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Gud eu law: governing the urban dimension of eu law.

Colombo, C. (Primary Investigator)

European Research Executive Agency

1/06/23 → 31/10/25

Project : Research

• Urban Dimension 100%
• European Union Law 100%
• dimensions 100%
• european union 100%
• European Community 100%

Mechanistic Integration of vascular aND endocrine pathways for Subtyping Hypertension: an Innovative network approach for Future generation research Training

Unger, T. (Primary Investigator), Reesink, K. (Primary Investigator), Foulquier, S. (Co-Investigators), Stehouwer, C. (Co-Investigators), van Greevenbroek, M. (Co-Investigators), Houben, B. (Co-Investigators), Schalkwijk, C. (Co-Investigators), Isaacs, A. (Co-Investigators), Kroon, B. (Co-Investigators) & Schurgers, L. (Co-Investigators)

1/01/21 → 31/12/24

• humans 100%
• Innovative Network 90%
• Acute Myocardial Infarction 90%
• Human Macrophages 90%

Service robots: rising or falling stars?

Odekerken - Schröder, G. (Primary Investigator), Mahr, D. (Primary Investigator), Mennens, K. (Co-Investigators), Steins, M. (Co-Investigators) & Caic, M. (Co-Investigators)

1/09/15 → …

• robots 100%
• Service Robots 43%
• Value Creation 42%
• Elderly People 34%

Unsustainable urban mobility in EU cities: explaining challenges of multi-level coordination

Colombo, C. (Primary Investigator) & Dijk, M. (Primary Investigator)

Maastricht Working on Europe

• Sustainable Urban Mobility 100%
• Urban Mobility 100%
• Multi-level Coordination 100%
• mobility 100%
• levels 100%

Changing Work Climate – The Implications of Heat for Occupational Choice

Pestel, N. (Primary Investigator)

• Work Climate 100%
• Exposure to Heat 100%
• Occupational Choice 100%
• Changing Work 100%
• climates 100%

EUChMIS: The EU-China Relationship in rules-based multilateral investment system

Faure, M. (Primary Investigator), de Sadeleer, N. (Co-Primary Investigator), Damjanovic, I. (Co-Investigators), Alexovicova, I. (Co-Investigators), Xiao, J. (Co-Investigators) & Peng, D. (Co-Investigators)

EU Commission

15/10/21 → 14/10/23

• International Investment 100%
• investment 100%
• Multilateralism 66%
• Bilateral Negotiation 66%
• Policy Forum 66%

Celano, B. (Co-Primary Investigator), Brigaglia, M. (Co-Primary Investigator), Buzón Ibáñez, R. (Co-Investigators), Waltermann, A. (Co-Investigators), Roversi, C. (Co-Investigators), Kucharzyk, B. (Co-Investigators) & Novak, A. (Co-Investigators)

Erasmus + of the European Uninion

1/09/20 → 31/08/23

Project : Other

• Cognitive Science 100%
• Legal Reasoning 100%
• legal aspects 100%

Growth Welfare Innovation Productivity

Roventini, A. (Primary Investigator), Dosi, G. (Co-Primary Investigator), Mohnen, P. (Co-Investigators) & Treibich, T. (Co-Investigators)

1/01/19 → 30/06/22

• growth 100%
• Job Polarization 77%
• Occupational Categories 77%
• Developing Economies 77%
• Employment Dynamics 77%

Technological inequality – understanding the relation between recent technological innovations and social inequalities

Levels, M. (Primary Investigator), Montizaan, R. (Co-Primary Investigator) & Fouarge, D. (Co-Primary Investigator)

1/01/19 → 31/12/21

• Scientific Innovations 100%
• education 89%
• Initial Education 71%

MiLifeStatus: Migrant Life Course and Legal Status Transition

Vink, M. (Primary Investigator), de Groot, G. (Co-Investigators), de Hoon, M. (Co-Investigators), Falcke, S. (Co-Investigators), Levels, M. (Co-Investigators), Peters, F. (Co-Investigators) & Schmeets, H. (Co-Investigators)

1/08/16 → 31/07/21

• Naturalization 100%
• Immigrants 96%
• Citizenship 86%
• employment 66%

Latest news & events

Zonmw grant middellange termijn effecten van covid-19 maatregelen, 20 august 2024, professorship henri spronk, 12 august 2024.

