We are happy to announce that 20 projects will receive funding from the ‘Sustainable Science Fund’ to make their research practices more sustainable. A further 20 projects have been awarded funding under the call for proposals ‘Transformative practices and processes for climate transitions’. Both calls opened last autumn under the ‘Science in Transition’ programme run by KIN and NWO. For both calls, applications could be submitted for up to €50,000 per project.
Research contributes to knowledge about sustainability, but how do we make research practice itself more sustainable? The twenty projects awarded funding from the ‘Sustainable Research Fund’ will tackle this in a variety of ways; from research into making generative AI more sustainable to decision-making tools for more conscious academic travel (or none at all). With the grant ‘Transformative practices and processes for climate transitions’, KIN aims to make climate knowledge from science and practice more mutually applicable by developing, testing and scaling up transformative methods and processes that science and practice develop together. You can discover all granted projects through the fold out menu’s below.
Through the ‘Science in Transition’ programme, NWO and the Dutch Climate Research Initiative (KIN) aim to encourage the scientific community to take steps towards equitable climate transitions in the face of climate change, by developing future-proof ways of collaborating, conducting research and securing funding.
Discover the granted applications
Sustainable Science Fund
(in alphabetical order, by project title):
Behavioural Interventions for Sustainable Science
Dr E. van der Werff, N Elzinga, Dr M.M. Lerch (University of Groningen)
Researchers strive to advance planetary health, focusing on energy transition and climate action. However, research itself, through waste and energy use, has a substantial, often ignored environmental impact. This project helps researchers (starting with chemistry, but expandable) adopt pro-environmental behavior and reduce their environmental impact. We will develop an online tool for teams to set
sustainability goals, and equip researchers with ambassador toolkits to inspire peers and their organization toward more pro-environmental behaviors.
Clean Data 4 Clean Weather (CD4CW): Sustainable, Open-Access Weather Data monitoring and storage
Dr E. Brembilla, A. Meijer, Dr M.A. Schleiss (Delft University of Technology)
What if research on climate change was contributing to make climate change worse? Weather data are key for research in all kinds of fields, but they need specialised equipment and very large data storage. This can have a heavy environmental impact, too often unnoticed because data are intangible. This project delivers an open-access, university-wide weather data portal with guidelines to reduce the environmental impact of sensors and long-term data storage, encouraging sharing and reusing sensing equipment. Moreover, it strives to build a local community of weather data users and disseminate practical guidelines relevant for all research institutions worldwide.
C-SCORE (Carbon Score): Estimating the Carbon Footprint of the Conduct of Clinical Research
M. Nekouei Shahraki, F. I de Haes MSc, N Sperna-Weiland, D Kringos, P.K. Twardowski (Amsterdam UMC)
Clinical research is essential for improving health, but it also creates a substantial carbon footprint through the activities and resources it requires, which contribute to global warming. Currently, estimates of these emissions vary widely because studies measure different elements in different ways, making results hard to rely on, difficult to compare, and less useful for guiding reduction strategies. C-SCORE is a new standardized method to estimate the carbon footprint of clinical research in a clear and consistent way. We will develop and test this approach and create an easy-to-use online tool to support more climate-friendly decisions in clinical research practice.
Energy-Conscious Computational Algorithms & Sustainable Science (ECO-COMPASS)
Prof. Dr T. van Leeuwen, Dr A Skorikov, (NWO/CWI), Dr B.J.C. van Werkhoven (LEI)
Computers are indispensable in science, and large data centres are used daily for simulations and data analysis. In this project, we aim to reduce the energy consumption, and thus the climate impact, of all this computing. We achieve this by fine-tuning the algorithms, so they use the available computing power more efficiently and thus consume less energy. Although this may come at the expense of speed, this is often not a problem. The results of this project will enable scientists to better balance speed, accuracy, and energy consumption.
