Booster Borrel and Grant Lottery - SIG Applied Human-centered AI

Are you a researcher focused on Applied Human-centered Artificial Intelligence and want to spark new interdisciplinary collaborations with societal partners? Then join the Booster Borrel & Grant Lottery on Tuesday March 10, 2026.

The purpose of this event - organised by the SIG Applied Human-centered AI - is to spark new interdisciplinary collaborations between Utrecht University researchers and societal partners. We explicitly encourage you to invite a societal partner (e.g., from industry, government, healthcare, education, NGOs, or foundations) to join you at the event. 
The Booster Borrel is designed as a low-threshold opportunity to explore ideas together and initiate concrete Human-centered AI projects.
To stimulate these collaborations, we will award two Applied HAI SIG Booster grants of €2,500 each via a lottery at the end of the event.

How participation works

• Each attendee (including societal partners) must register individually by emailing HAI@uu.nl.
• To participate in the lottery, all applicants must be physically present at the event.
• During the borrel, you will submit a short application form (available before and during the event) including:
  • the names of the project team members
  • a project title
  • a very brief description of the idea

The application will only be checked for formal criteria, such as:

• involvement of at least two UU researchers from different departments or research centers, and
• the presence of at least one societal partner,
• a clear focus on Human-centered Artificial Intelligence.

At the end of the Booster Borrel, two teams will be selected by lottery and will receive an immediate funding commitment of €2,500,- to be spent within UU on the interdisciplinary project as the team sees fit.

Important practical details

• Deadline for participation in the lottery: March 10, 2026, 17:30h
• Each researcher may be listed on only one application
• Projects must start by end of April 2026 and finish by April 30, 2027

Programme Booster Borrel & Grant Lottery

16.00h: Welcome
16.10-17.30h: Network activity and room to finalize applications
17.30h: Deadline to submit applications
17.45h: Grant lottery Booster Grants and photos with winners
18.00h: Closing with drinks

Beyond the grant, the event offers a unique opportunity to connect with people who are passionate about pushing boundaries and exploring new frontiers of interdisciplinary science. Whether you’re seeking fresh collaborators or simply looking to recharge your network, this event is designed to help ideas flourish. 
We hope this event will motivate you to take the first concrete step towards collaboration with societal partners and jointly explore how Human-centered AI can make a real-world impact.

We very much look forward to welcoming you - and your societal partner - at the Booster Borrel.