Current projects

CurveBend: Bending the curve of biodiversity loss (2025-2032)

CurveBend is a 7-year transdisciplinary research project starting on 1 May 2025. The program is funded as part of the National Science Agenda (NWA) by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). CurveBend focuses on bending the curve of biodiversity loss and promoting a nature-positive society through mobilization of collective action at the landscape level. With a “hands-on” approach, CurveBend operates in three livestock-dominated regions: in Dutch meadows, the Argentine Pampas, and East African savannas. We study the mismatches in the spatial needs of plants, animals and people for the various parts of landscapes. In co-creation with societal partners, we seeks solutions to these mismatches. We aim to develop innovative, practical solutions for biodiversity restoration at the landscape scale serving as inspiration worldwide.
https://curvebend.org
(Prof. dr. Raoul Beunen, Kornelis Walma)

BlueGreen Governance: Harmonizing land and sea for a sustainable tomorrow (2024-2027)

BlueGreen Governance identifies existing barriers to effective marine governance and policy, and defines which enablers can be used to overcome such barriers. It co-develops innovations and improvements in governance schemes, puts potential innovative solutions into practice and tests their feasibility and viability through policy dialogues at the relevant territorial level. Furthermore the project develops recommendations and instruments for capacity building so that new schemes of governance are sustainable beyond the duration of the project.
https://bggovernance.eu
(Prof.dr. Raoul Beunen, dr. Mafaziya Nijamdeen, dr. Ansje Löhr)

ACT - Accelerating Just Climate Transitions in Urban Regions (2024-2027)

The KIN ACT work program aims to accelerate climate transitions in various neighborhoods across the Netherlands in a just manner. In our work package we will investigate what competences sustainability professionals and informal climate leaders need to work on just climate transitions in neighbourhoods, and what pitfalls and bottlenecks can be identified. We will translate this in training and tertiary education programs for current and future sustainability professionals and informal climate leadership.
https://hetkin.nl/en/programmes/act-accelerating-just-climate-transitions-in-urban-regions
(Prof. dr. Paquita (F.) Perez Salgado)

OpenEU - The Open European University - Advancing digital transformation in higher education

OpenEU is an alliance of 10 open universities in Europe, including the Open Universiteit, working together to create the first pan-European open university and make higher education more accessible to everyone, regardless of background or stage of life. The project aims at digital transformation, climate emergency and democracy. As an expert on online (climate) education, I contribute to innovative approaches to knowledge exchange through digital technologies.
https://openeu.eu
(Prof. dr. Paquita (F.) Perez Salgado)

MiSpace: Multidisciplinaire Inventarisatie om Samen de Publieke ruimte Aan te pakken en om voorkeuren en gedragsvoorspellers van burgers te Checken en te Evalueren (2024-2026)

A green living environment can encourage behaviours and contributes to the positive health of citizens. Therefore, improving the living environment is a promising intervention that will enhance the health of citizens in vulnerable neighbourhoods. However, successful environmental interventions must match citizens' perceptions and needs. Through in-depth interviews, we will reveal the preferences, needs and desires of citizens in Vrieheide-De Stack, one of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in the Netherlands, in relation to their living environment. MiSpace is a collaboration between the municipality of Heerlen, the Open University, and the Nationaal Programma Heerlen-Noord (NPHLN).
https://www.ou.nl/-/mispace-hoe-willen-bewoners-hun-wijk-inrichten
(Dr. Esmée Bijnens)

Green space exposure and well-being in daily life

This study investigates the association between visiting green spaces and experienced well-being in people's daily lives. This relationship can differ from person to person, influenced by factors such as timing, duration and frequency of visits in green spaces. Employing an Experience Sampling Method (ESM) approach enables the capture of momentary self-reported well-being. More refined measures of green space exposure are needed, reflecting individuals' lived experiences in and around green environments. Combining quantitative factors (visit frequency and duration) with qualitative aspects (personal perceptions) of green space will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the well-being benefits associated with green spaces.
(Dr. Esmée Bijnens)

Flemish Environment and Health Studies (FLEHS) (2022-2027)

FLEHS investigates the extent to which the Flemish population is exposed to environmental pollutants. The main objective is to investigate and support environmental health and wellbeing by capturing the complex interactions between the environment, lifestyle, socio-economic variables and health. The program's results allow for the implementation of a preventive environmental and health policy. The multidisciplinary research consortium consists of researchers from the five Flemish universities and multiple research institutes. More specifically, we investigate the association between residential green space and mental health of adolescents and the potential underlying mechanism. https://omgeving.vlaanderen.be/nl/flemish-environment-and-health-studies-flehs
(Dr. Esmée Bijnens)

MOMENTUM Microplastics and Human Health Consortium (2025-2029)