Fit-for-purpose nitrogen: reducing liquid nitrogen use through local nitrogen generation in research laboratories
Dr C. Niederauer, AK Karsten, NN Noest, Dr IP Palstra, HS Schoenmaker, DU Ursem (NWO-AMOLF)
Many research institutes use large amounts of liquid nitrogen, even though for many applications neither the liquid form nor ultra-high purity is required. Turning nitrogen into a liquid is an energy-intensive process, as nitrogen must be cooled to extremely low temperatures (−196 °C). In addition, the transport and storage of liquid nitrogen require further energy use and complex logistics. This results in a substantial environmental impact. This project develops and validates an application-specific approach to nitrogen use by combining local generation of gaseous nitrogen with clear decision criteria for required purity.
GENAIRE: Generative AI in Research Workflows, Measuring and Reducing Environmental Impact
A. Polyportis, Dr D.G.E. Trottier, Dr Y. Wang (EUR)
GENAIRE develops a practical, low-threshold way for researchers to assess and reduce the expected environmental footprint of generative AI in everyday research. The project creates and pilots a digital planning tool, checklist and GENAIRE Receipt with an optional ethics addendum to help researchers decide when genAI use is proportionate, choose lower-footprint options for common tasks, and document decisions for ethics review and data management planning. The method is co-designed with researchers, the chair of the Research Ethics Review Committee, ICT and sustainability staff. Outputs will be shared openly so other higher education institutions can adapt and reuse them.
Green AI for Researchers
Dr Q. Zhao (Fontys University of Applied Sciences)
AI is transforming our society. This also holds for science and research. As AI models are growing more complex, their carbon footprint and energy consumption has become a significant environmental challenge. The concept of Green AI focuses on reducing the environmental impact of AI technologies. However, there is no methodological framework of translating these Green AI insights into best practices for researchers. This project aims at creating a comprehensive framework that enables researchers to understand key environmental challenges when deploying AI models in their work, and enables them to apply best practices for Green AI to advance their research activities.
GreenNebula – Advancing Sustainable and Responsible Scientific Research Practices in
the Era of Generative AI
Dr I. Malavolta, R.A. Apsan, Dr E.B. Beretta (VU)
Nebula is VU Amsterdam’s secure, EU-aligned platform for generative-AI research, enabling reproducible studies, full control over AI models’ settings, and privacy-preserving analysis of sensitive data. This project advances Nebula by making sustainability a first-class design dimension. We will optimize the inference engine and software architecture of the platform to cut its energy consumption, provide real-time “green cost” feedback and actionable nudges for researchers, and co-create guidelines and workflows with researchers. Outcomes include an energy-efficient Nebula release, open guidelines for sustainable generative-AI infrastructures, a prototype for sustainable prompt optimization, and a dissemination workshop, promoting sustainable research practices when using generative-AI techniques.
Impact assessment of laboratory disposables within life sciences research – external validation and optimisation of an existing methodology for new contexts outside academic hospitals
K Bosgra, Prof. Dr S. Kruijff (University Medical Centre Groningen), A.M. de Haas MSc (Amsterdam UMC), A.C. Noort (University of Groningen)
Research laboratories have large environmental footprints, majorly caused by the products they consume. We developed a method that uses procurement data to assess which products have the highest environmental impact, helping organizations to target their reduction efforts effectively. We aim to verify and optimise the method we developed within university medical centres to ensure it applies also to other research organisations with laboratory facilities. To do so, we collaborate with partners including Sanquin, Naturalis and RIVM. The improved methods will be made publicly available to help research organisations monitor and reduce the environmental impact of their laboratory disposables.
Implementing SPARKHub for sustainable research: a national pilot study
Dr J.F. Dekkers, Dr T Bouwman, T Freese (University of Groningen), Dr J Sprangers (UMCU)
Scientific research helps improve our lives, but it also uses a lot of energy and materials and can harm the environment. This project tests SPARKHub, a new European online platform that helps research organisations understand and reduce the environmental impact of their research. We will try out SPARKHub in six Dutch organisations working in medical, chemical, and diagnostic research. By learning what works well and what does not, the project will provide practical advice for researchers, organisations, and funders to make research more sustainable and to support wider use of SPARKHub.
