Prof. Dr Maria J. (Riet) Drop (1935–2002) studied sociology in Leiden and, from 1975 onwards, served as a senior academic staff member at UM. In 1980 she was appointed Professor of Medical Sociology at what was then the Maastricht Faculty of Medicine. Her PhD candidates, both within and outside the Department of Medical Sociology, greatly valued her distinctive approach to supervision. It was their dissertation, and she saw it as her task to help sharpen their ideas by asking critical, probing questions. Over the course of her impressive career, she also served as Chair of the University Council and as Chair of an NWO Committee.
Within the Department of Medical Sociology, Drop focused on research into societal influences on illness and health. As a member of the Research Committee, she led the project Lifestyle and Behavioural Change, in which her interests centred particularly on the psychosocial aspects of eating and drinking behaviour, deviant behaviour, anorexia nervosa, regional differences in mortality, and broader structural and cultural explanations for socio‑economic health inequalities. More information about Riet Drop’s academic career can be found on this page.
As a tribute to this exceptional pioneer, the Riet Drop Fund was established with the aim of supporting sociological research that focuses on the social, cultural and societal context of food and eating. After all, nutrition takes on a different meaning as a person’s living conditions change. Our eating habits also adapt to the environment. Understanding these interconnections is essential for gaining deeper insight into dietary behaviour and for developing programmes that contribute to the prevention of disease and epidemics. The focus of this Fund therefore aligns seamlessly with Drop’s research interests.
The Riet Drop Fund seeks to achieve this by providing financial support to research projects within Maastricht University, to researchers affiliated with the university, and to students supervised by UM lecturers. In doing so, the Fund contributes to innovative sociological research that further deepens our understanding of the relationship between food, society and health.
For the initial period, the Allocation Committee consists of the PhD candidates of UM’s first professors of medical sociology, Hans Philipsen and Riet Drop:
If you have any further questions, please contact the Universiteitsfonds Limburg at info@ufl.nl.
Would you like to support the Riet Drop Fund, part of the University Fund Limburg (ANBI), in its mission? We would greatly appreciate your contribution. You can easily donate via the button below or by transferring your gift to the bank account of the University Fund Limburg.
IBAN: NL21 INGB 0653 6632 42
Reference: Riet Drop Fund.
