Incubator Grants

Prospective teams first submit their ideas before 20 May 2026, using this application form, with the following information: 

• Title
• Applicant and (initial) inter-/transdisciplinary team. Active involvement by UU scholars from multiple disciplines and at least two faculties is required. Involvement of external partners is welcomed. PtS can support teams in finding additional partners, both in the run up to and during the Kickstarter workshop.
• Short description of the challenge to be addressed and envisioned impact, including the relevant PtS Impact Area(s).   
• Short motivation of why this challenge requires a transdisciplinary approach and which types of expertise and input (academic and non-academic) are considered relevant to address the challenge. A complete overview is not expected at this stage; the Kickstarter and Incubator process are intended to refine and expend perspectives and collaborations.
• Short description of what you hope to develop, learn or clarify during the Incubator phase, and your initial ideas on how you would use the Incubator grant for this. 

We invite applicant teams to focus on the process of collaboration and on the potential contribution of the project idea to the Pathways to Sustainability objectives and impact pathways. In developing the Incubator ideas, we encourage applicant teams to consult our Transdisciplinary Field Guide, for example the section on stakeholder engagement.

The Kickstarter workshop marks the formal start of the Incubators. The Kickstarter workshop is part of the procedure for the Incubator grant and awarded teams are expected to participate and have an open attitude to the process of co-creation that will be facilitated by this event. At Pathways to Sustainability, we believe that such an open process is key to transformative learning. 

In preparation of the Kickstarter workshop, our Communities and Programme Board will help Incubator teams with targeting participants for the workshop sessions (UU colleagues and external stakeholders).  

The Kickstarter workshop will feature sessions which will enable the selected Incubator teams to develop their ideas in collaboration with others and further build their inter-/transdisciplinary teams. 

• Open and Inclusive Attitude: This workshop event aims to be interactive and dynamic and to assist teams with the co-creation of their project ideas. Pathways commits to an open and inclusive design and assessment procedure in which initial ideas may change with the input and integration of various types of expertise. Ideas are welcome from all participants at the event.
• Community Support: A delegation of our community leaders, programme board members and project managers will be present to provide feedback and answer questions. The programme will further offer insights and examples from running and previous Incubators and Signature Projects.
• Inter-/transdisciplinary teams: The active involvement by scholars from multiple disciplines and external partners is welcomed. Initial teams can be expanded during the Kickstarter workshop and Incubator phase. For teams considering a future Signature Project application, it is important to note that such projects are expected to involve UU scholars from at least three faculties, alongside external partners.

In the months after the Kickstarter workshop, a meeting will be scheduled between the newly awarded Incubator teams and a liaison contact member from the Programme Board to discuss the activities and latest developments. During this initiation phase, we seek to stay in touch with Incubator teams to provide feedback and guidance where necessary, answer any questions, explore further possibilities for collaboration, and help teams determine the appropriate next steps. Additionally, we aim to follow the incubation process closely for learning purposes, to, in the future, develop tools to facilitate cross-Incubator learning and to improve our instruments and guidance. 

While Incubator trajectories may lead to an application for a Signature Project Grant, this is not the only (expected) outcome. The teams are encouraged to explore a broader range of follow-up opportunities, including potential external funding schemes or alternative institutional embedding routes. Colleagues from Research Support Offices may be involved in providing targeted advice and support in identifying and developing suitable follow-up strategies.

Incubator Grants need to be spent within 12 months after allocation, and prior to the submission of a Signature application.

Submitted Incubator ideas are assessed and selected by an assessment committee composed of Programme Board and Community Board members. Assessment is based on the PtS guiding principles and focuses on the potential of the proposed Incubator trajectory rather than on a fully developed project plan. Openness to learning, reflection and co-creation is considered a core quality of strong Incubator proposals. 

Assessment Criteria

• Potential contribution to PtS mission and impact areas: the ambition and plausibility of the envisioned contribution to sustainability transformations and to one or more PtS impact areas.   
• Team composition and outlook for inter-/transdisciplinary collaboration: the extent to which the (initial) team brings together relevant disciplines and perspectives, shows openness to further inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration, and connections to PtS Communities. Teams should demonstrate willingness to learn from new perspectives and to let collaborations evolve during the Incubator phase.
• Challenge-based and relevance: Clarity and relevance of the sustainability challenge addressed, or of an opportunity for amplifying impact on a sustainability topic, and the extent to which the proposal involves and/or allows for collaboration across PtS Communities.
• Originality and added value: the degree to which the proposed topic and/or collaboration is innovative and exploratory, and contributes to accelerating change through initiatives that are new within the UU and/or are not easily funded via other channels.