Measuring Academic Travel to Enable Policy Evaluation and Emissions Reduction
Brick (UvA), NR de Goede (UU), B van Mourink (Stichting Natuur en Milieu)
Scientific flying causes substantial emissions, but Dutch universities and research institutes do not know how much their staff actually fly. This project will develop a practical way to turn messy travel and expense records into clear estimates of flight amounts, distances, and greenhouse gas emissions. By making scientific travel visible and comparable, the project will help institutions understand travel patterns and see whether their travel rules are working. The method will be developed with Dutch universities and other research organizations to support better decisions about academic travel and climate impact.
ODECART (Objective DECision framework for Air-based Research Travel)
Dr N. Nesterova (Breda University of Applied Sciences), L. Hulsmann & S. van Toor (The Overview Effect Holding BV), L.S. Jofriet & Prof. Dr. Ir. A.A.J.F. van den Dobbelsteen (Delft University of Technology), E. Khademi, A. Koens & Dr. J. Klijs, S. van Toor
Universities aim to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, yet academic air travel remains a major and weakly governed source of emissions. The ODECART project develops an evidence-based and objective decision-making framework to determine when academic air travel is truly necessary. Rather than relying on individual judgement, ODECART combines environmental, organizational, societal, and personal considerations in a transparent decision-support tool. By testing and validating this tool within Dutch universities, the project helps prevent unnecessary flights before emissions occur. ODECART supports fair, consistent, and climate-aware travel decisions, while safeguarding the quality, value, and societal relevance of academic collaboration.
Phoenix – Energy-aware Data Management from Practice to Research
Prof. Dr P.L. Lago, M.Sc. M. Funke, Dr V. Stoico (VU)
Science relies on knowledge, knowledge relies on data. However, not all data is necessary, nor is it always managed efficiently or effectively. This is witnessed by the rapid growth of energy use in data centres with unsustainable socio-environmental effects. Industry has started creating and adopting energy-aware data management tactics. Science must do the same.To this aim, we build upon the methods and results emerged from the pragmatism of industrial practice and the rigour of academic research. We create an integrated `modeling-and-measurement’ method coming from both worlds, with energy-aware tactics learned in industry, and adapted and measured in academic research.
Plastic and Energy Efficient Single-Cell Research by Scaling Combinatorial Barcoding
Dr M. Bauer (KNAW)
Studying individual cells helps scientists understand how tissues and organs develop and function, but currentsingle-cell methods use large amounts of plastic and energy. In this project, we develop a new high-throughputsingle-cell method that makes these experiments much more sustainable. Our approach allows multiplebiological features to be measured in each cell while using far less plastic and energy. We will test the methodon different cell types and make it available to other researchers through the Single-Cell Core at the HubrechtInstitute, helping to reduce the environmental impact of life science research.
Reducing Energy Consumption in Algorithm Benchmarking (RECAB)
V Volz, Dr K van der Blom (NWO-CWI)
Optimisation methods help to solve many real-world problems, ranging from finding the fastest train routes to choosing safer cancer treatments. In algorithms research, such methods must be scientifically tested before they can be used in practice. These tests often consume large amounts of energy, as they involve running thousands of expensive simulations on high-performance computing clusters. We propose a tool that stores and reuses simulation results to avoid unnecessary re-execution. This can significantly reduce energy consumption and shorten the time researchers need to obtain results.
