Rory de Vries, an associate professor of virology in the Netherlands, faced the cancellation of his research funding from Columbia University, impacting his projects on antiviral treatments for respiratory viruses like Covid-19. With concerns over his doctoral student and compliance with Dutch law, he is now seeking alternative funding from the Dutch government or the EU to continue his promising work.
Explain It To Me Like I’m 5: Rory de Vries, a scientist in the Netherlands, was sad to find out that his important research on helping people with viruses like COVID-19 was suddenly stopped because of a decision from Columbia University.
Why was the research stopped?
Rory’s research funding was canceled by Columbia University, which meant he couldn’t continue his work.
What was Rory working on?
He was studying how to help people fight off respiratory viruses, including COVID-19.
What did Rory feel after hearing the news?
Rory felt disappointed but wasn’t very surprised because he knew it could happen.
What questions did Rory have?
He wondered what would happen to his new student, how to follow the rules in his country, and what would happen to his important research in the future.
What was Rory’s next step?
He started looking for new money to keep his important work going.
