Daniël Lakens, a fellow Meta/e member, has been awarded the prestigious NWO Vici grant for his project, Interpreting Results Meaningfully. The grant, one of the most competitive in the Netherlands, supports senior researchers in expanding their innovative research lines.
Making Research Results More Meaningful
When scientists analyze data, they often focus on whether an effect exists—but how big is that effect, and does it matter? Lakens’ project aims to help researchers better interpret and communicate the real-world significance of their findings.
In psychology and many other fields, studies typically report whether an effect is statistically significant, but its actual magnitude is often unclear. For instance, if research shows that people are 0.5 points happier on a 1-to-10 scale, is that a meaningful change? Without clear benchmarks, answering this question is challenging.
As datasets grow larger, the problem becomes more pressing. “We’re detecting more effects that are statistically significant but practically irrelevant,” Lakens explains. His project will develop solutions to help scientists not only report effect sizes but also interpret them in a meaningful way.
Advancing Research Practices
By improving how effect sizes are understood, Lakens hopes to make research findings more useful, enhance study design efficiency, and strengthen theoretical predictions. “This project helps researchers in psychology not only report the magnitude of effects but also understand their real-world implications,” he says.
With the support of the Vici grant, Lakens’ work will contribute to making scientific research more insightful, relevant, and impactful.
You can read more here: https://www.tue.nl/en/news-and-events/news-overview/28-02-2025-nwo-vici-grants-awarded-to-daniel-lakens-and-peter-zijlstra