Rooted Remotely: Sustainable Methods for Place-Based Research
F.W. Melissen, M.D. Brinkman-Staneva MSc, E de Groot, Dr J. Klijs (Breda University of Applied Sciences)
Scientists fly around the world to study local communities and support sustainable development. But flying harms the climate. And does it really make sense for foreign experts to lead research while local knowledge remains undervalued?The project “Rooted Remotely” explores new ways of collaborating. Instead of Western researchers flying in and taking charge, international and local partners design, conduct, and share research together. As equals, and without the flights. We develop and test practical methods that researchers worldwide can adopt – proving that cutting carbon emissions and creating fairer partnerships aren’t competing goals, but two sides of the same coin.
STEAMLESS: Sustainable Treatment: Energy-Aware Methods for Low-Energy Sterilization Substitution
Prof. Dr. Ir. J.G. Daran (Delft University of Technology)
This project aims to make microbiology laboratories more sustainable by reducing the energy used for sterilizing microbial biomass. Standard autoclave cycles, designed to achieve full sterility, consume large amounts of energy, yet full sterilization is not always needed for waste biomass. We will measure the energy cost of conventional sterilization, develop and validate lower-temperature disinfection protocols at 60–80 °C, and explore combining heat with lactic acid to enhance microbial inactivation. All results, including protocols, data, and training materials, will be openly shared following open science principles, supporting safer, greener, and more cost-efficient laboratory practices globally.
Sustainable by Design: Embedding Sustainability and Workforce Capacity in Health Innovation
E.M.E. Bos (Amsterdam UMC), Prof. J.E. Bosmans (VU), Prof. J. de Mast (UvA), N Sperna-Weiland (Amsterdam UMC)
Our project develops a new method to evaluate medical innovations by combining clinical value, costs, and environmental impact. It responds to the recognition by the Dutch Ministry of Health and Zorginstituut Nederland that environmental impact and workforce deployment should inform decisions on which medical procedures are adopted and reimbursed. We integrate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to measure energy use, materials, waste, and workforce needs. Using robotic surgery for myomectomy (the removal of uterine fibroids), as first case, we develop a scalable methodology that supports more sustainable, evidence-based healthcare decisions before new technologies are widely implemented.
The ULTRA-SAFE study: Ultra Low Temperature storage of Reagents: Assessment of Stability After FrEezing
Prof. Dr A.C. Heijboer, A.M. de Haas MSc (Amsterdam UMC)
Laboratories use ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers to safely store biological and chemical materials, such as cells and chemicals. These freezers are usually set to –80°C and consume large amounts of electricity, comparable to the annual use of one to three households. We investigate whether materials used in biological, chemical, and biomedical laboratories can also be safely stored at –70°C. This would reduce energy use by about 30%. If widely adopted nationally, this could save millions of kWh and nearly 2 million kilograms of CO₂ per year without affecting research quality. Results will be shared openly to support sustainable choices worldwide.
Training in Sustainable Research Practices: An Ethics- and Intervention-Oriented MOOC for PhD Researchers
M.R. Drury MA, MM Aarnikoivu, T. Freese, T. Spits (University of Groningen)
PhD researchers play a key role in shaping future scientific research, including its environmental and socialimpacts. This project develops an open, online course that helps PhD researchers across STEM disciplinesunderstand sustainability as an ethical issue and apply it within their own research practices. Participants will learn to identify sustainability hotspots in their work and design practical, feasible interventions that reduce impacts while maintaining research quality and integrity. By combining ethical reflection with hands-on tools and real research examples, the course supports researchers in becoming active agents of change and contributes to more sustainable research practices across institutions.
Transformative practices and processes for Climate Transitions
(in alphabetical order, by project title):
Accelerating Energy Transitions by Recognizing the Potentials and Resilience of Superdiverse Urban Cultures
Dr C.A. Benitez Avila (TU Delft), Sir AF Furtado (Concrete Blossom)
Urban interventions often fail to achieve fair climate transitions because sponsors are unable to recognize or engage with the resilient capacities of superdiverse cities shaped by migration legacies. This project develops a training method targeting energy transition project sponsors and entrepreneurs to (1) overcome cultural misrepresentations that prevent energy transition sponsors from engaging with superdiverse neighbourhoods, and (2) seize possibilities for articulating transition goals with urban-making processes that revalorize the urban transformative potentials and resilience of migrant and diasporic cultures.
