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Two Leiden researchers have even been awarded a royal distinction. In 2015, Professor Willem Adelaar (LUCL) gained recognition for his impressive work on indigenous, and often endangered, Amerindian languages. Professor Marijke van der Wal was decorated for her pioneering role in establishing historical Dutch linguistics. King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands appointed both researchers Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion. Several researchers have been awarded grants by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). One of these is Professor Paul Smith of the Leiden University Centre for Arts in Society. He was awarded a one million euros NWO Free Competition Grant for his research ‘A New History of Fishes. A Long-term Approach to Fishes in Science and Culture’. This interdisciplinary project focuses on the role of ichthyology in arts, culture and sciences in the period 1550-1880. Other Leiden recipients of the NWO Free Competition Grants included Professor Lisa Cheng and Dr Anikó Lipták (LUCL) for their ‘Understanding questions’ project, and Professor Judith Pollman and Professor Henk te Velde ( LUIH) for their project on ‘The persistence of civic identities in the Netherlands, 1747-1848’. Every year NWO awards prestigious grants to talented researchers engaged in innovative, creative research. Last year, the Leiden Humanities Faculty staff were awarded three Veni grants ( for young researchers) and one Vidi grant (for researchers with several years of research experience). For a list of recipients of scientific awards over past years, see hum.leiden.edu/research/hall-of-fame.
Profile themes In order to facilitate cutting-edge fundamental research at the national and international level, Leiden University focuses on six key themes drawn from eleven multidisciplinary fields of research. The Faculty of Humanities is engaged in research relating to four of these themes: • Global Interaction of Civilisations and Languages • The Asian Challenge • Health, Life and Biosciences • Law, Democracy and Governance: Legitimacy in a Multilevel Setting