Eleven grants for interdisciplinary PhD research under the 2025 M20 PhD Scholarship Programme

The Ubbo Emmius Foundation (UEF) has selected 11 research proposals for funding under the 2025 M20 PhD Scholarship Programme. The grants give a boost to interdisciplinary research within the four Schools for Science & Society at the University of Groningen. With the M20 programme, the UEF invests in innovative research that contributes to solutions for urgent issues at the interface of science and society. The grants allow PhD candidates to pursue their ambition to become interdisciplinary researchers.

The selected proposals reflect the strategic themes of the four Schools for Science & Society, as described in the call for proposals, and address a broad range of current issues. Each project is embedded in an interdisciplinary collaboration and advances knowledge and innovation with a societal impact.

“‘The diversity and societal relevance of the proposals show how much potential there is for interdisciplinary research at the University of Groningen,’ These projects are often difficult to fund elsewhere, because they fall outside the conventional frameworks. That makes it all the more valuable that we, as the Ubbo Emmius Fund, are able to support such innovative and impactful research.” - Liesbeth Nagelkerke, board member of the Ubbo Emmius Fund and chair of the allocation committee.

Selected projects by School

Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology and AI

• Towards flexible AI: Developing a neural model of human working memory – J.P. Borst, E.G. Akyürek

Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health

• Curate to Care: Visual Arts in Hospitals – Yixue (C.) Ma, B.P. van Heusden, R.F.A. Cox, C. Wagenaar, R.C. Oude Voshaar, A.A.E. Verhagen

• Strengthening healthcare literacy for vulnerable persons – W.L.T. Krugers Dagneaux, B.C.A. Toebes, R.M. Marijnissen

• Unlocking the Potential of Community Health Services in the Northern Netherlands – M.L. Lioliopoulou, S. Brouwer, A.E. Brouwer, R. van Ooijen, M. Slootweg

Wubbo Ockels School for Energy and Climate

• Grassroots retrofitting for a fair residential energy transition – E.M. Trell-Zuidema, L. Cheng

• Empowering Society in District Heating Transitions – A. Rijal, S. Ahmed, M. Cucuzzella

• Voices of the Future: Youth Rhetoric in Climate Change Caselaw – J. Olthof, H. Vedder

• Wild bird population management and climate change – H. Dugdale, S. Adaawen, V. Venhorst

Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development

• Land, Livelihoods and Landscapes in Africa – R. Lensink, H. Olff

• Seascape heritage in the Afsluitdijk area – C. Cakirlar, L.L. Govers, D. Vos, W. de Kock, F. Marulo

• Rural Youth and Sustainable Development – A. Neag, K. Salemink, T. Haartsen