Amelisweerd: Towards Multispecies Justice
Dr K. Driscoll (UU), M.A.P. Nooren (Marieke Nooren Projects), Dr P.C. Sánchez-de Jaegher (UU), E.D.K. Vermijs (Studio Elmo Vermijs)
Amelisweerd: Towards Multispecies Justice is a transdisciplinary research-creation project that develops and tests multispecies assembly as a transformative method for climate transitions. Using the contested landscape of Amelisweerd near Utrecht as a case study, the project brings together researchers, artists, legal thinkers, activists, and local communities to experiment with forms of collective deliberation that include more-than-human perspectives. Drawing on environmental humanities, Indigenous and decolonial thought, and critical pedagogies, the project approaches multispecies assembly as both a participatory method and a space for collective (un)learning about justice, representation, and coexistence across species.
Climate Adaptive Futures NL: Shaping Climate-Resilient Urban and Health Futures Through Transdisciplinary Foresight
Dr M.V. Tietschert PhD MSc (EUR), Dr P De Best (Erasmus MC), Dr M.J.J. Schrama (UL), Dr R.S. Sikkema (Erasmus MC)
Climate change challenges Dutch cities due to rising temperatures (heat), extreme precipitation, and rising sea levels, putting pressure on infrastructure, public health, and livability. These interconnected challenges require systemic, long-term transformation rather than incremental, sector-based adjustments. However, urban planning, climate adaptation and public-health policies are developed in silos, constraining effective transitions with risks of unintended health impacts. Building on the established transdisciplinary network ClimateHUB Rotterdam, Climate Adaptive Futures NL applies foresight as a transition-oriented method to explore long-term scenarios and develop robust pathways for action. The approach will be validated in Rotterdam and translated into an open-access toolkit.
Cultivating Relationships with Loss in Transitions: A Portfolio Approach to “Spaces for Letting Go”
Dr K.B. Bogner (UU), FC Coops (&Coops)
This project explores how communities can productively engage with loss during sustainability transitions. Rather than viewing grief as something to overcome, we ask: how can transition-makers build sustainable relationships with letting go while remaining actionable? Across three coastal contexts, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and the
UK, we’ll co-design adaptable ‘spaces for letting go’ with communities facing climate-related losses. By experimenting with culturally-specific rituals and practices, we’ll develop practical portfolios that practitioners can use in their own contexts. This approach recognises that just transitions demand emotional and cultural work, not just technical solutions, and that loss is distributed unequally across communities.
Developing a transformative method for climate-oriented legal practice: A pilot of the Dutch Law & Climate Atlas
D. Hoekzema (Stichting Recht voor Klimaat)
Legal professionals strongly influence how quickly and effectively society can respond to climate change, but often lack practical guidance on how to address sustainability issues in their daily work. This project develops and tests a practical method to show, across different areas of law, where the law supports climate action, where it creates obstacles, and where knowledge is missing. Inspired by the UK Law & Climate Atlas, the approach will be piloted and refined. The results will be made publicly available through a Dutch Atlas and will support wider use, continuous improvement, and long-term integration into education and legal practice.
Emotional dynamics and decision-making in Zoöps
Prof. K. Kwastek (VU), K.J. Kuitenbrouwer (Zoönomic Institute Foundation), A. Smits MA (Zone2Source Foundation)
This project evaluates the role of emotions within Zoöps, focusing on Zoöp Amstelpark. Any organization that has adopted the Zoöp model and signed the Zoöp-contract is a Zoöp. In a Zoöp, the interests of other-than-humans (animals, plants) are actively represented in decision-making processes, to work towards a planet livable for all. Emotional dynamics play a key role in our willingness to do so. During interviews, consultations, and performances, we will reflect upon the role of emotions together with park visitors. The results will help improve the Zoöp model and create awareness for the role of emotions in climate transitions.
