Veni grant for Thomas Breugem: the world’s unprecedented humanitarian needs call for more efficient aid

The need for humanitarian aid is growing rapidly. The prospects are grim: by 2030, nearly half of the global population is expected to live in fragile or conflict-affected areas. At the same time, humanitarian funding is not growing fast enough to keep up with the world’s rising demand.  

For humanitarian organizations, the growing gap between needs and resources means that tough choices will have to be made. “It will lead to all kinds of difficult considerations,” Breugem says. “For instance, where do you cut back on food aid when there simply aren’t enough resources to help everyone?” 

Mathematical models for humanitarian aid 

Breugem will provide humanitarian organizations with mathematical methods to use limited resources as best as possible. “Mathematical methods can help organizations navigate difficult dilemmas and make better decisions.” 

Affiliated with the Tilburg School of Economics and Management and the university’s Zero Hunger Lab, Breugem specializes in issues concerning humanitarian aid and making optimal use of resources to help vulnerable people across the world as effectively and efficiently as possible. “The Veni grant is a wonderful acknowledgement of my research in this area, allowing me to further develop my work on a larger scale in the years to come.” 

About the Veni grant 

NWO has awarded Veni funding of up to 280,000 euros to 188 promising researchers from the full breadth of science. This will allow the laureates to further develop their own research ideas over the next three years. Veni is an individual science grant, part of the NWO Talent Program, and aimed at researchers who have recently obtained their PhDs. 

Thomas Breugem is one of nine Tilburg University researchers who have received the grant this year. Curious about all Veni recipients and their research projects? Read more here.