This ZonMW project aims to unravel the human health effects of MNPs and propose solutions to minimise their potential health impact. Methods will be developed to analyse MNPs and measure internal human exposure. Also, it will be studied if MNPs can cross internal barriers of the lung, intestine, brain, and placenta. Furthermore, the novel research on unravelling the effects of MNPs on our immune system will be continued, which will include research on pathogens, like bacteria and viruses, which can be associated to MNPs. The acquired knowledge will contribute to a thoroughly integrated approach for predicting and preventing possible human health effects of exposure to MNPs.
https://momentummicroplastics.nl
(Dr. Frank van Belleghem)

MinPlas project (2021-2026)

The MinPlas project studies how tire and road wear particles can be reduced through mitigation measures and tools that support decision-making. The project integrates modeling and participatory methods grounded in environmental and management sciences, using a systems perspective to explore feasible and effective mitigation pathways with partners from industry, government, academia and civil society.
(dr. Ansje Löhr, dr. Jikke van Wijnen, Sya Hoeke)

Methodological Framework for Prioritization in Coastal Planning (?-2026)

This project, funded by UNEP through the Priority Action Programme (PAP/RAC), aims to develop a methodological framework for prioritisation in coastal planning, with a focus on the Mediterranean Basin. Applied to the Lebanon Integrated Coastal Zone Management Strategy in 2026.
https://www.ou.nl/-/kustbeheer-waar-begin-je-mee-als-alles-dringend-lijkt
(Dr. Jean Huge)

ENVIRONED: Mangrove restoration in Vietnamese Biosphere Reserves: Fostering sustainable livelihoods in a changing world

This project focuses on a case study in the Nui Chua Biosphere Reserve, Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam.
https://www.islandbiosphere.org/Contingut.aspx?IdPub=2130
(Dr. Jean Huge)

NARISOME MUHOKO 2 - Mangrove social-ecological system transition in Mayotte through co-created solutions

Joint project with Université de Mayotte and other partners, in supporting mangrove social-ecological systems transitions on the island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. Funded by the Fondation de France.
(Dr. Jean Huge)

SHARING NATURE: Aiming for net gains for Nature by understanding and addressing trade-offs and synergies between conservation and climate goals

This is the PhD project of Drs. Nicolas Laurent. This project studies human-elephant co-existence in the Greater Mara Ecosystem. In this project environmental DNA metabarcoding is used to identify the diet of elephants and cattle in the Maasai Mara conservancies in Kenya, and to contribute to the co-creation of new management plans that promote coexistence between different land-use practices in this landscape.
(Nicolas Laurent, dr. Jean Huge, dr. Susanne Vogel, prof. Jetse Stoorvogel)

Nordic Network of Living Labs (NNLL) (2026-2028)

Collaboration of Nordic early-career researchers focused on building a strong collaboration on control, optimisation, and operation of human-building energy interactions. This project is funded by NordForsk 242039.
https://www.nordforsk.org/projects/nordic-network-living-labs
(Dr. Leonardo Rydin Gorjao)

The Norwegian PV Research Centre - WP3 Grid integration of PV power plants (FME SOLAR)

FME SOLAR is a large Norwegian research collaboration for furthering the research on photovoltaics (PV) in cold-climate conditions. WP3 focuses of PV integration in the energy systems to ensure stability and reliability of energy provision (RCN 350244).
https://www.fmesolar.no
(Dr. Leonardo Rydin Gorjao)

Resilient Indonesian Slums Envisioned (RISE) Project (2021-2026)

Indonesia is in the midst of a profound urban transformation. While much attention has focused on its megacities, the country's future is increasingly being shaped in secondary urban centres. RISE project is, a multi-year, interdisciplinary study conducted in Bima, Manado, and Pontianak. In a nutshell, the project follows the idea that societal and ecological processes are inherently interconnected. Due to rapid urbanization, societal changes inevitably occur and their presence impacts the natural environment and vice versa. The aim of this project is to balance these unintended consequences of rapid urbanisation and climate change, especially in slum areas, through transformative change. The Netherlands Research Council (NWO) and the Ministry of Research and Technology/National Research and Innovation Agency (RISTEKBRIN) funded this joint research project through the MERIAN program, which focuses on regional planning and sustainable urbanization. We also received funding from the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP), Radboud University, the University of Indonesia, the Humanist and Social Innovation Foundation, Deltares, and the Open Universiteit.
https://riseproject.id
(Dr. Ansje Löhr)

From Historical Injustices to Empowered Futures: The role of marginalized communities and intergenerational values in shaping inclusive sustainability transitions (2024-2028)

https://research.ou.nl/en/projects/from-historic-injustices-to-empowered-futures-the-role-of-margina
(Dr. Stijn Neuteleers)

Crosscircular

Companies in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine region are struggling to find people trained in circularity, especially when it comes to cross border circularity. Existing training programmes do not yet adequately address this. That is why universities and companies are joining forces in this Interreg project to make existing curriculum available and develop new curriculum that deals with circularity, both in the various countries as well as across borders.
https://www.interregmeuserhine.eu/en/projects/crosscircular
(Prof. dr. ir. Jetse Stoorvogel)