GORDIAN – GOvernance, Regulation and Design Integration to Accelerate and Negotiate Just Transitions
K.O. Dimitrova (Foundation We Are), F.C. Singleton-Clift (UvA), Dr M Taanman (GovernEUR)
GORDIAN develops and tests a new transdisciplinary method to accelerate just climate transitions in legally complex contexts. Through three real-life infrastructure cases in
port Amsterdam, small teams of designers, policymakers and legal experts work together to untangle regulatory, governance and design challenges. By bringing imagination, legal legitimacy and implementation realities into one process, the project explores how climate action can be both faster and more just. The project builds on the method and practice Foundation We Are, and generates practical insights, a transferable collaboration framework, and accessible public outputs to support transformative practices across climate transition domains.
Imagining Climate Futures
LS van der Reijden (Beeld(ver)vormers), P Ardai (Stichting We Are Space), Dr B. Harms and F van Hettema (NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences), K Kakebeeke (Stichting Picture Bridge Foundation)
Imagining Climate Futures empowers young people to co-create hopeful, actionable climate futures and rebalance who shapes decisions about a warming planet. Responding to UNESCO’s call for hopeful imagination as an essential 21st-century skill, it counters dystopian climate narratives with positive, actionable visions. Using participatory methods such as photovoice, Future Ancestor Dialogue, and the Climate Fresk, the project builds Futures Literacy, agency, and intergenerational collaboration, countering dystopian narratives. The project develops an openly accessible Toolkit, hosts workshops in The Hague and Leeuwarden, and publishes visual future visions that inspire engagement and practical action toward a just climate transition worldwide.
Indigenous Perspectives & Lived Experiences: Transforming Engineering Education Practice for Just Climate Transitions
M. Colis (MABIKAs Foundation, the Philippine Cordillera Connection in the Netherlands), A.R. Gammon, A. Melnyk (Delft University of Technology)
This project explores how Indigenous perspectives, drawing on the Igorot Cordillerans, can be integrated into engineering education in the Netherlands to contribute to just climate transitions. While climate solutions are often technologically driven, they frequently shift social and ecological burdens onto vulnerable communities and ecosystems, particularly in cases of critical raw materials (CRM) extraction. By engaging Indigenous understandings of human–nature relations, the project develops a method that reimagines engineering practices and supports transformative learning in climate-related science and engineering education. The method is transdisciplinary, reflective, and practice-oriented, combining Indigenous storytelling, real-world exposure, and applied systems analysis within a 90 minute-timeframe.
Lamentation for the Weather: Climate Justice in Amsterdam Noord
Dr C. Hermans (AHK), M van der Deen MA MSc (Weerproof), D van Dijck MA (De Muziekstraat)
Lamentation for the Weather explores how the Dutch habit of complaining about the weather can become a way to voice collective pain, grief, and uncertainty in Amsterdam North—one of the neighbourhoods most affected by climate injustice and least heard in climate debates. Combining climate research (Weerproof), community art (Muziekstraat), and polyphonic vocal practice (Conservatorium van Amsterdam), the project gathers local experiences and translates them into choral music. This music is rehearsed and performed by a local choir in public spaces, alongside a documentary, a series of promotional films, and a methodological guide on voicing climate injustice through art.
