Sustainability research
At Maastricht University, research plays a vital role in advancing the transition to a sustainable society. Sustainability-related research is taking place across all UM faculties, tackling issues from climate resilience to circular economies and biodiversity.
To strengthen collaboration and increase impact, UM is establishing three interfaculty research communities focused on the core themes of the Sustainability Roadmap: Climate, Circularity, and Community. These platforms connect researchers, students, and external partners to collaborate, co-create knowledge, and drive impactful, solutions-driven research.
UM also supports innovative ideas through research seed funds, promoting interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange across faculties, enabling pioneering projects that align with its sustainability ambitions. A key milestone is the launch of the Regional Expertise Centre on Circularity, which brings together UM researchers and regional stakeholders to accelerate the circular transition in Limburg and beyond.
Seed Fund for Sustainability Research
Do you have an innovative research idea that could transform our future to be more sustainable?
UM supports interdisciplinary sustainability research through seed funding, fostering cross-faculty collaborations on climate, circularity, and community wellbeing. The seed fund enables researchers to initiate new and expand existing research areas and strengthen networks for larger national and international research grants. The yearly research call has granted seed funding to several projects in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Click here for a complete overview.
Research on Sustainability and Circularity
Our researchers conduct important research on themes such as sustainability, quality of life, education and innovation, and Europe and globalisation. They do this for the region, the Netherlands, Europe and for the entire world - so for you as well. Meet some of our researchers and their work. What drives them? Why is mutual collaboration so important? What is the impact of their research on society?
Sustainability Research: the video series
Many researchers strive to contribute to a more sustainable world. We let them explain to you how they want to make a difference and what their research challenges are. And more importantly, giving you knowledge that you can use in your everyday life. You can view the videos on Sustainability Research at UM here.