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European Studies at Maastricht University: Problem-Based, Interdisciplinary, and International

This is part of our Campus Spotlight on Maastricht University.

Between Belgium and Germany on the most Southern border of the Netherlands is situated the historic city of Maastricht. Its citizens speak several languages by default, and the international atmosphere is a permanent feature in the numerous cozy cafés in the city-center. While Maastricht is the oldest town in the Netherlands, it hosts the youngest Dutch university. After the demise of the mining industry in the 1970s, the government of the Netherlands suggested the establishment of a University as a route to further regional development in this previously mining town. And so was Maastricht University founded in 1976. It rapidly built a reputation for being an innovative higher-educational center employing the didactic concept of Problem-Based Learning (PBL), and established remarkably quickly an academic tradition that is currently ranked sixth among the universities under fifty. [1]

European studies at Maastricht University

In February 1992, the city of Maastricht hosted the signature of the founding treaty of the European Union—the Maastricht Treaty. Moreover, Maastricht is a relatively short drive to the European institutions in Brussels—close enough to observe them in detail, yet at a sufficient distance to study them critically. Against this background, it is not surprising that Maastricht University (UM) hosts the biggest bachelor program in European studies in the Netherlands. Launched in 2002, the three-year degree welcomes annually about 300 students from all over the globe, with as many as eighty percent of learners coming from abroad (forty different nationalities). Germans (32 percent), Dutch (20 percent), and Belgians (14 percent) comprise the largest groups of students, but Eastern and Southern Europe are well-represented as well. This allows for genuine cultural exchange and a productive mix of perspectives for the sake of comprehensive analysis and understanding of contemporary European phenomena. The culturally diverse student body forms a truly international classroom, and allows for an excellent simulation of decision-making under heterogeneous conditions. In addition, students are exposed to various cultural, legal, economic, and political norms as materialized in the various viewpoints expressed during the problem-driven tutorial discussions. This confronts them with the intricacies of Europe, and they achieve deep understanding based on a direct, first-hand experience.

The Bachelor of Arts in European Studies (BA ES) at Maastricht University aims to form critical analysts for the unique political, legal, historic, economic, and cultural space that Europe represents today. The program trains students to examine and understand complex contemporary European processes such as: economic crises in the context of interdependency, cross-border migration, the rise of populism, or international security dilemmas in their internal and external contexts. These are phenomena that require an interdisciplinary platform of analysis, and this is exactly what the Maastricht ES bachelor has cultivated for nearly twenty years to date.

The program is an intellectual mix of humanities and social sciences reflecting the diverse faculty coming from the disciplines of philosophy, history, law, sociology, economics and political science. Teaching is structured so that a combination of members from different departments contribute to each educational course (typically eight weeks in length). More than sixty percent of the staff come from abroad. Such diversity creates an atmosphere that strengthens the international orientation, and ensures case studies from all corners of Europe are examined within the program. This interaction across national and disciplinary boundaries is at the heart of the ES didactic vision and one of its core strengths (as regularly confirmed by alumni).

Problem-based learning

The BA ES, like all other programs at Maastricht University (UM), follows the didactic method of Problem-Based Learning (PBL), a teaching method grounded in four guiding principles, according to which learning is approached as a constructive, collaborative, self-directed, and contextual process. Characteristic of the PBL approach is that it encourages students to take charge of their own learning process. It places emphasis on dialogue and collaboration, which are facilitated through the small-scale educational set-up (e.g. tutorial groups of twelve to fifteen participants). Lectures complement the tutorial group discussions, usually by clarifying complex concepts and theories, or placing processes in context and building links between sub-themes within the larger problem that is analyzed.