Lessons for impactful & effective transdisciplinary research coalitions: the case of the Mapping Fossil Ties Coalition
A P Pereira (Solid Sustainability Research), H Arts (Foundation for the Promotion of the Fossil-Free Movement), Dr M.C. Blondeel (VU), G. Schaafsma (LEI), Dr G. Dix (UT), S Roeters (Sjors Roeters Productions), C Vetter (TU Delft)
Increasing awareness of how academia enables climate obstruction and is influenced by health-harming industries has seen grassroots research coalitions form worldwide. Their transdisciplinary research can help institutions prevent undesirable influence of industry, protect academic freedom and contribute to a just transition. We offer such coalitions a practical toolkit based on the experience of the Dutch Mapping Fossil Ties coalition – a network of academics, campaigners, and independent researchers researching academic-fossil fuel ties since 2023. Via workshops, an interactive research handbook and academic publication, we share lessons on effective transdisciplinary collaboration and making impact through activism, journalism, policy, and science.
My Way with Heat: A transformative dialogue method supporting residents in decision-making in the heat transition
Dr C.W. van Eck (UvA), G. van Eck (Ecksplorer)
In many neighbourhoods, the transition to sustainable heating progresses slowly because engagement with residents often focuses on technical and financial aspects, while decision-making also involves uncertainty, emotions, and perceived (in)justice. Mijn Weg met Warmte is a dialogue-based method that surfaces inner and external voices shaping residents’ decisions, using visual position cards to clarify tensions, priorities, and next steps. This fosters intrinsically motivated, sustainable choices and enables municipalities to align support. In collaboration with the Municipality of Amersfoort, the method will be developed, validated across diverse neighbourhoods
and heat solutions, and made accessible via a toolkit, train-the-trainer approach, and dissemination partners.
Reconfiguring Economies and Practices for Integrated Repair (REPAIR)
Dr K.R. Rossi (TU Delft), R.B. Buurman (Fair Resource Foundation), Dr F. Donati (UL)
Climate change is made worse by constantly producing new products, which requires large amounts of energy and raw materials and creates growing waste. This project helps to shape an understanding on how repairable everyday products really are, and what is the value of doing so. By working with citizens and repair groups to safely take products apart, openly share what is found, we hope designers, businesses, and policymakers can support repair, improve product design, ultimately reducing waste.
Sounds like Trouble: Designing Loss-of-Control Experiences for Climate Transitions
W. Wiersma, Prof. Dr J. Wallinga (WUR), Dr J.M. Chambers (UU), M Van Ree (Wageningen Environmental Research Foundation, WENR)
Climate transitions require more than technological solutions; they require shifts in how humans relate to nature and landscapes. This project adds a deliberately unsettling sound-based experience to the Only Planet exhibition, which presents pathways to sustainable futures in the Netherlands. Through an embodied loss-of-control experience, visitors are invited to feel—not resolve—the tensions of climate change. Alongside public engagement, workshops with scientists and practitioners explore how control-oriented thinking shapes sustainability efforts. By combining art, science, and reflexive research, the project investigates how “Staying with Trouble” can foster deeper connection, responsibility, and transformative change in climate action.
Testing Climate Figures with the IPCC: Transforming Design Practices for Inter-Cultural Accessibility
Prof. S.M.C. Niederer (HvA), T. Balder, A. de Jonge MSc, Prof. B. van den Hurk (Deltares), Dr L. van den Heijkant (UvA)
The IPCC produces world-leading climate reports that inform public debate and policymaking. Yet the scientific figures in these reports can be difficult for many audiences to understand. This project tests a new, bottom-up approach to designing and improving IPCC figures by starting from the needs of diverse audiences. We will identify what makes figures accessible and understandable, test new designs across six countries, and refine them through expert review. The results will be translated into an
open-access toolkit that supports more inclusive and accessible climate communication within and beyond the IPCC.
The Learning Together Programme: Towards a Translocal Learning System for Collaboration between Municipalities and Community Initiatives
Dr W.A.H. Spekkink (EUR), L.A.C. Meddens (Klimaatverbond Nederland)
Municipalities and community initiatives play a crucial role in addressing climate change, but collaboration between them often proves challenging in practice. Differences in working methods, responsibilities, and expectations often lead to frustrations on both sides. This project develops a translocal learning system that brings together successful collaboration practices between community initiatives and municipalities. Together with local initiatives, municipal actors, researchers, and Het Klimaatverbond, these practices are tested and refined in new contexts. By enabling shared learning across locations, the project strengthens collaboration and supports more inclusive and effective local climate action.
