Children’s Rights Research Fund

Jury Report on the Call for Applications for Funding – April 2023 On Research or Education Projects in the Field of Children’s Rights

Introduction

The Children’s Rights Research (CRR) Fund is connected to Maastricht University and the University Fund Limburg (SWOL). It aims to support research and education projects by staff and students from Maastricht University in the field of children’s rights, with the possibility to cooperate with third parties. The CRR Fund makes grants available twice a year.

Applications can be submitted for

  • A research project with a maximum of € 5.000,-.
  • An education project with a maximum of € 2.500,-.

Projects may take place in the Netherlands or in other countries. Collaborations with people or organisations are welcomed. However, applications should involve at least one Maastricht University student or staff member.

Funding criteria

The application (max. 3 pages A-4) must describe the goal(s) of the project, the timeline, the way it will be implemented, its intended outcome and, additionally, meet the following criteria:

  • At least one of the goals of the project should aim at improving the living situation of children;
  • For research projects the involvement of and participation by children is required. Projects without any involvement of children will not be eligible for funding;
  • For education projects, there should be a strong emphasis on stimulating children to think and act creatively, critically and with a problem-solving orientation. Applications aimed at passive learning will not be eligible for funding;
  • It must indicate which third party will be involved in the project, if any;
  • For research projects a short explanation of the methodology must be provided;
  • An estimate of costs and revenues must be attached.

The deadline for the first call in 2023 was 15 March 2023.

Eight applications have been received, all of them submitted by members of the staff of Maastricht University in cooperation with one or more third parties. No applications have been submitted by students from Maastricht University.

The jury was composed of Prof. Fons Coomans (chair), Dr. Philip Veerman and Mrs. Christiane Verfuurden. All the aforementioned are members of the Advisory Board of the CRR Fund.

Decision

The Jury decided to award four applications with a grant and not to fund the other applications. Hereafter the Jury will mention the projects that will be funded with a grant and briefly explains why the grant has been awarded.

  1. Title: Childhood and Legal Capacity. The case of institutionalised children in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, submitted by Dr Julieta Marotta (Maastricht University) and Laura Lora, Paula Noelia Bermejo & Rosario Martinez (Universidad de Buenos Aires). This is a research project aimed at the right of children to be heard and to participate in family legal processes. It seeks to achieve this through a dialogue with children aged 16-18. The project will explore how children perceive their experience with the justice system; how children perceive their participation in the legal process in view of evolving autonomy; and, finally, how children understand and construct the concept of access to justice. Different methods will be used to implement the research, namely: participatory research that asks children to create something that reflects their experience with the family justice system (e.g., a TikTok, YouTube video, or a song), and by asking children to participate in the performance of a play.

The Jury was very positive about the active involvement of children in the project, but also about the strong children’s rights perspective throughout the project as a whole. The Jury thought the project to be well structured and feasible with a view to be carried out according to the timeline provided. A grant of € 4.000,- has been awarded for this project.

  1. Title: CIRCLEcity: Children’s Investigation of Resilient Circular Lifestyle and Environments in the City, submitted by Dr Özlemnur Ataol (Maastricht University) and Roger Thomassen (Center for Nature and Environmental Education Maastricht).

This project entails a collaborative action research with children (aged 11-12 years) living in Maastricht. It aims to investigate the perceptions children have of sustainable / unsustainable consumption behaviour and their approach to utilising circularity in their activities targeting their unsustainable consumption behaviour. The ultimate goal is to both change children’s attitude and behaviour towards sustainable development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and to promote and empower children to become active and responsible urban citizens. The method that will be used is interactive workshops with children aimed at three purposes: exchanging ideas on views among children about pluriform societies; discussing ideas that exist among children about sustainable / unsustainable consumption behaviour; and making plans about community action involving children, parents and schools.

The Jury appreciated the link in the project between children’s rights, sustainable development and the day-to-day behaviour of children with a view to transforming these concepts to the local level by involving children actively through community action to be developed in workshops. The Jury was of the view that this project is embedded well in the growing (academic) literature on the subject. The Jury decided to grant € 2.600,- to this project.

  1. Title: Promoting children’s voices in Australian family law decision-making: co-designing a participation toolkit with children as experts by experience, submitted by Peggy Ter Vrugt (Maastricht University) and Dr Georgina Dimopoulos (Southern Cross University, Australia). The research project aims to improve children’s experiences of participation in Australian family law decision-making by co-designing a children’s participation toolkit and to contribute to the growing body of evidence about the value of respecting children’s rights and giving them the opportunity to participate in decision-making about (family) matters that affect them. Focus group discussions with children will be held to collect the ideas and experiences of children about family law matters that they have been involved in. On the basis of this data, a ‘children’s participation toolkit’ will be developed and tested.

