ERC Starting Grant for research on cross-cultural eyewitness testimony

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded an ERC Starting Grant in the value of 1.5 million euro to ALLP member Annelies Vredeveldt for a five-year research project on eyewitness testimony in cross-cultural settings. The grant will allow for the appointment of two postdocs and two Ph.D. students to investigate this important topic.

Police interviewers, lawyers and immigration officials often interview eyewitnesses from different cultures. Yet, most research focuses on Western witnesses. The researchers will investigate cultural differences in testimony, and assess what problems arise when investigators interview eyewitnesses in cross-cultural contexts. The findings will be integrated in new theory and interview guidelines.