The UM teaching philosophy rests on the conviction that learning is a collaborative process. More than that, with PBL, students are in the driving seat of the educational process, and that means that they have autonomy in how they approach the main problem that is posed in front of them in the course.  Furthermore, they are constantly challenged by the didactic organization of course assignments to search for answers to the main problem by defining learning goals, and answering them (which in turn leads to new learning goals). By activating prior knowledge, PBL invites them to draw links with other courses and their own background, as well as with societal developments.

The bachelor in European studies curriculum

Having functioned successfully for fifteen years, the BA ES curriculum is currently undergoing a comprehensive reform. After careful preparation (which started in 2017) and adaptation of the various courses within interdisciplinary course planning groups, the renewed curriculum has been phased-in starting from September 2020. The educational vision behind the new courses maintains the key features that have proven to be successful throughout the years, while enhancing the (analytical) links between the different courses. In practice, this means that the problem-based learning didactics and the interdisciplinary approach remain at the heart of each course, but next to that was introduced an explicit theoretical and conceptual toolbox geared toward answering in a systematic way the main course problem. Each course is devoted to an overarching question—or main problem/social challenge—that contemporary Europe faces. For example:

• How are political communities formed, organized, and maintained in Europe?
• How to conduct economic integration and to reap the benefits of a single market under conditions of cultural and political diversity and economic disparities?
• How to establish and sustain legal order beyond the nation-state?
• What keeps political regimes in power and under which conditions do they decline?
• How effective and democratic is decision-making within international organizations?

The BA ES aims to train students to approach such questions as researchers, whereby they need to reach out to various branches of literature in order to answer them. The exact mix and proportion is for the students to establish, driven by their interests and inevitable biases and predispositions toward, for example, history, political science, or law.

This teaching philosophy was first put into practice by forming interdisciplinary teams (course planning groups), which were charged with defining each overarching course question/problem. Secondly, the team had to break each key course question into sub-questions or problems, and on that basis create weekly course assignments (two assignments per week for the duration of seven weeks, i.e. each course contains fourteen sub-problems). Thirdly, each course planning group had to make two sets of choices about:

• The scope of the course—the covered phenomena, cases studies, or empirical observations that need to be understood and interpreted. These choices were made based on the defined sub-problems. For example, in an assignment about intergovernmental conferences and the political origins of the founding treaties, a case study pertains to the negotiations of the Maastricht treaty.
• The analytical toolbox applied in the course—the concepts, models, theories, and analytical frameworks that ensure the systematic digestion of the selected phenomena, cases, events, and observations. For example, in an assignment about intergovernmental conferences and the political origins of the founding treaties, liberal intergovernmentalism and neofunctionalism are studied as theoretical lenses.

In a nutshell, course designers had to carefully select the most adequate examples of (historical) developments that illustrate the chosen central problem and its sub-problems, but also propose ways to study them, i.e. to make a choice of interpretative schemes, models, and theoretical mechanisms that provide a lens to the chosen sub-problem for the assignments (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Course organization under problem-based learning

The two streams should have a synergic relation at the level of sub-themes covered in each assignment. Ideally, the analytical complexity grows with each assignment—students are introduced to ever more complex concepts, theories, models, and methods from various disciplines that provide an answer to the overarching problem. At the end of the course, students have acquired a comprehensive understanding of the main problem, and are able to apply analytical tools to unravel the sub-problems and further learn about this or related subjects/topics.

Course example: EU Law

In the course on EU Law,  the overarching interdisciplinary question serving as the main course problem is: “How to organize and sustain a legal order beyond the state?” This main problem is composed of legal, political, socio-cultural, and public administration sub-questions such as:

• How is consensus reached between political leaders of various European states?
• What is the dynamics of intergovernmental conferences that transform political consensus into legal treaty provisions?
• How are treaties organized and how do they serve as primary legislative framework that conditions all secondary legislative acts?
• What are secondary legislative acts and how are they adopted in the EU system of governance?
• What are the possible procedures and institutional arrangements that sanction deferring member states, and how to minimize political bias in such decisions?
• What role do cultural norms play in shaping judicial traditions in Europe (e.g. in implementing EU law)?

