Congratulations to the winners of the JTS Grassroots Grants

We are excited to announce the second round of winners of the 2025 Grassroots Grants! After careful consideration and evaluation, the winners were selected through a lottery.

The winners of the second round of the JTS Grassroot Grants are:

Qinfeng Zhu - Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts - Learning with AI; She will use the JTS Grassroot grant to hire a student assistant to conduct the interviews and policy analysis, and to cover the costs of organising a workshop for educators and policymakers at the UG. This project investigates how students at the University of Groningen (UG) use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT in their everyday academic learning, and how institutional rules, social norms, and individual factors shape these practices. Insights that are key to understanding how students engage with AI both as learners and as (future) citizens.

Nynke Vellinga - Senior researcher, Faculty of Law - From static to dynamic: approval for the safety of AI in healthcare and mobility;
The JTS Grassroot Grant will make it possible to host a workshop on the dynamic approval of AI systems in healthcare and mobility. The Grant ensures that the necessary resources are available to bring together experts working within safety assessment and approval regimes in these sectors, allowing valuable insights to be shared. 

• Esther Metting - Assistant professor, UMCG - Let’s talk about robots! Interactive meetings with citizens and patients learn how people feel about robots;
  Esther will purchase a "Maatje" robot with her JTS Grassroot Grant, strengthening both the academic and societal impact of her initiative. Our contribution allows her to expand existing sessions with dedicated information on robotics in healthcare, test different robot configurations to understand user preferences, give participants hands-on experience with the robot to show how such innovations are used in healthcare and may shape its future, and develop a standardised, research-based workshop manual for long-term use.

A heartfelt congratulations to all the winners on your inspiring proposals and commitment to making an impact truly stand out. We look forward to seeing the results of your projects.

A big thank you to everyone who participated. We were impressed by the quality and diversity of the submissions. If you weren’t selected this time, we encourage you to apply again next year.

Help us foster interdisciplinary innovation. The Jantina Tammes School’s Grassroots Grants are open to all academics, staff, and PhD candidates within the university. If your initiative aligns with JTS’s mission, this is your chance to bring your ideas to life and create meaningful impact.

More information about the JTS Grassroots Grants can be found on our website.

Once again, congratulations to our winners!