University of the North presents first Booster Fund cheques and launches round two

Yesterday afternoon, in the new House of Connections (former V&D building) at the Grote Markt, the first cheques were presented to the selected projects of the University of the North Booster Fund. Steering group member Erica Schaper also launched round two with a symbolic press of the button. Projects that are eligible for the Booster Fund can submit an application until 30 June.

With this Booster Fund, the knowledge institutions involved – UG, UMCG, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, and Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences – aim to boost and accelerate the realization of the RIS3 objectives and the University of the North’s goals as formulated in the Knowledge Agenda. A sum of €250,000 per year will be made available for this purpose.

Selected projects of round one

The selected projects of round one – ‘ TransPlant ; platform for TRANSition to a PLANT-based society’, ‘Digital literacy and inclusion; the basis for wide prosperity’, and ‘Class interactions and mental well-being of vulnerable secondary school pupils’ – received a cheque from Erica Schaper that will give a significant boost to each of the projects.

Round two

After the festivities, Erica Schaper launched round two with a symbolic press of the button. Teaching, research, and valorization projects of the knowledge institutions involved that focus on at least one of the Knowledge Agenda transitions may now submit their applications. An important condition is that at least three knowledge institutions involved participate in the project. The deadline for application submission for round two is 30 June. As with round one, the proposals will again be assessed by an external evaluation committee.

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about the Booster Fund and the possibilities of submitting an application, please visit the specially-made web page. Additionally, a webinar will be held on Wednesday 19 April from 3 to 4 p.m., during which an introduction to the Booster Fund will be given and interested parties can pose their questions to the University of the North team. Keep an eye on the web page for more information!

About the University of the North

The University of the North is an initiative by the UG, UMCG, Hanze UAS Groningen, NHL Stenden UAS, Van Hall Larenstein UAS, and vocational education institutions from the North. Through the University of the North, the knowledge institutions involved want to boost the wide prosperity in the Northern Netherlands and the transitions as formulated in the Knowledge Agenda. This is achieved through making smart use of each other’s facilities, making each other’s teaching easily accessible, forming hybrid research groups, and stimulating entrepreneurship.