The recent direct detections of gravitational waves and multi-messenger discovery of a binary neutron star merger opened new exciting opportunities for probing fundamental physics in unexplored regimes. Key scientific targets in this field are the rich phenomena of neutron star binary systems, whose unique science is imprinted in the gravitational waves generated during their inspiral and merger, as well as the accompanying electromagnetic counterparts. Each messenger conveys complementary information about these violent events, with a joint analysis being essential for tests gravity and cosmology, for probing the microphysics of matter at supra-nuclear densities, and for gaining deeper insights into neutron star and black hole formation. The aim of this project is to jointly analyze information from gravitational waves and electromagnetic counterparts to probe the rich physics of neutron stars. Neutron stars contain matter compressed by gravity to up to several times the density of an atomic nucleus and represent exceptional environments where all four fundamental forces are simultaneously important. Despite a decades-long effort in theory, experiments, and astrophysical observations to probe neutron star physics, we still have only a diverse set of hypotheses about the composition and properties of matter in such extreme conditions. The proposal is organized around three interrelated projects. We will first develop a systematic analysis strategy for the joint interpretation of gravitational waves and electromagnetic counterparts to determine the nature of the compact objects in a merging binary system. We will then address several current challenges in extracting the fundamental science from gravitational-wave signals, which relies on robust theoretical models, by advancing models to include more realistic physics and developing efficient descriptions for practical use. Finally, we will assess the prospects for probing black hole formation and measuring new physics with gravitational wave experiments such as LIGO, Virgo and the Einstein telescope. This project will provide key inputs for using the new field of GWs to (i) probe the fundamental physics of matter in unexplored regimes, (ii) distinguish double neutron star binaries from those involving a black hole or exotic object, (iii) measure the microphysics and energetics driving the merger, tidal disruption, and black hole formation, and (iv) elucidate the full cosmological context of these cataclysmic events. The proposal’s timely and urgent approach leverages experimental opportunities opening up with new facilities (including NWO funded projects) that, in return, will rely on the deliverables of such research. Given that this is an emerging new field, the current proposal may also achieve unexpected discoveries.

Our planet is changing rapidly. To understand and forecast how ecosystems are affected by global change, ecology should become a predictive science. We will build a unique virtual research environment that will facilitate this transformation, capitalizing on recent advances in Big Data science. This will enable ecologists to link scattered long-term data on plants, animals, and the environment; share methods for data analysis, modelling, and simulation; and build digital replicas of entire ecosystems (“Digital Twins”). This will transform our ability to understand and predict how ecosystems will respond under different scenarios and mitigation measures, fostering scientific breakthroughs and societal impact.

The ever wider use of ICT in our society is reflected in the growing complexity of ICT systems and probably, the growing number of cyber criminals. These growing numbers impact the risk of cyber criminality adversely. Risk is an important concept in our research, it is the average impact of a given malicious interaction with an ICT infrastructure. Basically our research goal is to obtain the knowledge to create ICT systems that model their state (situation), discover by observations and reasoning if and how an attack is developing and calculate the associated risks.

Modern transmission electron microscopes now can routinely visualize materials all the way down to the atomic level. At the same time, recent developments in nanophotonics and plasmonics make it possible to concentrate light nearly to the atomic scale within picoseconds, opening up unprecedented control over where, when and how energy is injected into a material. SHINE will bring light directly into the transmission electron microscope to enable us to watch solar harvesting materials transform at the atomic level under relevant operating conditions.

Extremes in the Universe, such as black holes (BHs) and strongly-curved spacetimes, are key areas for astrophysics this century. Within this context, a defining question is the formation of BHs themselves. The birth of black holes (BHs) provides unique astrophysical conditions where extreme gravity, densities and magnetic fields come together. This proposal aims at directly measuring these extreme astrophysical processes by tracking the mergers of pairs of neutron stars (NSs) or a NS-BH that ultimately form BHs. Although rare and short-lived, NS mergers produce copious amounts of electromagnetic (EM) and gravitational wave (GW) radiation within short timescales. Our goal is to measure, for the first time, the physics driving the mergers through observations of their EM and GW radiation. It leverages the opportunity today to observe these events thanks to new time-domain telescopes and GW detectors (LIGO and Virgo). GW observations will measure the fundamental parameters of NS and BHs, such as their masses, spins and equation of state. EM observations, sensitive to the composition and thermodynamic state of matter, will be complementary to the GW signals that constrain the NS and BH masses and spins. My objectives are to: i) interpret combined EM and GW measurements, and hence ii) determine the astrophysics driving the NS/BH mergers leading to the BH formation. To achieve them, I have designed a multi-disciplinary program, bridging time-domain astronomy, general relativity and statistical and computational astrophysics. I will provide a real-time software necessary to characterise the first EM and GW mergers. We will work in close collaboration with the LIGO-Virgo detectors, the iPTF/ZTF and BlackGEM optical telescopes and radio MEERKAT and LOFAR observatories, to apply the new tools and directly witness the first BH births within the next five years.