The winners: 4th call Public Engagement Seed Fund

Interested in which projects for funding Public Engegament activities were considerd eligible and received the the funding?

GrunNL: The Rise of the Internet in Groningen

Nathalie Fridzema, Faculty of Arts
Susan Aasman, Faculty of Arts
Jesper Verhoef, Faculty of Arts
Rik Smit, Faculty of Arts

This project brings Groningen’s role in the early history of the Dutch internet back into view. Alongside well-known initiatives such as the "electronic highway" and De Digitale Stad Amsterdam, Groningen played an important yet largely forgotten part. Stichting Internet Access (1992) was among the first Dutch internet providers, and the Groninger Internet Courant (1997) was an early experiment in online journalism. Local government, the University of Groningen, and companies like KPN invested in building Groningen as an “IT city”. With support from the Public Engagement Fund, we will make this history visible through a symposium, documentary, and a “look and feel” homepage developed with former users.

Why the Hate? Exploring the Drivers of Anti-LGBTQIA+ Attitudes and Behaviors among Youth in Groningen

Wouter Kiekens, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences
Lucia Canora Flores
Manuel Reyes, Stichting Inclusive Action North
Lieuwe Rozema, Gemeente Groningen

This project investigates the drivers of anti-LGBTQIA+ attitudes and behaviors among youth in Groningen. Despite reports showing LGBTQIA+ individuals feel unsafe in Groningen, especially at night, what drives these anti-LGBTQIA+ attitudes and behaviors remains unclear. By consulting the queer community and youth professionals, we will develop a questionnaire and conduct interviews with perpetrators. Findings will be co-interpreted with attendees at Queer Pride Groningen to create intervention ideas, which we will share with the municipality to inform targeted strategies for fostering inclusivity and safety.

Co-creating a Climate–Health Research Agenda in Katakwi

Rik Lubbers, Faculty of Medical Sciences
Regien Biesma-Blanco, Faculty of Medical Sciences
Gerd Weitkamp, Faculty of Spatial Sciences
Ronald Wasswa
Peter Waiswa

This project brings together researchers, health workers, community leaders, and district authorities in eastern Uganda to jointly reflect on how floods and droughts affect maternal and child healthcare. Building on qualitative fieldwork, the project combines dissemination of findings with a participatory, full-day agenda-setting dialogue. Through structured discussions, participatory mapping, and ranking exercises, participants will co-identify priority research themes and practical intervention needs. The outcome is a locally grounded Climate–Health Research Agenda that strengthens equitable partnerships, aligns future research with community priorities, and supports climate-resilient health planning.

The Inclusion Game – dialogues about inclusion in citizen science

Marit Bogert, Faculty of Science and Engineering
Mohammad Gharesifard, Faculty of Science and Engineering

Citizen science (CS) makes science more transparent and accessible by involving citizens as knowledge co-creators, yet inclusion remains a challenge. This project addresses that through the “Inclusion Gap Game,” a game-based dialogue tool fostering open dialogue, exploring moments of in-/exclusion in CS. Participants collaboratively create a visual Inclusion Map of the CS process, fostering reflection and co-creation. The activity helps citizen scientists share experiences and influence future projects while giving researchers insights into barriers, power dynamics, and ways to make CS more inclusive. The results inform more inclusive public engagement and CS practices.

Play for Change – Understanding and stimulating citizens to promote systemic change through an interactive board game

Ellen van der Werff, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences
Isabel Pacheco, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences
Linda Steg, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences
Brian Wagner, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences

We aim to create an interactive board game to explore citizenship behaviours aimed at influencing governments, businesses, and other citizens, that promote systemic change towards sustainability. Citizens will exchange their experiences and learn from each other, and inform research on factors promoting engagement. The game can also be used to test effects of interventions targeting psychological determinants of engagement.

TakeRoot Talks: American Roots and Northern Routes

Mark Thompson, Faculty of Arts
Maarten Zwiers, Faculty of Arts

TakeRoot Talks: American Roots and Northern Routes will connect American music traditions to the cultural scene in the Northern Netherlands. Students in the MA program in North American Studies will lead research and work with scholars, local organizations, and the TakeRoot festival to produce articles, design a digital map, and plan public events. The project will engage a broad audience of music enthusiasts and encourage dialogue between academics, artists, and the community. By blending scholarship with public participation, the project will bring musical heritage to life and inspire new ways of understanding how music shapes identity and culture across regions.

The City Talks

Marian Counihan, University College Groningen
Yorick Karseboom, Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts

City Talks facilitates (ongoing) two-way knowledge exchange between the university and local urban professionals. In a new partnership between Marian Counihan (UCG), Wijkmakers organisation, and the Kenniscentrum Filosofie, we will organise a series of masterclasses and develop working materials which engage and exchange with urban policy makers, developers and practitioners on relevant topics in philosophy of the city, such as diversity and urban justice, hostile architecture and democratic infrastructure.

Empowering Immigrant Communities through Digital Healthcare Engagement

Esther Metting, Faculty of Economics and Business, Faculty of Medical Sciences
Çigdem Bozdag Bucak, Faculty of Arts

This project aims to improve digital healthcare inclusion by actively involving first-generation immigrant communities in Groningen in eHealth policymaking. Through four interactive Digital Health Cafés held in community centres, participants will share experiences, discuss barriers, and engage in hands-on practice with digital health tools such as patient portals and video consultations. The cafés function as spaces for mutual learning, empowerment, and dialogue between citizens, researchers, and healthcare stakeholders. Participant feedback will inform a policy brief and visual outputs for policymakers, contributing to evidence-based, citizen-centred strategies for equitable and accessible digital healthcare.

Ignite change: Empowering young people to take part in climate action

Ina Horlings, Faculty of Spatial Sciences
Gwenda van der Vaart, Faculty of Spatial Sciences
Lisa Hof, Faculty of Spatial Sciences

We aim to raise awareness and increase the perspective for climate action among young people (aged 18-25) in a village in Drenthe, through a two-day workshop based on the methodology developed by Gronings Vuur (GV). GV engages citizens in the Province of Groningen in topics, relevant in their environment.

Last modified:26 January 2026 4.52 p.m.