Exciting news! I have been nominated for the annual Dutch New Scientist competition for Research Talent of the Year. The nomination is based on my motion-based deception research, including papers such as AMAB, To freeze or not to freeze and Mining bodily cues to deceit. Researchers are judged not only on their scientific impact, but also on their impact on policy and outreach activities. Media attention such as news paper articles in the Guardian and Volkskrant and TV programs such as BBC Crimewatch Roadshow, de Kennis van Nu and NOS op 3 has helped me to become one of the final 25 nominees in this competition. Each year, 25 candidates from Dutch and Flemish universities and research institutes are nominated for this prestigious award. These are the candidates for 2018. Based on popular vote (50%) and a jury score (50%), the best five candidates will be chosen.  They will each get the opportunity to pitch their research during the New Scientist Live event on May 31st in Tivoli Vredenburg Utrecht, after which a winner will be announced. This year, the jury consists of Stan Gielen (NWO chair), Melanie Peters (director Rathenau Institute), Lieve van Hoof (co-chair of the Young Academy), Joos Vandewalle (KVAB chair), and Jim Jansen (editor in chief New Scientist).

In honor of outreach activities, I have promoted my research on King’s day in Utrecht and invited people to ask me everything they wanted to know about lying and lie detection. Interestingly, cheating partners and politicians were the most popular topics to discuss!

By voting here (deadline May 6th 2018), you can help me get into the finals! And I might really need your help, because there are so many awesome researchers nominated that the competition is tough!