The Jury is positive about the organisation and goals of the project, which seem to be feasible in light of the methodology that will be used. There is a strong component of children’s participation in the project, in particular because children are seen as experts by experience. In addition, the project has an interesting perspective on how participation rights of children can be researched and strengthened. It can also provide practical suggestions for legislative ideas on matters of participation of children. The Jury decided to grant € 4.750,- to this project.

  1. Title: Parliament of Earthquake Children in Adiyaman, Turkey, submitted by Selman Aksünger (Maastricht University), in collaboration with YECED (Children of the Earth Association, Turkey). The goal of this education project is to determine the needs and identify the rights of vulnerable children impacted by the earthquake that occurred in Turkey in February 2023 and to design a strategy aimed at protecting their rights. This will be done through teaching children about their rights in an interactive way. The idea of the project is to teach about children’s rights by actively involving children in workshops and a simulated session of a children’s parliament where they can express their voices, concerns and needs. The target group are vulnerable children who were affected by the earthquake and are living in tent camps in the Adiyaman region. The project will be carried out in collaboration with YECED, a local partner that has experience with working with children.

The Jury very much appreciated the goal of this education project, namely giving a voice to children as victims of natural disasters. These voices often remain unheard or go unnoticed. The Jury is sympathetic towards this goal. In addition, this project is practical and result oriented by interactively involving children and listening to their needs, while at the same translating these into children’s rights and ways to protect and promote these under difficult physical circumstances on the ground. A grant of €2.500,- will be given to this project.

Second Call in 2023

A second round for applications for funding will take place later this year. The deadline is 15 October 2023. In particular, students from Maastricht University are encouraged to prepare and submit an application. They may consult Dr Marieke Hopman of the Children’s Rights Research Fund for advice (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

The Children’s Rights Research (CRR) Fund in association with Maastricht University (UM), and supported by University Fund Limburg (SWOL), is offering grants of up to €2.500 for education projects and up to €5.000 for research projects related to children’s rights.

All applications must include at least one UM affiliated person on the project team. As such, all UM staff members and students may apply. However, if you are not affiliated with UM but are interested in applying, then we offer a matchmaking service to help you connect with UM researchers who would be interested in collaborating on your project so you can apply to the CRR Fund together. (As of 1 March 2023, no further additions to the matchmaking page will be made).

Students who intend to submit an application may be assisted by Dr. Marieke Hopman by means of a coaching interview (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

You can find more information on the funding criteria and how to apply below. See the about us page for more information on the Children’s Rights Research Fund.

Applications should be sent by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Deadline 15 March.  

(A second call for funding will be held later this year, with a deadline of 1 November 2023.)

FUNDING CRITERIA

  • At least one of the goals of the project should aim at improving the living situation of children.
  • The involvement and participation of children is a requirement for research project proposals Projects without any involvement of children will not be eligible for funding.
  • Education project proposals should have a strong emphasis on stimulating children to think and act creatively, critically and with a problem-solving orientation. Applications aimed at passive learning will not be eligible for funding.
  • Collaboration with non-UM people and organisations is allowed. However, at least one UM affiliated person (staff member or student) must be on the project team.
  • Projects may take place in the Netherlands or in other countries.

HOW TO APPLY

  • The application (max. 3 pages A-4) must describe the goal(s) of the project, the timeline, the way in which it will be implemented and its intended outcome(s).
  • Both education and research project proposals must indicate which third party will be involved in the project, if any.
  • For research projects, a short explanation of the methodology must be provided.
  • An estimate of costs and revenues must be attached.
  • Please note that, for research projects, it may be necessary to ask for approval from the Ethics Committee of Maastricht University before the project can start.
  • Applications should be sent by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 15 March 2023.

DISCLAIMER

  • Recipients of a grant must report at least once about the project via the website (childrensrightresearch.com). They should also mention the funding received in (all) their relevant publication(s) or other activities related to the project.
  • An Advisory Committee will review the applications and draft a nomination for funding to the Board of the Fund.
  • Funding is not guaranteed. 

Are you a Maastricht University student or staff member interested in children’s rights? Check out the exciting projects listed below. All these experienced children’s rights researchers are looking for Maastricht University affiliated people to apply to the Children's Rights Research Fund for grants of between €2.500 and €5.000. If you see a project that you’re interested in working on then you can reach out directly to the researcher using the contact details on their project profile. If you would like your project listed here email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More information on how to apply for the Children’s Rights Research Fund can be found our call for funding page.

Application deadline: 15 March 2023

Disclaimer: All research teams must include at least one Maastricht University affiliated person (student or staff member) to be eligible for the grant. Funding is not guaranteed. Researchers are not vetted by the CRR Fund. 

