{
  "meta": {
    "api_type": "NWO Projects API",
    "version": "1.0.2",
    "licence": {
      "name": "CC0 1.0 Universal",
      "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0",
      "description": "To the extent possible under law, all copyright and related or neighbouring rights have been waived worldwide to the data made available through this API."
    },
    "documentation": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14918287",
    "release_date": "2025-08-20T00:00:00",
    "funder": "https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003246",
    "ror_id": "https://ror.org/04jsz6e67",
    "date": "2026-11-05T00:00:00",
    "count": 1,
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    "pages": 1,
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  },
  "projects": [
    {
      "project_id": "680-47-440",
      "title": "Investigating the early universe with quantum gravity",
      "funding_scheme_id": 474,
      "funding_scheme": "NWO-Talentprogramma Veni 2014 N",
      "department": "Exacte en Natuurwetenschappen",
      "sub_department": "Natuurkunde",
      "start_date": "2014-09-01T00:00:00",
      "end_date": "2017-08-31T00:00:00",
      "reporting_year": 2014,
      "summary_nl": "This project addresses the interface between cosmology and our current tentative theoretical understanding of the quantum properties of spacetime. It focuses on the physics of the universe in its early stage, when the quantum nature of spacetime cannot be disregarded. Early cosmology might provide the first possible observational window for quantum gravity effects. The goal of the project is to provide a link between theory and observations in the context of cosmology. \nOne of the important open questions of contemporary cosmology is the origin of the quantum fluctuations, from which cosmic structures are thought to originate.  The extreme conditions of the early universe suggest that these quantum fluctuation should be studied taking into account both Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity, namely in the context of a theory of quantum gravity.  \nLoop Quantum Gravity is one of the main approaches to the quantization of gravity. In this framework, the quantum nature of geometry removes the classical Big Bang singularity. The theory defines a general covariant path-integral (spinfoam), that contains information about the quantum fluctuations of the geometry. This path integral can be studied beyond the usual perturbative approach. \nAim of this research project is to use these techniques to study the quantum geometry of the early universe, and its connection to the origin of structure formation. The specific objectives of the this research proposal are:\n1) a method to predict the amplitude of the primordial fluctuation,\n2) a mechanism for the classical-to-quantum transition of cosmological fluctuations,\n3) a mechanism of homogenization/isotropization for quantum states of geometry, and\n4) the study of thermodynamics for general-covariant systems.\n",
      "summary_en": "This project addresses the interface between cosmology and our current tentative theoretical understanding of the quantum properties of spacetime. It focuses on the physics of the universe in its early stage, when the quantum nature of spacetime cannot be disregarded. Early cosmology might provide the first possible observational window for quantum gravity effects. The goal of the project is to provide a link between theory and observations in the context of cosmology. \nOne of the important open questions of contemporary cosmology is the origin of the quantum fluctuations, from which cosmic structures are thought to originate.  The extreme conditions of the early universe suggest that these quantum fluctuation should be studied taking into account both Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity, namely in the context of a theory of quantum gravity.  \nLoop Quantum Gravity is one of the main approaches to the quantization of gravity. In this framework, the quantum nature of geometry removes the classical Big Bang singularity. The theory defines a general covariant path-integral (spinfoam), that contains information about the quantum fluctuations of the geometry. This path integral can be studied beyond the usual perturbative approach. \nAim of this research project is to use these techniques to study the quantum geometry of the early universe, and its connection to the origin of structure formation. The specific objectives of the this research proposal are:\n1) a method to predict the amplitude of the primordial fluctuation,\n2) a mechanism for the classical-to-quantum transition of cosmological fluctuations,\n3) a mechanism of homogenization/isotropization for quantum states of geometry, and\n4) the study of thermodynamics for general-covariant systems.\n",
      "project_members": [
        {
          "role": "Project leader",
          "member_id": 245720,
          "last_name": "Vidotto",
          "initials": "F.",
          "first_name": "Francesca",
          "organisation": "Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen||Faculteit der Natuurwetenschappen, Wiskunde en Informatica||Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP)",
          "organisation_id": 73889,
          "ror": "https://ror.org/016xsfp80",
          "active": false
        },
        {
          "role": "Researcher",
          "member_id": 245720,
          "last_name": "Vidotto",
          "initials": "F.",
          "first_name": "Francesca",
          "organisation": "Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen||Faculteit der Natuurwetenschappen, Wiskunde en Informatica||Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP)",
          "organisation_id": 73889,
          "ror": "https://ror.org/016xsfp80",
          "active": false
        },
        {
          "role": "Main Applicant",
          "member_id": 245720,
          "last_name": "Vidotto",
          "initials": "F.",
          "first_name": "Francesca",
          "organisation": "Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen||Faculteit der Natuurwetenschappen, Wiskunde en Informatica||Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP)",
          "organisation_id": 73889,
          "ror": "https://ror.org/016xsfp80",
          "active": true
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}