Support research
on children’s rights.
Every child deserves
to be heard!

Children’s Rights Research Fund

The Children’s Rights Research Fund provides financial support for academic research on children’s rights and related educational projects. The 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. Its main focus is on supporting educational and research projects with at least one project member in Maastricht University, that:

Improve the living conditions of children.
Research projects always contain a participatory element for children. Research in which children are not involved, will be excluded.
Educational projects always have a strong focus on critical, creative and problem solving thinking. ‘Passive knowledge’ projects will be excluded.

Proposals for projects can be submitted two times 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: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

How to make a donation to this fund?

If you would like to make a donation to this fund, you can do so through the University Fund Limburg Attn Children’s Rights Research Fund, IBAN: NL21 INGB 0653 6632 42. You can also fill in this form.

Advisory committee

The advisory committee of the Children’s Rights Research Fund advises the University Fund Limburg Board regarding the allocation of funding.
They develop funding calls and select the best projects that are eligible for funding.

Fons Coomans

Fons holds the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Peace at the Department of International and European Law at the Faculty of Law, Maastricht University. Since 2019 he is the leader of the WOTRO-funded project on Development Rights of Children Living in Unrecognised States.

Christiane Verfuurden

Christiane is a lawyer, specialized in inheritance law and family law. She is an active member of the Association of Family- and Inheritance law Lawyers & Divorce Mediators (vFAS).

ANDREA BRODERICK

Prof. dr. Andrea Broderick is a Professor at Maastricht University, and holds the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Peace at Maastricht University, since September 2022. She holds a Ph.D. in international and comparative (European) human rights law, specifically on disability equality law. Andrea is also a qualified lawyer, who has previously worked in professional practice. She has done some research and practical legal work on children’s rights. Since May 2022, Andrea is the Co-director of the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights.

Philip Veerman

Philip Edmond Veerman is an expert in children’s rights, health-psychology and (special) education. He initiated several new child welfare organisations in the Netherlands and developed international children’s rights initiatives.

Projects

In addition to the Children’s Rights Research project on the development rights of children living in unrecognized states (see stories), the following projects are financially supported by the Children’s Rights Research Fund: