The FNR is pleased to communicate that 32 of 119 eligible PhD projects have been selected for funding in the 2019 AFR Call. This represents an FNR commitment of 5.72 MEUR. Of the 32 projects, 7 projects were previously on the reserve list, but have now also been accommodated funding.
AFR is one of the FNR’s longest-running funding schemes and now serves the specific purpose of providing funding for the training of doctoral candidates. Grants are awarded in the form of an employment contract with the host institution, rather than in the form of a scholarship.
Funded projects
Domain Humanities & Social Sciences – 8 projects
Applicant
Lynn Erpelding
Project title
Body image distortion and cardio-visual integration in anorexia nervosa
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Claus Vögele
Applicant
Gabriel Rivera Cosme
Project title
Language Policy and Planning in Luxembourg and Eastern Belgium: Ideologies of Standardization
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Mélanie Wagner
Applicant
Bastien Dubuisson
Project title
Books, Saints, and Men: for a Revaluation of Latin Hagiographic Culture in the Diocese of Trier (13th-16th centuries)
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Michel Margue
Applicant
Thierry Groff
Project title
Die Legio XXII Primigenia Pia Fidelis: Eine epigraphische Studie zu Migration und Mobilität römischer Soldaten am Rande des Imperium Romanum
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Andrea Binsfeld
Applicant
Christopher Geisser
Project title
The moderating role of intergroup contact on discriminatory news
Host institution
University of Geneva
Supervisor
Juan Manuel Falomir Pichastor
Applicant
Jill Kries
Project title
Developing a neurodiagnostic test for aphasia: EEG as a measure of speech processing
Host institution
KU Leuven
Supervisor
Maaike Vandermosten
Applicant
Julien Rippinger
Project title
Descriptive Geometry and Infographics: Towards the Formulation of a Theory of Projective Representation for Computer-aided Architectural Drawing Tools
Host institution
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Supervisor
Denis Derycke
Applicant
Naja Camisa
Project title
EU Migration Policies in Crisis: The role of traditional and social media in shaping the European policy attention and actions
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Birte Nienaber
Domain Materials, Physics & Engineering – 10 projects
Applicant
Eric Schanet
Project title
Search for electroweak supersymmetric particles with the ATLAS detector at the LHC
Host institution
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich
Supervisor
Dorothee Schaile
Applicant
Kim Greis
Project title
Studying Glycosyl Cations using Gas-Phase Infrared Spectroscopy
Host institution
Freie Universität Berlin
Supervisor
Kevin Pagel
Applicant
Benson Mbani
Project title
Integration of Building Information Models with Geographical Information Systems for Smart City Modelling
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Felix Norman Teferle
Applicant
Gilles Stebens
Project title
C-H-Bond Activation as a Model Process for the Transfer of Gas-Phase Ion-Chemistry into the Condensed Phase
Host institution
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Supervisor
Ingo Krossing
Applicant
Christophe Pixius
Project title
Cosmic Structure Formation with Kinetic Field Theory
Host institution
Universität Heidelberg
Supervisor
Matthias Bartelmann
Applicant
Jonathan Rommelfangen
Project title
Functionalization of MoS2 via ion beams and alkali metals
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Applicant
Navid Aminnia
Project title
Investigation into the evolution of grain structure for metal additive manufacturing
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Bernhard Peters
Applicant
Valeria Giraldo Carvajal
Project title
Liquid-assisted Plasma Deposition of Zwitterionic Water-Structuring Polymer Layers on Textiles
Host institution
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
Supervisor
Roberto Vicente
Applicant
Arkajyoti Ghoshal
Project title
Microbial Signal Transduction Under Fluctuating Fields
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Anupam Sengupta
Applicant
Jorge Martinez
Project title
Towards First-Principles Understanding of Positron–Molecule Interactions
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Alexandre Tkatchenko
Domain Life Sciences, Biology & Medicine – 6 projects
Applicant
Pelin Kaya
Project title
Evaluation of the biological activity of novel PDE6D inhibitors
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Daniel Abankwa
Applicant
Yannick Weyer
Project title
Functional characterization of a novel endosome and Golgi associated degradation (EGAD) system
Host institution
Medical University of Innsbruck
Supervisor
David Teis
Applicant
Lucas Schaus
Project title
Machine Learning as a Tool in Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Discovery
Host institution
California Institute of Technology
Supervisor
Applicant
Zoé Bürger
Project title
Hormonal contraception and stress reactivity in women
Host institution
University of Tübingen
Supervisor
Birgit Derntl
Applicant
Noémie Catherine Engel
Project title
Sex role evolution in the wild: sexual selection and parental cooperation in a social network
Host institution
University of Bath
Supervisor
Tamas Székely
Applicant
Philip Bertemes
Project title
Towards a reversible bio-inspired glue for medical application.
