More about the Swaantje Mondt Fund

Goal: To give Utrecht PhD candidates the opportunity to conduct research abroad and to give foreign PhD candidates the chance to come to Utrecht for research.

The fund, established in late 2016 by Martine and Jaap Mondt, focuses primarily on doctoral research in the following two fields: law and mathematical and natural sciences. Through the Swaantje Mondt Fund, Martine and Jaap Mondt help PhD candidates gain experience abroad, thereby expanding their knowledge and network. The founders manage a similar fund at Leiden University.

Since its inception, 34 PhD candidates have been able to go abroad or continue their research in Utrecht. For instance, one recipient worked on a mathematical model to explain ‘vegetation patterns in savannas’. Another recipient used the grant to visit the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and work on research in the field of ‘entrepreneurial and innovation capacity of European regions’. Being part of a research group abroad brings creativity and inspiration. As of 2025, the fund has been expanded to include PhD candidates in the research fields of biology, earth sciences, and epidemiology.

Founders Martine and Jaap Mondt

Martine Mondt worked as a judge and State Councillor and was a member of the Appeals Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She studied law in Utrecht and remains involved with the university and its alumni, among other things through her work as secretary of the Hague donor circle: Hofvijverkring.

After his Bachelor's degree in Geology in Leiden and his Master's and PhD in Geophysics at Utrecht University, Jaap Mondt went to work at Shell Research. After his retirement, he founded Breakaway, a company dealing with geophysical data.

Their daughter Swaantje Mondt died in a traffic accident at the age of 19. This fund was established in memory of Swaantje.

From our own experience, we know how important it is to see a lot of the world: it shapes you.