Eligibility criteria and application

Amount that may be applied for per project: up to €5,000. A total of €30,000 is available.

Research and teaching staff from the UG and the UMCG can apply as individuals or in a team. We encourage inter- or multi-disciplinary collaboration with both internal and external partners. For more information, please refer to the eligibility criteria below.

Applications for the fund can be submitted by 13:00 on 14 November 2025. All submissions are screened for suitability by a jury consisting of both UG and UMCG staff. The jury will check whether the application meets the eligibility criteria. The winning projects will then be selected by lottery from all eligible proposals.

You will receive a message on the eligibility of your proposal before 5 December 2025. On 5 December, there will be a draw from all eligible proposals.

This random selection process for the Public Engagement seed fund rewards UG and UMCG staff who wish to acquire public engagement project funding without undue competition, and distributes available funds in a way that recognizes that funding is at least partly awarded based on chance. It takes time and effort to engage society in research, and public engagement is currently too often considered an investment with no obvious career benefits. Hopefully, the Public Engagement seed fund will help researchers feel recognised and their efforts appreciated, and will encourage the rest of the UG and UMCG staff to follow their example.

All submissions are screened for suitability by a jury consisting of both UG and UMCG staff.

1. Objective

Describe the purpose of the Public Engagement project and how it aligns with our vision of Public Engagement. By definition, this engagement is “two-way”, it goes both ways. By interacting with and listening to the public, this can be beneficial for both parties. Think of it as a meaningful dialogue between the public and science. Examples can be found on our website: see previous rounds. 

2. Target group

2A: Explain which target group you want to reach and why specifically this target group. An activity ‘for everyone’ is not specific enough. Try to make it as clear as possible who you hope to involve (e.g. age, background, interests, education level, etc. of citizens), or target a particular social organization or group. The target group cannot be internal (within the UG/UMCG) (so projects aimed purely at students or staff are not eligible). Projects aimed at student recruitment are also not eligible

2B. Make a plausible case that your target audience is interested or could be made interested in your project. This can e.g. be based on previous experiences of yourself or others, or preliminary interviews with -or even a question from- the target group. 

3. Activity 

3A: Describe your activity in sufficient detail to make it plausible that you will achieve your goal. Activities can e.g. be sharing together, consulting together, responding together, creating together, or applying knowledge together.

3B. How do you enthuse your target group and possibly other stakeholders to actively participate in the Public Engagement activity? (placing the target group in a passive role, e.g. as test objects or respondents, is not enough)

3C. Explain how the activity(s) are related to science in general or to (the results of) scientific research.

4. Mutual benefit                                                                    

Describe the benefits this activity would (or could) bring to each party involved. These could be benefits such as access to data, improved research methodology, the inclusion of multiple perspectives, etc., for your research or that of your colleagues, for your own development, for education, or a boost for new forms of collaboration. However, also indicate the benefits for your target group and any other parties involved, for example, a problem that is solved, social/political empowerment, knowledge or skills, improved services, inspiration, behavioural change, etc.

5. Work plan/Project budget 

Explain who does what and which internal/external partners, if any, are involved in the project. Provide a realistic project budget that clearly shows that the money requested from the Public Engagement Incentive Fund will be well spent.

A maximum of 5,000 Euro is available per project.

The project should be completed within one year of receipt of funding. The PE organizational team will follow up with the winners 6 and 12 months after the project starts to assess project progress and completion. If insufficient information is provided, or the information shows that the applicant(s) do not adhere to the plan as agreed upon, the PE organizational team has the right to stop or withdraw the funding.

The budget should be used to fund a new public engagement activity, not as a top-up or as co-financing to finalize and/or expand a larger public engagement activity or deliverable. The project proposal will be assessed on the impact of the awarded seed funding only, not on the combined impact of a project co-funded from other sources.

Proposals that continue an existing activity are also not eligible for funding (e.g., an existing lecture series, an existing podcast, an existing joint project, etc.).

6. Evaluation 

Describe how you will determine whether your activity has had an impact. When is the project successful and how will you measure it?

Like NWO with the Open Science Fund, we have a transparency clause. We publish the proposals for which we receive permission from the researchers. That way, we hope that proposals that could not be accepted will find opportunities for implementation and cooperation elsewhere.