Niels Rietveld receives a Vidi grant for advancing the literature on gene-environment interactions and intergenerational mobility both theoretically and empirically
Research fellow Niels Rietveld from the Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam has been awarded a Vidi research grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO). His project 'Random genes from non-random parents: Parental matching and the intergenerational proliferation of socio-economic inequalities' advances the gene-environment interplay and intergenerational mobility literature on both theoretical and empirical frontiers.
Abstract
Children inherit a random combination of their parent’s genes, but the non-random matching of parents contributes to the stratification of societies and the proliferation of socio-economic inequalities through generations. Gene-environment interaction studies may, however, improve our understanding of how environmental circumstances can change genetic influences on socio-economic inequalities. In this project, I will refine and extend statistical methodology to account for assortative mating in heritability and gene-environment interaction studies, and detach genetic from non-genetic assortative mating. By drawing on a unique combination of data, this project advances the gene-environment interplay and intergenerational mobility literature on both theoretical and empirical frontiers.
About the Vidi Grant
NWO has awarded 102 experienced researchers a Vidi grant worth 850,000 euros. The grant enables them to develop their own innovative line of research and set up their own research group.
More awarded projects
Four researchers affiliated to Tinbergen Institute have received a Vidi grant during the 2023 round: Research Fellow Jan Hausfeld (University of Amsterdam) on how attention affects discrimination, especially in group decisions, Research Fellow Arturas Juodis (University of Amsterdam) on making complex economic models easier to understand and accessible and Research Fellow Niels Rietveld (Erasmus University Rotterdam) for research drawing on a unique combination of data, that advances the gene-environment interplay and intergenerational mobility literature on both theoretical and empirical frontiers. Jonne Guyt, faculty member of the Research Master Business Data Science at Tinbergen Institute, also receives funding for his research on the societal impact of health taxes on junk food. See all laureates of the 2023 Vidi round.