Strategic themes and focus areas
Institutions for Open Societies
The Self-Regulation Lab actively participates in Utrecht University’s strategic theme Institutions for Open Societies in which scholars from the fields of economics, history, public administration, culture, law, sociology, psychology, language and communication, ethics, innovation studies, and geography join forces to find answers to the following key questions: Why do societies develop so divergently? And how do institutions contribute to the formation of open and sustainable societies.
Behaviour, Public Policy & Administration
The Self-Regulation Lab is also one of the founders of the Institutions and Behavior stream, a center for the study of behavior in public policy and administration, which is part of the strategic theme Institutions for Open Societies. This center harbors researchers from psychology, public administration, law, economics and linguistics to examine the role of behavioral insights in policy making in a wide variety of domains.
Future Food
Our Lab further contributes to Utrecht University’s research focus area Future Food Utrecht.
Future Food Utrecht was established early 2014 as a focus area of Utrecht University to bundle its research potential on the grand societal challenges regarding food. This focus area provides an integrated approach to address the development of sustainable future food concepts that have positive health effects and are acceptable and accessible for the human population. The themes Sustainable Innovation, Healthy Food and Smart Decisions are based on the existing expertise at Utrecht University in food related research and direct to the societal challenges.
Future Food Utrecht harbors scientists with world-renowned reputations in their field of research and is an unique combination of expertise from several of Utrecht University’s faculties, the UMC Utrecht and accompanying industry that join their fundamental and strategic research capacities in the food domain. It is managed by a multidisciplinary and interfaculty group of scientists, representing 25 research groups divided over 7 faculties and represents a total annual research budget of 100 MEuro. Future Food Utrecht collaborates with private and public partners like Nutricia Research, RIVM, TNO, Immuno Valley, Bilthoven Biologicals, Unilever, Philips and Friesland Campina.