‘The Kiem grant is a great way to develop an idea you really believe in’
Are you thinking of applying for a Kiem grant but still tinkering with your idea for an interdisciplinary project? Let Leiden colleagues from the first Kiem round inspire you! Lydie Cabane invited researchers from all over the world for a workshop entitled ‘Protecting against disasters’.
Hi Lydie, what was the goal of your workshop?
‘The full title of the workshop was Protecting against disasters: interdisciplinary perspectives on the notion of protection. I wanted to bring forward the discussion about how to protect populations in times of disaster, which I think is a very important idea that is currently gaining momentum both in political and academic debates. We are seeing more frequent disasters with higher intensity, causing significantly more damages and losses. This creates all kinds of challenges for states to protect their population against environmental disasters. The workshop was a nice opportunity to discuss the notion of protection with colleagues and bring together all different types of disciplines.’
How did the workshop turn out?
‘Very nice! We sent out a call and selected twenty papers. A great set of scholars from France, the UK and of course The Netherlands attended. All kinds of disciplines were represented, from petrol policies to geography, law, sociology and political science. Discussions were good, everybody enjoyed connecting with each other and we’re now thinking about publishing the results in a special issue in a journal.’
What tips do you have for people thinking of applying for a Kiem grant?
‘First, I would say: enjoy the opportunity. We all have all these ideas that don’t really fit anywhere. The Kiem grant is a great way to develop an idea that you really believe in but don't really necessarily have space or occasion for because of the constraints on research funding or research time. The grant also allows you to be creative, so my second tip would be to really tap into that creativity. And finally, an interdisciplinary project is a great way to build up your network across the university. So definitely make use of that.’
You can apply for an interdisciplinary Kiem grant untill Friday June 21 2024. Please see here for more information!
Banner image: Micah Tindell / Unsplash