Critical Pathways Community Fund

Critical Pathways believes that bottom-up initiatives are crucial in building a vibrant and engaged community. To further support this mission, we reserve 75% of our annual community budget for the Critical Pathways Community Fund. 

We fund initiatives that: 

  • Strengthen our community (this is the primary aim of the call and the main criterion for assessment);
  • Contribute to the mission and objectives of Critical Pathways;
  • Align with the mission of the strategic theme Pathways to Sustainability;
  • Actively involve other members of the Critical Pathways community;
  • Foster interdisciplinary exchange and conversation. 

Community Aims 

The Critical Pathways community aims to: 

  • Critically analyse power dynamics within a sustainability context at local, regional, and global levels;
  • Broaden academic discourse on sustainability by endorsing initiatives that seek to amplify the voices of marginalised human groups, as well as giving a voice to ecosystems and the more-than-human;
  • Strengthen the involvement of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Law scholars in sustainability research, and foster collaborations across all faculties;
  • Critically examine current narratives of sustainability and their alternatives;
  • Provide support for novel transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary endeavours. 

Who Can Apply and What to Apply For? 

  • Employees and students of Utrecht University can act as the main applicant;
  • Each funding round has a total of €5,000 available. You may apply for the full amount, but please note that requesting the maximum amount may reduce your chances of being fully funded;
  • Due to institutional requirements, reduction of teaching hours will not be funded. Administrative or research assistance to conduct a project can be funded. 

Deadlines for 2026  

  • Round 1: 31 March
  • Round 2: 18 June
  • Round 3: 7 October 

Application Procedure

  • Applications will be reviewed by the Critical Pathways Core Team.
  • Applicants can expect to receive a decision within two weeks after the deadline.
  • Applications are assessed on the basis of the following criteria: 
  • Contribution to strengthening the Critical Pathways community (primary criterion);
  • Alignment with the aims of the Critical Pathways community;
  • Potential for addressing wider interests of other Critical Pathways members;
  • Potential for generating future collaborations and societal impact. 

Application Form 

To apply, please send the completed application form to Tom Gerritsen at criticalpathways@uu.nl.