Applied research at Universities of Applied Sciences has taken off in a relatively short time. There are now hundreds of professors (‘lectoren’) working at universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. The question of what this will achieve is not without merit. There is much to say about this, and due in part to mission-driven innovation policy, this question is becoming ever more relevant. To what concrete changes in society does applied research contribute? How do the results of applied research benefit cities and regions? And: how do you demonstrate the social impact of research at universities of applied sciences?
There is still much to be gained in this area, which is why this website provides tools, indicators, blogs and experiences on the continuous effects of research at universities of applied sciences. These can be used by professors, researchers, lecturers and policy officers in making research accessible to a wider audience and reporting effectively on this.
The team behind the Website
Harry van Vliet has been a professor since 2007, first at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and, since 2013, at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Drawing on his background as a cognitive psychologist and film and television researcher, his research focuses on visitor experience in a cross-media landscape. Through his involvement in the launch of the Innovation Alliance Foundation and the RAAK schemes for universities of applied sciences, he has had a particular interest in the continuous effects of research on society. This culminated, on 1 January 2021, in his appointment as professor of Doorwerking Praktijkgericht Onderzoek (continuous effects of applied research) at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
Daily has been working at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam since 2021. Her background in journalism has made her interested in social issues and curious about innovative and impactful solutions. It doesn't always have to be big, as even something small can make a difference. As communications officer and editor, she supports the team in maintaining the website and creating content for the website.
Pieter Wybenga has been involved in applied research at various universities of applied sciences since 2011. As an external consultant, he initially helped set up various projects, later taking on the role of grant advisor at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS). He is currently working as a business developer at AUAS. In this role, he supports AUAS staff in implementing the effects of research results in professional practice. He also set up the national network of universities of applied sciences in which professionals with a similar support role share knowledge and experience on continuous effects of research in professional practice.
Sarah Coombs has been with the Library of Saxion University of Applied Sciences since 2005. Her background as an academic librarian, in which supporting research is central, underpins her role in improving research by offering the right support; she also does this from the perspective of Open Science. With a view to enhancing support for researchers in the field of impact evaluation, she has embarked on a PhD programme at Leiden University’s Centre for Science and Technology Studies. Her aim is to discover how the continuous effects of research at universities of applied sciences can be systematically, responsibly and robustly evaluated.
Pim Klamer has been working as a researcher in the Research group Practised-based at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences since February 2024. He fulfils this role part-time in combination with the position of programme manager in the field of impact at Regieorgaan SIA.
Pim has been working in higher education since 2010, first as a lecturer and since 2016 as a researcher at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. He conducted research on normativity of financial professionals and received his PhD in 2021 from the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht University.
Since his appointment to Regieorgaan SIA in 2022, Pim has become interested in the impact of research. Working at both organisations, he hopes to contribute to increasing the impact of practice-based research.
Pim has been working in higher education since 2010, first as a lecturer and since 2016 as a researcher at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. He conducted research on normativity of financial professionals and received his PhD in 2021 from the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht University.
Since his appointment to Regieorgaan SIA in 2022, Pim has become interested in the impact of research. Working at both organisations, he hopes to contribute to increasing the impact of practice-based research.
With contributions by:
Desiree van den Bogaard (Avans), Eva Woertman (Surf), Gerben ter Riet (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences), Wilke van Beest (Utrecht University of Applied Sciences), Vladimir Bartelds (Hanze University of Applied Sciences), Lisette Wegener (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences) and Gerwin Evers (Technopolis).
Made possible by:
This website was co-sponsored by an Impuls grant from the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA.
