A quick call with Madelon Rolleman about opportunities for researchers with foundations and funds
Collaborations with funds and foundations enable a lot of research. As Fundraiser for Foundations and Major Donors, Madelon Rolleman seeks out these opportunities for Leiden University. ‘I’m always looking for ways to start my conversations with funds and foundations.’
Hi, Madelon. Could you tell us more about this new position?
‘When it comes to funding research projects, there are still a lot of opportunities with funds and foundations. I often come across funds whose objectives dovetail nicely with the university’s research but discover we have not yet connected with them or their previous funding has ended. I am working on exploiting these opportunities. On one side, I will work on maintaining ongoing relationships and on the other, I will focus on new partnerships. This will allow us to launch new projects in a few years.’
What do you hope to achieve?
‘In the past, the Leiden University Fund (LUF) approached major donors and foundations in a more reactive way: we sought funding for individual academics and projects. Although this led to many great partnerships, there is also the potential for fragmentation. It seems more effective to approach this from the other side: to proactively start working with funds we can collaborate with. This way, we are looking beyond one-off projects with a single researcher; instead we can build a long-lasting relationship with a fund. If academics, faculties and LUF join forces, I am confident we will achieve many more leading-edge, long-lasting partnerships.’
How does your position differ from that of the Grant Development Office?
‘The Grant Development Office focuses more on regular research funding through calls for proposals, such as those from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and Horizon Europe, as well as other funds. They advise individual researchers about how they can strengthen their project applications in response to open calls. As a relationship manager, I focus on building long-lasting relationships with funds and donors. So we are more interested in collaborations with the university as a whole, instead of with a single academic.’
Can colleagues with a good idea contact you?
‘Absolutely! I’m always looking for better ways to start conversations. I’m continually surprised by how many partnerships are already in place. Of course, many colleagues are interested in a grant or collaboration. That’s why I’m always asking: What is happening already at the university? Do we have researchers with many contacts? I hope academics know how to find me. My door is always open if anyone wants to brainstorm about existing or potential partnerships!’
Do you have ideas or suggestions for partnerships that could contribute to research? Please get in touch with Madelon.
A quick call with
There’s a lot happening at Leiden University. The websites fill with news every day. In ‘A quick call with’, we ask a member of staff to tell us more about a relevant and topical subject.
Text: Iris Molenaar