Host institution
University of Innsbruck
Supervisor
Peter Ladurner
Domain Sustainable Resources – 3 projects
Applicant
Samuele Ceolin
Project title
Root dynamics under varying water and nutrient supply
Host institution
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
Supervisor
Applicant
Milan Milenovic
Project title
Effect of Climate Change on the interaction between whiteflies, parasitoids, endosymbionts, and the host plant in European and Mediterranean regions
Host institution
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
Supervisor
Lucien Hoffmann
Applicant
Gustavo Larrea-Gallegos
Project title
Using AgEnt based models and NEtwork AnalySis to assess supply chains criticalities
Host institution
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
Supervisor
Enrico Benetto
Domain Mathematics: 2 projects
Applicant
Luca Courte
Project title
Scaling Laws and Emergent Effects for Plasticity in Heterogeneous Materials
Host institution
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Supervisor
Patrick Dondl
Applicant
Lancelot Da Costa
Project title
Active Optimisation
Host institution
Imperial College London
Supervisor
Grigorios A. Pavliotis
Domain Innovation in Services – 1 project
Applicant
Hailong Hu
Project title
Privacy Attacks and Protection in Machine Learning as a Service
Host institution
University of Luxembourg
Supervisor
Jun Pang
Domain Law & Economics – 1 project
Applicant
Goya Razavi
Project title
The Sources of Intergenerational Mobility in Luxembourg and the US
Host institution
University of Chicago
Supervisor
Steven Durlauf
Last updated September 2019 – the 7 projects previously on reserve list have now been accommodated funding and the projects added to the list above
The FNR is aware that the 2019 AFR Call had a low amount of proposals from female applicants selected for funding. The FNR monitors the gender balance on its funding programmes and can confirm that it is rare that the female ratio of AFR accepted projects is this low. In the 2018 AFR Call, for example, the number of successful applications from female applicants (17) outnumbered that of male applicants (14).
From 2008 – 2018, 362 out of 860 eligible AFR proposals by female applicants were accepted (42% success rate), and 465 out of 1037 eligible AFR proposals by male applicants were accepted (45% success rate), showing that overall, the AFR scheme has good gender balance. The FNR is also actively working on increasing the number of female scientists in the selection and evaluation committees.
Below is the breakdown of success rate by gender for the AFR Calls 2008-19, showing both eligible and funded projects.
Success rate by gender for AFR Calls 2008-2019
| Year | Female accepted/eligible | Female success rate | Male accepted/eligible | Male success rate |
| 2008 | 27/42 | 64% | 31/56 | 55% |
| 2009 | 58/110 | 53% | 89/138 | 64% |
| 2010 | 49/87 | 56% | 54/97 | 56% |
| 2011 | 45/91 | 49% | 61/112 | 54% |
| 2012 | 55/122 | 45% | 41/128 | 31% |
| 2013 | 42/130 | 31% | 58/134 | 43% |
| 2014 | 27/111 | 24% | 45/155 | 29% |
| 2015 | 19/51 | 37% | 34/66 | 52% |
| 2016 | 12/36 | 33% | 18/43 | 42% |
| 2017 | 11/30 | 37% | 21/58 | 36% |
| 2018 | 17/50 | 34% | 14/50 | 28% |
| 2019 | 8/51 | 16% | 24/61 | 39% |
| Grand Total | 370/911 | 40% | 489/1099 | 44% |