMR. DARTBAC will develop a new workflow based on AOPs of predictive in vitro and in vivo models to test safety and efficacy of newly developed antimicrobial technology in order to shorten the time to market. DARTBAC will enhance the therapeutic efficacy of current antibiotics by combination therapy and we will develop and validate these technologies so that they can be brought to the market within the project timeframe. Finally, we will maintain awareness of the emerging AMR problem in the Netherlands by informing the general public and HealthCare Practitioners (HCPs). This increased AMR awareness by HCPs, the general public, and healthcare policy makers can speed up acceptance and market introduction of these technologies both nationally and internationally. Moreover, such acceptance will ensure that insurance providers and advisory bodies adopt and reimburse new treatment approaches quicker, thereby accelerating clinical implementation. A successful DARTBAC project with the combination of these goals and objectives can prevent a rise in infection percentage due to AMR, minimize the effect of AMR in the Netherlands, and work towards a Dutch society that is less dependent on antibiotic therapy for infection, prevention, and treatment.