Each of these sub-problems forms the basis for one course assignment and is linked to suggested literature. After Year 1, students are especially encouraged to find additional literature by themselves. All courses follow this pattern, forming a coherent curriculum.

The student journey goes through three phases. The first—fundamental—is common for all ES students and introduces the key disciplines in the program, as well as the basics of social scientific theories and methods. The second—elective—provides further in-depth knowledge in one of the disciplines that form the core of the ES program: international relations, law, history, cultural studies, political science, and economics. In the final phase—graduation—students choose among three graduation options that analyze topical contemporary European challenges.

Following the course design outlined above and a unified syllabus structure, the BA ES offers simultaneously a broad interdisciplinary enquiry of Europe (which students can steer), and a coherent curriculum (which provides structured approach and guidance). In this way, the curriculum organization mirrors the subject of its enquiry—Europe is often depicted as a unique socio-cultural space united in its diversity. The BA ES at Maastricht University allows for an exploration of this diversity and Europe’s versatility through a coherent analytical lens anchored in problem-based learning.

Elissaveta Radulova is Assistant Professor at the Political Science Department of Maastricht University and the program director for the Bachelor in European Studies (BA ES). She holds degrees in international relations and European public affairs, and defended a PhD thesis on the non-tangible (discursive) effects of international organizations on domestic policy-making processes. She examines the conditions in which good governance emerges and can be sustained. Among her current research interests are: interest aggregation and representation within the regulatory system of the European Union (EU), and the usage of expertise by EU policy-makers.

[1] According to the THE Young Universities Ranking , accessed on 16 September 2020.

Photo: Maastricht, Netherlands, February 2018. Sculpture with 35 aluminium stars by Maura Biava to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty, the basis of the European Union | Shutterstock Published on November 10, 2020.

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Enabling highly motivated and capable students to focus more in depth on academic research.

Executing a challenging research based project.

A community of (former) MaRBLe students to start your network

A valuable addition to your education, a form of undergraduate research.

Teamwork in groups originating from various teaching programmes

Providing students the chance to apply for a scholarship in MaRBLe/ PEERS

Marble alumni about marble.

“Since the very beginning of my studies, I developed a deep passion for Quantitative Methods. It was not until my exchange semester at UC Berkeley, however, that I discovered how the sound use of statistical concepts can provide solutions for the most pressing challenges of our time. Back in Maastricht, I was delighted to join the MARBLE program which gave me the opportunity to conduct my own research. Thanks to the MARBLE program, some old statistics books and while standing on the shoulders of giants, I made it to the national Student Research Conference where I will present my findings to a panel of professors from all Dutch universities.”

Ufuk Altunbüken (SBE)

Isabelle de Coninck (FASoS)

“PBL teaches you to read better and think more critically, MaRBLe adds another dimension to that. You don’t just follow the research topic set by the course like you usually do in class, but actually get to design it all yourself from start to finish. MaRBLe also gave a chance to build a network of people with the same interests and motivations. I am much more inclined to add someone on platforms like LinkedIn that I met during MaRBLe than other people I studied with, the experience bonds you.”

MaRBLe at your faculty

Want to know about the MaRBLe projects, time investment or selection criteria?

In the menu below, you will find further information regarding MaRBLe at the various faculties.

Your faculty coordinator will gladly inform you further about the MaRBLe programme components, such as the projects, time investment, duration of the programme and the selection criteria.

MaRBLe @FPN

Marble @sbe, marble @fhml, marble @law, marble @fasos, marble @dke, marble @ucm.

