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New report for the European Parliament highlights justice dimensions of the energy transition
Mathieu Blondeel, Ina Lehmann, and Mirja Schoderer, Ass. Professors in the Environmental Policy Analysis (EPA) department of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of VU Amsterdam, authored a new report on behalf of the Committee on Development (DEVE) of the European Parliament, published on the European Parliament website.
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Publication press release: Urban Agriculture Could Supply Around 28% of Europe’s Vegetable Demand
A new study, conducted by researchers from the Netherlands and Germany, estimates that urban agriculture in European cities could produce up to 20 million tons of vegetables annually, representing roughly one-third of the region’s current vegetable production. The study, published in Sustainable Cities and Society, systematically analyzes the potential of urban agriculture for 840 cities across 30 European countries.
University of Groningen
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New round of Seed Money Grant is open now!
The scope of the Call has been sharpened to better stimulate genuinely interdisciplinary proposals with strong alignment to ASI’s research agenda. In this edition, we will fund one innovative research project with up to €10.000 that builds the foundations for future research.
Amsterdam Sustainability Institute - VU Amsterdam
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Press Release: 15 years of Rotary and IHE Delft scholarships
Delft, 20 April 2026 — Rotary and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education reaffirmed their long-standing partnership during the Climate and Water Mobilization Forum held on 18 April, highlighting 15 years of collaboration through the Rotary-IHE Delft scholarships aimed at addressing global water and environmental challenges.
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The 2026 VU-UT seed funding call is now open (deadline February 9)
The Alliance VU-UT invites researchers to submit collaborative Seed Grant proposals addressing major societal challenges, up to €35,000*.
The aim of the joint research projects is to contribute to solving pressing societal challenges within the following thematic areas:
- Responsible Societies: Urban climate, Responsible use of natural resources, Natural hazards and societal impacts, Net zero emissions
- Secure Societies: The citizen perspective, Crisis management, Undermining, Polarisation, The future of the police professions
- Smart Societies: Smart health, Smart areas, Smart industries
In addition to the existing thematic areas, the Steering Group wishes to explore and encourage VU-UT collaboration in the Health domain.
VU Amsterdam / University of Twente
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A Bottom-Up Approach to PhD Support within SENSE: The IVM PhD Council
Last December, the PhD Council of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at VU Amsterdam shared its experiences and achievements with VU’s Network of Graduate Schools. This event also provided an opportunity to highlight the added value of IVM’s participation in the SENSE network. The aim was to inspire other departments and faculties by showcasing the positive experiences of PhD life at IVM. With this article, we would like to share some of these experiences shared in the presentation as well with other SENSE members, in the hope of inspiring them as well.
Article by Bente-Sophie van Kalken
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SENSE e-News November-December 2025
We are delighted to welcome you to the latest edition of the SENSE newsletter!
As the year slowly winds down, this season brings a reflective and inspiring energy to our community, with exciting courses, research activities, and events taking place across the SENSE network.
We are excited to announce the launch of our official SENSE LinkedIn page: a new space to connect our community of researchers, partners, and friends of the SENSE Research School.
--> Follow us to stay up to date with news, events, insights, and opportunities from across the SENSE network!
We are also very excited to share the highlights of the SENSE–IHE PhD Symposium, “From Uncertainty to Resilience: Data, Climate and Society”, which took place on 22–23 October 2025 at IHE Delft. The symposium brought together participants from universities and research institutes across the Netherlands and beyond, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and scientific exchange.
SENSE
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Contribute to the SDG 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026
UN-Water is preparing the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026(verwijst naar een andere website) – a flagship United Nations publication that will reflect on ten years of progress and outline priorities for the years to come. Stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the 10-minute consultation, available in multiple languages.
UN Water
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Beyond the Models: What a Rapid Assessment Taught Me About Communities and Sea-Level Rise in Egypt
IHE Delft alumna Toka Mahmoud reflects on the need to go beyond numbers and build relations in research through interdisciplinary methods to better understand the social consequences of climate change and push people to act on it. From FLOWs: The Water Governance Blog at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
IHE Delft
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15 new IHE Delft short courses in Water & Sustainable Development
Water management and governance, sanitation, hydroinformatics and environmental technology – those are just some of the topics covered in 15 new specialized three-week courses now offered by IHE Delft. The courses, taking place at IHE Delft between December 2025 and April 2026, are also offered as modules within the MSc in Water and Sustainable Development. Designed for both students and professionals, they combine advanced theoretical learning through lectures and discussions with practical experience in laboratories, fieldwork, group assignments, and excursions.
IHE Delft
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Global construction carbon footprint set to double by 2050, study warns
As the world marks UN World Cities Day (31 October), which calls for more sustainable urban development, a new international study warns that the construction sector’s carbon footprint could double by 2050, putting global climate goals at risk. Prajal Pradhan, affiliated with the Wubbo Ockels School for Energy and Climate, and SENSE RUG representative member, is one of the lead authors and highlights the urgent need for change in how we build our cities.
University of Groningen
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