(As of 1 March 2023, no further additions to the matchmaking page will be made).

Third-Parties (non UM)

Peter Akera

MA Human Rights (Children’s Rights) student researcher, Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda

Topic: The role of State and NGOs in fulfilment of Children's Rights; a case study of Gulu city, Northern Uganda. 

Tasks: Researching the role of the State (Uganda) in relation to fulfilment of Children's Rights. Research period: January 2023 to December 2023. 

Requirements: Applicants must, at least, be in their final year of studying for a Bachelors in law, human rights or social sciences. Additionally, they should have experience in conducting research and knowledge of the Convention of the Rights of the Child and other relevant legal instruments.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Karla Morales

PhD Candidate at University of Potsdam (researching adolescent critical consciousness), M.A. Childhood Studies and Children's Rights

Topic: The relationship of critical consciousness and participation in non-formal education activities--how does participation in non-formal education activities (e.g. youth, community, sports, music clubs, etc.) foster critical consciousness?

Tasks: Assist with study conceptualisation, data collection (surveys and/or interviews), and data analysis.

Requirements: Researchers who have had experience or are interested in participatory research methods, children's right to participation, children's sociopolitical development, empowerment, and non-formal education.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lucy Hunt

Research Associate, Hub for European Refugee Education at the University of Nottingham (UK)

Topic: Promoting young refugees' right to education/sense of belonging in (non-formal) educational contexts

Tasks: Conceptualising the study in partnership with a youth organisation; generating data; co-analysing data with youth and co-producing a creative visual output (e.g. animation)

Requirements: Experience of working with refugee and asylum-seeking children and youth (and/or other vulnerable young people), and an understanding of the issues they face in Europe (in education); experience of and interest in participatory and creative methods

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Oluwaseyi Aina

PhD (Child Rights), University of the West of Scotland, United Kingdom

Topic: The Endemic of Child Labour in Nigeria: Unravelling the child maid syndrome.

Tasks: Assist in conducting a qualitative research on the topic as referenced. Assist with review of empirical literature, data collection (focus group and interviews, surveys), and data analysis.

Requirements: Social science researchers (M.A, PhD or Postdoc) who are interested in children’s rights in general. Interests and knowledge of child labour, UNCRC, would be a plus.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Gözde Yazıcı Akyüz

PhD Candidate at Ankara University and Child Labour Officer at International Labour Organisation for Türkiye

Topic: Increasing Environmental Awareness with Augmented Reality: A Field Study on Children of Seasonal Agricultural Worker Families in Türkiye. The research aims to raise awareness of the environment to comply with sustainable development goals for semi-nomadic children, to empower semi-nomadic children to protect themselves from the environment and to protect the environment, to implement modern technological tools to give the century’s needs for semi-nomadic children to make them familiar with the technical devices, to ensure additional academic support for semi-nomadic children who deprived of the school due to migration.

Tasks:  Collaborate with the research team by organising conceptualisation, data collection (surveys and/or interviews), and data analysis; verifying the accuracy and validity of data and correcting errors when needed; reviewing published research and applying the findings to develop recommendations to be used in future studies; and developing graphs, tables, and reports to communicate research results for dissemination. The research period is from July 2023 to November 2023. The field implementation will take place in July and will last one month. From the end of July, the evaluation and publishing process will start.

Requirements: Minimum of a master’s degree in social science. At least two years experience working as a social science researcher, especially with disadvantaged groups such as child labour. Experience analysing in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with the children. Experience working with children and familiarity with seasonal agricultural workers and their children will be considered an asset. To have published academic papers on child labour and seasonal migrant workers will be considered an asset.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dr. Georgina Dimopoulos

Senior Lecturer in Law at Southern Cross University, Australia

Topic: This research project addresses children’s participation in Australian family law. Children and young people have reported feeling that adults (including judges, lawyers and mediators) do not listen to, consider or care about their views – and they have called for ‘a bigger voice more of the time’ in the decision-making process. But there remains a powerful tension between protecting children from parental conflict, and promoting their right to express their views and be heard in decision-making about their best interests. This project will work with children and young people who have experienced Australia’s family law system to co-design and produce a ‘participation toolkit’, to contribute to current legal, policy and practice reforms that promote children’s rights.

Tasks: Contribute to researching and critically analysing existing mechanisms for enabling children’s meaningful, safe participation in decision-making settings, within and beyond the family law context. Prepare an ethics application for approval by the Ethics Committee of Maastricht University. Contribute to the co-ordination and conduct of online co-design workshops with children and young people. Contribute to project outputs.

