Science for Change: Creating Societal Impact in Sustainability Research

This event offers a unique opportunity to reflect on how your research can drive meaningful impact beyond academia and how to collaborate with society to co-create solutions that address real-world challenges. 

This half-day event will begin with a plenary lecture on how to develop effective impact plans for large-scale research projects. This session will cover the basics of how impact can be attained in interdisciplinary research, what is currently expected in various NWO and EU projects, and how this minimum can be improved. 

Following the plenary lecture, participants can join one of three interactive parallel workshops: planning the social impact of your research, writing effective policy briefs, or designing citizen science projects. Each of these workshops will offer hands-on strategies and tips, leaving you better prepared to integrate societal impact in your work. 

In the second part of the programme, we will announce the winner of the RAS PhD grant. You’ll have the opportunity to hear compelling proposals, learn tips and gain valuable insights in writing grants on social impact. We will then conclude the day with a plenary discussion and informal drinks, offering a chance to continue the conversation and network with fellow interdisciplinary PhD researchers.

Programme

Details

Speakers

Dr. Gerald Jan Ellen Works with scientific experts and stakeholders to boost the societal impact of projects addressing challenges like climate adaptation, soil health, energy transition, and flood management. He specializes in governance approaches, Societal Impact, and citizen science, especially in soil and water monitoring. Active in various European projects (like KLIMAP, SMS, SOILL, and SPADES), he also collaborates with Dutch universities on building research infrastructure for impactful science.

IR Tom Boogerd (Workshop on designing your impact pathway) is a research advisor for policy at the faculty of behavioural, managerial, and social science of the Technical university Twente. Tom Specializes in Social and academic impact, research support policy, and PhD wellbeing.

Dr. Mohammad Gharesifard (Workshop on organizing citizen science projects) is an assistant professor of citizen science at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen. He specializes in the theory and applications of citizen science for water and environmental management.