Transition Dinners: Shared meals as a catalyst for constructive dialogue on sustainability transitions in polarised times
F.W. Melissen, L. Sauer (Breda University of Applied Sciences), J. Branderhorst, M. van Veldhoven, F Brouwer, E Huwaë (Goedzooi)
How to ensure that climate transitions lead to connection between people? Transition dinners offer an answer: pop-up meals where sustainable food serves as a catalyst for meaningful conversations about polarized sustainability issues. A carefully composed menu and the right setting and facilitation open conversations that might otherwise collapse. This project develops and validates an existing culinary method which leads to constructive dialogue for different contexts in the Netherlands, while systematically testing, evaluating, and disseminating it through a toolkit. By uniting science (BUas) and practice (Goedzooi), we create a scalable approach for constructive dialogue that contributes to just climate transitions.
Transition Treatment: General rehearsal for art-science collaborations in climate transitions
GJ Deuten, MAP Nooren (Stichting Gouden Haas), TIS Fransen, Mara de Pater (EUR DRIFT)
Transition Treatment develops and systematizes The Green Clinic, an art–science intervention that invites participants to imagine a world in which systems fail and solutions no longer work. In the Amsterdam Western Port Area, a site in transition, The Green Clinic acts as a “field hospital” where participants step out of routines, embrace uncertainty, explore emotions, and rehearse new responses. Theatre collective Gouden
Haas and DRIFT collaborate to make the method, design principles, and underlying logic explicit. The result is a theoretically grounded, transferable intervention that combines art and science to explore and accelerate sustainable and just transitions.
VSD-VvE: Value-Sensitive Design for Just and Sustainable VvE Renovations
LGK Spoormans (TU Delft), mk Dang (Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions), M de Vries (Populytics)
Many homes need sustainable renovations, but processes are challenging, especially for homeowners’ associations. Renovations are often viewed from technical, financial, and expert perspectives, overlooking minority voices and values like user experience, aesthetics, or autonomy. That is why we are testing and validating Value-Sensitive-Design approach (VSD) for further development and wide application in homeowners’ associations. This means a systemic change achieved by reversing current decision-making processes. Through a transdisciplinary team of scientists, social partners, municipality of Amsterdam, and homeowners’ associations, we guarantee a widely supported and practical method that leads to better, fairer decision-making and the upscaling of sustainable housing renovations
Water Playground
M.R. Mandemakers (Myrthe Mandemakers), N.E. Hendriks (WUR), A. Stoop (Anne Stoop)
Water Playground creates a transformative space where water professionals and artistic designers experiment with ecocentric approaches to water management. Play With Nature Lab provides four workshops where participants explore creative methods to shift from controlling water systems to working with nature. It’s important to help water professionals become change agents in addressing floods, droughts, and biodiversity loss. Technical solutions alone are insufficient for accelerating the water transition. A cultural shift is needed in dealing with water systems for a sustainable future. Wageningen University researches the developed tools and ensures the knowledge is shared within the water sector.
Kick off meeting
To encourage knowledge-sharing, collaboration and visibility, we organise a range of events. We actively facilitate contact between applicants so they can get to know one another and learn more about each other’s projects, organise an inspiring ‘Science in Transition’ event, and conclude the programme with a peer review session. Further details and dates will follow shortly.
About ‘Science in Transition’
The calls for proposal ‘Sustainable Research Fund” and “Transformative Practices and Processes for Climate Transitions” are part of the Science in Transition programme line of KIN and NWO. Within this programme line, KIN and NWO are looking at new ways of collaborating, conducting and funding research, as well as working methods and processes that facilitate the dialogue between science and practice so that transformative solutions can emerge that accelerate the necessary transitions.