Winners of the Sustainable UM Research Seed Fund 2025–2026
We are delighted to announce the winners of the research seed fund grants and extend our warmest congratulations to the project leads and their team members. Three projects have been successfully selected for funding through the Seed Fund 2025-26 “Path to a Sustainable UM: Research Call for Transformative Solutions.” Each awarded project will be granted the maximum requested funding, capped at €75,000.
After carefully evaluating the research quality, team strength, potential impact, and the importance of maintaining a balanced portfolio across various sustainability challenges at UM, the Selection Committee, Sustainability Supervisory Board, and Management Team have all recommended positive approval of the seed funding for the following research projects:
Project 1: SHIFT-UM - Sustainable Higher education catering: Innovating Food Transitions at the University of Maastricht
Project Lead: Dr. Filippo Oncini
Faculties: SBE, FSE, FS
The SHIFT-UM project leverages Maastricht University's transition to a new caterer to implement and evaluate evidence-based sustainability interventions in institutional food services. Led by an interdisciplinary team from SBE and FSE, the research will examine how health and environmental labeling schemes—including the Protein Tracker, Green Score, and Nutri-Score—can guide sustainable dietary choices in university settings. Through stakeholder interviews, participatory workshops with students and staff, and collaboration with regional food networks, the project will generate practical guidelines for combining local sourcing with effective sustainability communication. The findings will position UM as a regional learning hub for sustainable public food procurement, while contributing open-access knowledge to support dietary transitions across Dutch and European universities.
Project 2: Climate-Ready Campuses: Building Resilience for a Warming World
Project Lead: Dr. Tuğçe Varol
Faculties: FHML, FSE, MUMC
The Climate-Ready Campuses project at Maastricht University aims to strengthen the university’s resilience to climate change, focusing on heat, energy, and the health and wellbeing of staff and students. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and a partnership with the University of Amsterdam, the project combines data, behavioural, and health sciences to develop innovative, evidence-based strategies. It addresses the challenges of increasingly frequent heatwaves, mitigating their health impacts while promoting sustainable campus operations. Ultimately, the project delivers practical recommendations for adapting UM’s buildings and practices to a warming world.
Project 3: Fork to Future Initiative - Building an EAT-Lancet Community for Sustainable Food Transformation at Maastricht University and Beyond
Project Lead: Dr. Michail Moatsos
Faculties: SBE, FHML, FSE
Fork to Future is a collaboration between Maastricht University and local food service partners to apply the EAT-Lancet planetary healthy diet framework on campus and in the surrounding region. The project creates a living laboratory where researchers, students, staff, and local stakeholders work together to reshape how food is served and consumed. The initiative identifies gaps between current eating patterns and sustainable dietary recommendations, then works to make healthier, locally-sourced options more accessible in university canteens and nearby food outlets. By adapting international guidelines to local production capabilities and consumer preferences, the project aims to develop a practical approach for sustainable food system transformation that others can learn from and adapt.
