Van Oostrom grants for young humanities scholars at Utrecht University
Professor Frits van Oostrom has meant a lot to the Humanities and to the academic community. He always encouraged talented students and young colleagues in the field of the Humanities to do more with their academic skills and passion. In the spirit of Frits van Oostrom, the Friends of the Utrecht Humanities Fund provides grants for young humanities scholars.
Frits van Oostrom, emeritus distinguished professor specialising in Dutch literature of the Middle Ages, left Utrecht University in May 2023. His book Maerlant's Wereld (Maerlant’s World) was awarded the AKO literature prize in 1996 and in 1995 he received the Spinoza Prize for his scholarly work.
What is eligible for a grant?
- Education: financial contribution for young Humanities scholars - young lecturers, assistant professors max. 7 years after date of doctoral degree, temporary lecturers - affiliated to Utrecht University Faculty of Humanities, to finance educational activities outside the regular framework. Examples are:
- developing concrete (one-time) activities or products resulting from education (products for educational innovation, products for a general public, exhibition, magazine, film, etc);
- projects combining education and research.
- Research: financial contribution for young Humanities scholars - 'early career' researchers max. 7 years after date of doctoral degree and (external) PhD candidates - affiliated to Utrecht University to take the next professional step, for example:
- conference costs (registration, travel & accommodation costs);
- costs for illustrations in a publication or translation costs/control of translation of publications;
- a public product following a recent scientific publication to increase the societal impact of research;
- new interdisciplinary collaborations (e.g. study day, pilot projects in preparation for a larger application);
- for external PhD candidates, it is possible to apply for conference fees, if no other funding is available for this purpose.
N.B. This grant is intended to fund one-off activities or products in education or research. The grant cannot be used to fund Open Access. It is also not possible to use the grant to buy out education obligations.
The amount awarded depends on the financial situation, plans and needs of the candidate. Maximum grant that can be applied for is EUR 5,000. Maximum project duration is two years. Ask your CB ('coordinator bedrijfsvoering', coordinator of operations) to check your budgeting and for a WBS number for your project and note that you need to include multiple quotations if you want to hire an external for your project.
Deadlines and submitting an application
It is possible to submit an application twice a year. The funding request portal will be open for the Van Oostrom Subsidies for the first time between 1 November - 15 November.
You can submit your application via the digital application form which asks for:
- brief explanation of your project and its context (maximum 250 words), with a statement that the proposed is “presented to and agreed on by [name] director of education / director of research institute on [date]”;
- budget: income and expenditure, possible own contribution (excel format);
- in case of extra curricular activities: a clear description of the student target group.
The application form with all attachments must be submitted before the deadline via the digital application form. The application deadlines and a link to the application portal can be found on the grant application pages.
Grant procedure
The Friends of the Utrecht Humanities Fund works with a biennial application round for the Van Oostrom grants. It is therefore possible to apply twice per academic year. The advisory committee of The Friends of the Utrecht Humanities Fund decides on the granting of applications. When prioritising the applications received, the assessment committee will also pay attention to the diversity of the grants in relation to the diversity of the faculty, both in terms of content (scope of the Humanities) and in the type of questions (education, research, interdisciplinary cooperation, public engagement, outreach, impact, etc).
You will be notified within a month after your application. You will also be notified if you are not awarded a grant. Questions about the awards are handled by the University Fund office.
Further obligations
If you are awarded a Van Oostrom grant, you should mention this in your publication / final product / in the description of your public product / in PR of your project, etc. You will also receive an invitation for a meeting with Frits van Oostrom (a suitable moment will be determined in consultation). Financial accountability is required at the end of the project to Sjoer Bergervoet: s.a.bergervoet@uu.nl
More information
If you have questions about Van Oostrom grants from the Friends of the Humanities Utrecht Fund, do not hesitate to contact Sjoer Bergervoet: s.a.bergervoet@uu.nl