Children’s Rights Research Fund

The Children’s Rights Research Fund raises funds for academic research on children’s rights and related educational projects. Although we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child some years ago, children’s rights are grossly violated on a daily basis and on a global scale. UNICEF director Anthony Lake argued that in 2014 ‘[c]hildren have been killed while studying in the classroom and while sleeping in their beds; they have been orphaned, kidnapped, tortured, recruited, raped and even sold as slaves. Never in recent memory have so many children been subjected to such unspeakable brutality’ (2014).

The Children’s Rights Research Fund supports research and projects that help to improve the daily lives of children around the world and that focus on working directly with, rather than on children, making sure that children’s voices are heard.

Research and education projects

The Children’s Rights Research Fund mainly focuses on supporting educational and research projects within Maastricht University that:

• improve the living conditions of children;
• regarding research projects, always contain a participatory element for children; research in which children are not involved, will be excluded;
• regarding educational projects, always have a strong focus on critical, creative and problem solving thinking; ‘passive knowledge’ projects will be excluded.

Proposals can be submitted once a year. The maximum amounts are €5.000 (research project) or €2.500 (educational project). Applicants should make very clear that they do not have access to the financial means in another way. If you would like to receive more information or make an application, please send an e-mail to: marieke.hopman@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

Spending committee

All proposals that meet the requirements mentioned above, will be reviewed by an advisory committee. The members of this committee are:

• Mr. Prof. Dr. F. Coomans (chairman);
• Ms. Prof. Dr. A. Broderick;
• Mr. Dr. P. Veerman;
• Ms. Mr. C. Verfuurden.