Incubator Grants
The Incubator Grant is our instrument to invest in community building, offering interdisciplinary teams of UU scholars the opportunity to take the time to collaborate on innovative interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary ideas. It is an instrument to get to know each other, reflect on the process of collaboration, build trust and understanding for each other’s perspectives, and further develop the consortium and the project idea.
The Incubator Grant may, among other things, be used to further develop and grow the project idea and its team and to work towards its implementation. Groups who have obtained an Incubator Grant may together prepare applications for the second-stage and more substantial Signature Project Grant (50-150k for a period of maximum 24 months). The outcome of the Incubator process is not limited to the application for a Signature Project Grant. During the incubating period, other opportunities might come up and be explored.
Prospective teams are invited to submit their Incubator ideas before 26 May 2025. Awarded Incubators ideas / teams are expected to attend the Kickstarter on 16 October to develop their ideas and consortia through an open process of co-creation. Please save the date in your calendars!
The application procedure
The application procedure takes place in stages, and is shortly described below and more comprehensive in this document.
Scholar’s Experience: Dr. Julia Swart
Dr. Julia Swart and her team recently completed the incubator phase and moved on to the Signature stage with the project ‘Tackling gender inequality and sustainability in agribusiness’. She shares her experience with us:
The incubator phase was exploratory, allowing us to shape our ideas and understand the multifaceted nature of the industry's challenges
We aimed to research the cut flower industry in Colombia, which required a multidisciplinary approach. We brought together students and scholars from various departments, facilitating interdisciplinary supervision. This collaboration was crucial in understanding different methodologies and perspectives, particularly in an industry with diverse stakeholders. Initially, our project focused on networking, identifying key individuals in Colombia and the Netherlands involved in the cut flower business. One key aspect was ensuring that all stakeholders felt their perspectives were valued. For example, when discussing health concerns related to the flower industry, it was important to present these issues without making stakeholders feel attacked. The goal was to find solutions that balanced economic and social benefits with health and sustainability concerns. We have really been able to use the incubator phase to explore and have a more clear perspective on the views and goals for the Signature phase of the project.