UvA Strategic Theme Sustainable Prosperity Seed Grant call

UvA's Strategic Theme Sustainable Prosperity is pleased to announce a new call for Seed Grant proposals. It is open to UvA researchers developing innovative interdisciplinary projects with potentially large impact (seed funding) or seeking support for interdisciplinary external grant applications (project development funding) on the broad topic of sustainable prosperity. For this Sustainable Prosperity call, a total amount of k€250 is available.

Download the full text of the just-published Call for Proposal Seed Grants

A Seed Grant proposal should set up a new and innovative research initiative with a clear output such as a joint grant proposal, joint research paper, proof of concept, data model, etc. This time we also specifically offer opportunities to support grant applications. This might involve a seed project to prove a principle before submitting a proposal and/or to strengthening consortium proposals by improving their quality, via funds for grant writing support, organisation of networking/matchmaking workshops to attract external stakeholders/collaborators etc.

The goal is to help researchers prepare competitive, high-quality submissions to funders such as Horizon Europe, NWO, or comparable programmes, while contributing to the theme Sustainable Prosperity.

We know that recently UvA’s climate institute SEVEN opened a call specifically on project development support only. Proposals for this support can only be submitted to either SEVEN or this Sustainable Prosperity call.

The Sustainable Prosperity Theme

The Sustainable Prosperity theme seeks to promote transformative, forward-looking research on the challenges to Sustainable Prosperity as recognized in e.g. the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and the EU Green Deal, taking into account the impact of individual societies on each other and on the world as a whole.

Such research should help steer human development in a safer and more equitable direction. Safer, by avoiding the negative effects of global environmental change for all forms of life on earth, taking into account planetary boundaries. More equitable, by ensuring that all people have and maintain access to the resources that underpin human well-being, now and in the future.

We support and engage in research on the complexity of, and interconnections between, actors and processes, and underlying economic, social and legal systems that contribute to sustainability challenges, and which should also be the basis for solution directions and the necessary system transition.

Research can examine possible solutions (e.g. safe and sustainable-by-design materials and products, but also new financing instruments or paradigm shifts) in conjunction with the necessary adjustments in regulation, communication and practices of companies, government and consumers, locally, nationally, Europe-wide and internationally. Understanding how technology, regulation and behavioural change of individuals, groups and organisations can benefit sustainability, must go hand in hand with studies of distributional issues and underlying interests.

Who can apply?

All UvA tenured or tenure-track scientific staff from any faculty are eligible to apply
In case of project support applications, the main applicant must be the prospective PI of aproposal led by the UvA, or a participant with a key role (e.g. Work Package leader) in a proposal led by another knowledge institution
Proposals should always have (co-) PI’s from at least 2 (preferably 3) different UvA faculties

General conditions

The project must meet the Sustainable Prosperity Theme mission alignment as described above
Funds are available to either i) develop a proof of principle (seed project) or ii) strengthening consortium proposals by improving their quality, fostering collaboration, advising on systems approaches, identifying disciplinary expertise and potential external partners, providing visibility and communication support, and connecting researchers to available UvA and IXA support for financial and legal matters (Project Development Support).
When a project is awarded, applicants are asked to draw up a budget sheet together with the project office/institute management at the penning faculty.
Project Development Support-projects are expected to submit the full-proposal to the identified external call within 12 months after granting (at least 1 potential funding call needs to be mentioned in the application)
At the moment SEVEN also funds Project Development Support-projects with the same conditions. A proposal for such project can only be submitted to either SEVEN or USP.
PI’s should inform the UPS management upon request on the progress of the project and all granted projects have to submit a short final report (format will follow later) on the outcomes and lessons learned.

Eligible Expenses

Seed Projects

The Seed projects range from k€15 to k€40 and need to be new interdisciplinary initiatives that cross UvA faculties and that will have clear output. Projects should have societal impact and/or lead to larger grant applications, and should leverage expertise of all faculties and disciplines involved. Priority is given to consortia that have not received funding from the Sustainable Prosperity Theme before.

Eligible expenses are

Personnel costs
Data access and collection, lab consumables, data infrastructure, research assistants
Conferences/research travel

Project Development Support

Funding of up to k€15 per project may be requested to facilitate proposal development/grant application activities, such as:

Dedicated writing or coordination time (small time buyouts may be possible, but require agreement with department head)
Professional grant-writing or editing support
Specialized expertise (e.g., stakeholder engagement, modelling, legal or ethical review)
Consortium building or partner workshops
Impact plan development

All submitted proposals will be assessed by the Sustainability Prosperity Steering group.

Contact

For questions or pre-application discussion:
Marcel Bartels or Elles Tukker via usp@uva.nl

Template for Seed Project

Please use the template below to compile your proposal

Maximum length: 2 pages excluding bibliography, font: Calibri 11pt
Deadline: please submit your proposal as a single pdf-file to usp@uva.nl, mentioning “Application Seed Project” in the subject not later than 16 March 2026.
Structuring your proposal using the headers given below in black font is highly recommended
All template text in brackets may be deleted
The proposed project will be assessed on how it aims to contribute to the theme's mission as well as how it supports acquisition of external funding

Proposal Title
Applicant(s) (title, name, institute, faculty, email address)
Project description (scientific challenges, objectives, approach, and expected outcomes)
Fitting the Sustainability Prosperity theme (describe how your proposal fits with the theme's mission)
Budget (budget can range from k€15 to k€40. Eligible expenses are Personnel costs, Data access and collection, lab consumables, data infrastructure, research assistants, conferences/research travel
Consortium (what are the contributions of the different partners/facilities and in what way is the interdisciplinarity required for the project’s success)
Other funding (Has the proposal/team already received other funding and/or are further grant applications underway?)
References

Template for Project Development Support