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NWA grant and Open Science Fund awarded

News - 10 January 2024 - Communication BK

Two projects in which faculty researchers are involved or are the main applicant have recently been awarded with funding. These are the CIVILIAN project on civic engagement and the Building 4 Belonging project on loneliness.

Project CIVILIAN in Open Science Fund 2023

Citizen engagement is crucial for the achievement of climate goals in cities. Digital platforms have a role to play in this process, but existing platforms are generally not citizen-friendly: they are not appealing to citizens and require technical expertise to interpret the information presented. This project will deliver an interactive interface for a citizen engagement platform in climate action. 

Taking an action-research approach, the project places citizens at the centre of the process to ensure that the resulting interface meets citizen needs. The interface will be integrated into Citizen Voice, an open platform under development at TU Delft.

Open Science Fund

In the second and final package of the 2023 Open Science Fund round, 30 projects will receive a financial boost of up to EUR 50,000. This round was specifically for project proposals aimed at further developing open science in fields or disciplines where it is not yet the norm, or projects that promote open science in a large group or community. This round was also for project proposals that promote collaboration between different organisations and disciplines and between academic and support staff. 

NWA grant for Building 4 Belonging with research on loneliness

We know little about the different forms of loneliness experienced by different groups in society. It is also unclear to what extent the loneliness taboo exists, for whom and when, and how it can be broken for different groups. NWO is awarding five research projects in the NWA Loneliness research programme. More than five million euros will be shared between the projects, all of which will carry out scientifically innovative and relevant research with societal impact. The project Building 4 Belonging. The Building 4 Belonging project by fellow applicant Alexander Koutamanis has also been honoured.

The project focuses on loneliness among pupils with special needs; an often invisible problem. By developing a smart monitoring system, schools can measure loneliness in real time, in the context in which it occurs, and then identify and test intervention targets. The unique co-design approach involves experts, teachers, policymakers and the pupils (autistic and allistic) themselves. Together with the target groups, we are developing tools for schools to increase equality, reduce loneliness and promote a sense of belonging. The results of this project can lead to profound changes in education, health and social life.

More information

  • The CItizen VoIces in cLImate ActioN (CIVILIAN) project consists of main applicant Dr Julian Goncalves (BK) and team members G. Slingerland (BK), C. Champlin (IO), M.G. Alvarez and T. Verma (TBM).
  • Read more about the Open Science Fund here.
  • For the Buildng 4 Beloning principal applicant is Prof Dr C.J. Rieffe of the University of Twente. Co-applicants are Prof Dr M.R.J. Crul, Prof Dr R.R.J.M. Vermeiren, Dr A. Koutamanis, Dr M. Baratchi, Dr D. Reidsma PhD MSc, Dr Y.T. Tsou and Dr J.E.L. van der Nage from the University of Twente, TU Delft, Leiden University and Vrije Universiteit.
  • Alexander Koutamanis is from the MBE department of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.
  • Read more about the NWA Call Loneliness here.

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