Call: Subsidy for developing an interdisciplinary course

Utrecht University considers it important that every student broadens his/her optional course profile, learns to look beyond the boundaries of his/her own discipline and learns to work together with people from other disciplines, so that they can work in a multi and interdisciplinary environment after their studies.

The UU's vision for the optional course profile therefore sets the goal that by 2022 every bachelor student will choose at least one interdisciplinary course. To achieve this, it is important that students can choose from a wide range of interdisciplinary courses.

Stimulation Fund Interdisciplinary Education

To ensure a broad range of interdisciplinary courses, this year the Executive Board established the 'Stimulation Fund Interdisciplinary Education', with the aim of increasing the number of interdisciplinary courses in 2021 and 2022. The intention is that these courses will fall within the strategic themes (or focus areas), because in this way it will be possible to build on the expertise they have in the field of interdisciplinary cooperation and this is in line with the desire to develop more courses within the themes.

Are you a teacher and do you have an idea for an interdisciplinary course that falls within a strategic theme? Then apply now for a grant to realize this. In this call a broad definition of interdisciplinary education is used, as a result of which proposals may be submitted for courses where different disciplines come together (interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary), the course has been created by the input of lecturers from different disciplines, and the course is accessible to students from different study programmes.

Look below of this page for the criteria the application must meet.

Submit proposal

The proposal has a maximum length of 1 A4.

Make sure it answers at least the following questions:

  • Who submits the proposal? Which faculties are involved?
  • Course title and short summary of course content.
  • How does the proposal meet the criteria?
  • What amount is needed to develop this course? Please add a short explanation.

NB: The proposal must be reviewed by the Vice Deans of Education and Directors of Education of the faculties/departments involved.

The portfolio holders of Education for the strategic themes (see criteria) need to submit the proposals before Monday, 19 October, 12.00AM, via CAT@uu.nl. In the middle of November it will be announced which proposals go to the second round.

Selection

The selection takes place in two rounds: in the first round a global description is sufficient, so that it can be checked whether the application meets the requirements. In the second round a detailed proposal will be requested. The Rector Magnificus and Head of Education Policy will assess the proposals.

Criteria

  1. Proposals (both for Bachelor's and Master's courses) can be submitted when:
    • It’s an inter/multidisciplinary course and developed by a mixed team of teachers (from different disciplines);
    • The course cannot be funded from the standard education budget of the faculty;
    • The course falls within a strategic theme or focus area. In case of a focus area it must be made clear how this relates to a strategic theme.

It’s also possible to submit proposals for:

  • An existing course that will be transformed into an inter/multidisciplinary course with a mixed team of teachers;
  •  An interdisciplinary course developed as ‘Continuing Education’.

2 The education provided within the course is:

  • Education in which different disciplines come together. This can be interdisciplinary, but also multidisciplinary;
  • Education that has been created through the input of teachers from different disciplines;
  • Education that is accessible to students from different study programs.

In addition, within the course it is encouraged to:

  • Teach students to integrate knowledge from different disciplines, in which the analysis and evaluation of disciplinary insights (similarities and differences) and bringing them together are paramount;
  • Introduce students to interdisciplinary competences, such as: perspective taking, intellectual humility, tolerance of ambiguity and ability to deal with cognitive bias, cooperating in an interdisciplinary team/ shared leadership, formulating common ground, reflection.

3 Proposals need to be written in collaboration with the team of a strategic theme and submitted via the portfolio holders for Education of the theme in question:

  • Dynamics of Youth: Leoniek Wijngaards
  • Life Sciences: Berent Prakken
  • Institutions for Open Societies: Ted Sanders and Martha Frederiks

It’s not possible to submit proposals for the strategic theme 'Pathways to Sustainability', as they have already received a grant from this fund for the development of a minor.

4 The course will run for a minimum of 3 years and will be given for the first time in academic year 2021-2022.

After the first year, the portfolio holder for Education/ course coordinator will briefly report to the Rector Magnificus on how the course went; matters such as student participation, student satisfaction and the experiences of the lecturers will be part of this. After three years, the evaluation will be repeated.

NB: The proposal must be reviewed by the Vice Deans of Education and Directors of Education of the faculties/departments involved.