Requirements: The project partner should have research and/or practical experience in family law and/or children’s right. If they are a student they should be nearing completion of a Law degree or be a postgraduate (LLM or PhD) research student in law or social science.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Áquila Mazzinghy

Ph.D. International Criminal Law

Topic:  After ISIL/DAESH's defeat in Syria and Iraq, children whose parents are believed to be foreign terrorist fighters affiliated with the group were left stranded in displacement camps scattered in the region. Children who live in these camps are severely vulnerable to exploitation, enforced disappearances, arbitrary killings, sexual abuse, rape, torture, harassment, and human trafficking. This research project aims to better respond to the challenging, complex, and urgent legal questions concerning the international legal framework protective of children affected by the foreign fighter phenomenon.

Tasks:  Contribute to researching and critically analysing existing international legal mechanisms on: a) children affected by the foreign fighter phenomenon; b) undocumented children; and c) international repatriation of children. Contact NGOs in the field (Iraq & Syria) to obtain reliable information on children's displacement camps or to verify its accuracy.

Requirements: The project partner should be pursuing an LL.M. or a Ph.D., preferably in International Criminal Law, Humanitarian Law, or Human Rights Law. The partner needs to demonstrate their special interest in the issue of children affected by the foreign fighter phenomenon. Speaking Arabic is a plus. 

Contact:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Toka Mahmoud

Independent researcher working on the nexus between water, development and human rights, IHE Delft MSc program in Water Management and Governance graduate, owner of Soak (a startup for water and climate research consultancies)

Topic: Children make up 42 percent of the over 100 million people currently living in displacement camps, many of which lack basic water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH). This research project looks at children’s perspectives on the right to WaSH in displacement camps. The first stage of the research, a literature review, is near completion. The second stage will involve participatory research with children living in displacement camps. The literature review and research findings will be presented in the form of two journal articles. Additionally, I plan to write a book about displaced children, WaSH and children’s rights combining realistic fiction and fantasy from children’s perspectives.

Tasks: Collaborate to design a research study using methods that allow and encourage displaced children’s participation and implement the study and compile it into a journal article.

Requirements: A degree in human rights with a special focus on children’s rights. Previous experience with (or interest in) participatory research with children.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dr. Aman Kumar

Child Rights Centre, Chanakya National Law University (Patna, Bihar, India) and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow and Centre Coordinator​

Topic:  Online child sexual abuse and girl child trafficking in the state of Bihar: combating it by involving Panchayati Raj Institution via action research. Bihar, the third most populous state in India, is a trafficking hotspot due to its open border with Nepal. Children are trafficked within India to Bihar and on to Nepal’s tourist destinations. Around 47 million children live in Bihar. In India the Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) – a system of rural self governance – is critical in ensuring the safety of children because 88.7 percent of people live in villages (i.e., rural areas). Since Bihar's PRIs are unprepared to stop child trafficking. This project will critically examine and work with PRI members on their issues and ways to safeguard children from trafficking.

Tasks: The researcher would be expected to assist with designing the study and carrying it out. Additionally, they would be expected to carry out desk-based research on the issue of girl child trafficking and data collection.

Requirements: Applicants must have at least a Master’s degree in law, human rights or social sciences and also have knowledge about online child sexual abuse and trafficking.

Contact:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Joyce Makungu

MA Human Rights, Student Researcher, University of Nairobi, Kenya

Topic: Investigating the effects of child poverty in the rights of the children; A case study of Kibra slums. Millions of children around the world are living in extreme poverty, lacking the basic needs that every child is entitled to. The unavailability of these basics needs results to violation of children rights making them unable to reach their full potential, therefore high possibility of the cycle of poverty to recure among them. My research seeks to shed light on these effects and contribute to making of policies that the government and other stakeholders can implement.

Tasks: Assist in literature review, data collection (quantitative- document review) and data analysis.

Requirements: Passionate about children, at least a degree in sociology and/or psychology, knowledge on research process and research methods.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UM Staff

Dr. Özlemnur Ataol

Post-doctoral Researcher, Maastricht University

Topic #1: Children’s Right to the City

Tasks: Applying a supra-national policy review of children’s rights via examination of UDHR, UNDRC, UNCRC, UNICEF, UNSSC, WDSPDC, and so on in relation to Lefebvre’s notion of Right to the City and exploration of how this right emerges (or not) in European cities.

Requirements: Researchers from social and urban science who are interested in children’s rights in general and specifically children’s right to the city

Topic #2: Education for Circular Development

Tasks: Applying a literature review to explore circular action in education for sustainable education and interviewing educational experts, who teach circularity in their field/subject, in secondary and higher education to be able to contribute to the field of education for circular development.

Requirements: MA students or Ph.D. candidates from social sciences interested in Sustainable Development Goals, children’s right to education, circular economy, and circular cities.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UM Students

Coming soon...

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