The VUB Research Council has awarded eight Interdisciplinary Research Programmes (IRPs) for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2031. Each project will receive funding of approximately €550,000 over five years. With this selection, the Council is making a targeted investment in research that approaches complex challenges from multiple disciplinary perspectives.
Through these projects, the VUB aims to further strengthen collaboration across research fields. By connecting diverse expertise and translating it into practical applications, the university focuses on themes such as healthy ageing, youth well-being, sustainable urban development, innovative medical treatments, heritage protection and social cohesion. In this way, the research contributes not only to new scientific insights, but also to solutions for society and policy-making.
Innovation for healthy ageing
DYNAMO: Data-driven Nutrition and Movement Optimization for Healthy Ageing
Led by movement scientist David Beckwé, DYNAMO focuses on healthy ageing through an integrated and personalised approach. Digital applications linked to wearable sensors provide older adults with real-time feedback on their movement, strength and nutrition. The project combines data from daily life with insights from clinical nutrition, stress research and physical activity to gain a comprehensive picture of health. By bringing together expertise from rehabilitation, technology and behavioural sciences, DYNAMO develops applications that support older adults in maintaining their independence for longer.
Martial arts as a lever for youth well-being
Interdisciplinary perspectives on youth well-being through martial arts
Sports scientist Marc Theeboom and sociologist Hebe Schaillée are investigating how martial arts can contribute to the well-being of young people. They combine physical activity with mental and social development and promote values such as discipline and self-control.
The programme integrates insights from sports sciences, physiology, psychology and sociology and translates them into concrete strategies for education, youth work and sports policy.
The construction sector as a mirror of urban and societal dynamics
Flows in the Construction Sector. Urban-Environmental Histories of Labour, Materials, and Money
Led by architectural historian and engineer-architect Stephanie Van De Voorde, this project analyses how labour, materials and flows of capital have shaped the development of Brussels. By reconstructing the movement of people, raw materials and financial resources from extraction to the construction site, the research reveals how building practices are connected to migration, inequality and environmental impact. The study of historical moments of crisis offers insights for more sustainable and equitable construction practices.
This Interdisciplinary Research Programme is a continuation of the previous programme.
Sustainable management through participation and citizen science
EcoBRIDGE: Enhancing conservation of Biosphere Reserves by incorporating Interdisciplinary Science into Sustainable Development and Governance of Socio-Ecological Systems
The research team led by hydrologist Ann Van Griensven focuses on biosphere reserves as testing grounds for sustainable development. The project starts from the observation that local communities are often insufficiently involved in environmental monitoring. EcoBRIDGE encourages participatory monitoring through citizen science and connects local, scientific and institutional knowledge.
Through data collection, dialogue, capacity-building and structural integration, new forms of management are developed. The model will be tested in Cuba and South Africa and explores how participation can lead to more effective and fair management of ecosystems and water resources.
New therapies for cancer and related conditions
CoNTROL: Cancer and (Neurological) comorbidities – a peptide-based TRanslatiOnal pLatform
Biochemist Steven Ballet leads this follow-up project on pancreatic cancer, which also focuses on serious associated conditions such as inflammation and depression. The research focuses on two targets, the ROBO1 gene and the xCT protein, which influence both tumour growth and related conditions. By developing new therapies, the project aims to improve treatments while also enhancing patients’ quality of life.
The collaboration between chemists, cancer biologists and neuroscientists forms the basis of a platform for future therapies. This Interdisciplinary Research Programme is a continuation of the previous programme.
New insights into diabetes through the chemistry of iron
IRON-MEDIC: Linking Iron Biochemistry to Diabetes Therapy
Paediatric endocrinologist Willem Staels and his team are launching a project investigating how metals such as iron influence the functioning of insulin-producing β-cells. Using analytical techniques from geochemistry, originally developed for the study of meteorites, the researchers will map the distribution of metals in pancreatic tissue in great detail. This approach may provide new insights into the development of diabetes and contribute to more targeted treatments.
Artificial intelligence for archaeological heritage
ARCHAI: Archaeological Prospection through an AI-driven approach
Led by archaeologist Ralf Vandam, ARCHAI develops systems that help detect archaeological sites more efficiently. By analysing maps, satellite images and previous discoveries, the model can predict where archaeological sites are likely to be located. A simulation allows these methods to be tested before fieldwork takes place. The project contributes to heritage protection, spatial planning and public engagement.
New insights into societal resistance
Inter-RESIST: Brussels Centre for Interdisciplinary Resistance Studies
Historian Nel de Mûelenaere and sociologist Pieter-Paul Verhaeghe are laying the foundations for a research centre dedicated to resistance studies. The research examines the ways in which people resist dehumanisation, from the Holocaust to contemporary forms of racism and violence. It focuses on both visible and everyday forms of resistance.
Researchers combine quantitative and qualitative methods and collaborate with societal partners to analyse resistance as a complex social and cultural process.