Maastricht University offers talented and motivated third-year Bachelor students the opportunity to conduct their own research within a Research-Based Learning (MaRBLe) project. The MaRBLe program offers students the opportunity to earn half of the credits for their elective courses (12 from 24 EC) by doing an independent research project and writing it all up in an empirical bachelor’s thesis. Students in the Marble program are required to devote a large part of their elective space in the third year to a research internship and the writing of an empirical bachelor’s thesis. During this period they are expected to work through the complete empirical cycle of academic research under the supervision of a senior scientist (someone with a PhD who is active in research).

Students who are in the top 20% of their cohort are invited, other students can apply in a dedicated motivational selection round. The annual selection takes place in May. Each year, between 40 and 60 students are selected. About a third of these students combines their MaRBLe project with study abroad.

Due to (administrative) reasons, there might be situations where you inadvertently did not receive an invitation, for instance: – You have submitted a catch-up assignment that has not been assessed. – You have an exemption for one or more courses If this is the case, you can send a correction request to [email protected].

The second round is open to all other second-year Bachelor students. A motivation letter and a recommendation letter from your research practicum supervisor are needed to take part in this round.

Coordinator: Arie van der Lugt

+31(0)43 3882347

Programme outline: The track is integrated into the regular curriculum. It consists of regular courses, the Marble research course, and the bachelor thesis. In addition, you have meetings with your supervisor and join the MaRBLe workshop.

Accomplishments of MaRBLe: Sample research  results and topics E-Journal  Marble series

Eligibility and admission: To apply for MaRBLe you must meet the following requirements:

• You have completed all courses up to Period 3 in Year 2
• Prospective Cum Laude student: GPA ≥7.5 based on all courses up to Period 3 or 4 of Year 2
• You have to submit a letter of motivation in English (max. 1 page A4, no formal requirements)

Students will be selected on the basis of their grades and letter of motivation. Honours students are automatically selected.

How to apply? Send an e-mail with your name, student number, and your letter of motivation to Christian Seel ( [email protected] )

Coordinator: Christian Seel

Introduction

Maastricht Research-Based Learning, MaRBLe for short, is a Maastricht University wide programme for talented and motivated 3rd-year bachelor students. Within the program multidisciplinary scientific research performed by bachelor students is broad together based on the concept of Research-Based Learning (RBL), MaRBLe aims to introduce Maastricht’s most talented and motivated students to further prepare their undergraduate thesis project to be presented at a scientific conference. The programme is now entering its 9th year with a larger than ever, number students ready to present their thesis project at the annual Dutch National Student Conference.

To be able to study and work in an academic setting and to allow evidence-based handling in your future profession it is essential to not only master certain topical knowledge and understanding, but to also develop a set of skills, referred to as academic skills. Communication is a primary example of an academic skill. Clear and concise written and oral communication is a prerequisite to communicate with peers in the academy. Students need to be able to orally present their research but also need to develop their critical thinking during class and in smaller group discussions and be able to communicate their thoughts and reasoning to peers and other stakeholders in the research field.

During this extra-curricular MaRBLe course, a series of learning activities and assignments are scheduled to further train your academic skills. These activities/assignments relate directly to the bachelor thesis project you are currently working on. Throughout the MaRBLe course students will follow series of lectures, assignments and workshops in which they learn to improve how to communicate their research through effective abstract writing, presenting the research topic to a mixed audience and discovery of personal competencies.

Overview of academic skills embedded in this course:

• Writing a scientific abstract
• Oral presentation of a research topic
• Providing feedback to your peers

Upon successful completion of the extra-curricular MaRBLe course you will receive an additional MaRBLe certification with your Bachelor degree (there are no separate ECTS credits for this course).

• Timeframe: April-June
• Number of students: 20-25 students
• Application: Students who are in the top 5% of their cohort will be invited to write a personal motivation letter to join the program.

Coordinator: Tim Snijders

Are you a third-year bachelor student looking for a new challenge? Are you interested in learning how to do research at an academic level? Are you able to approach issues both in a creative and critical manner? If so, then MaRBLe may be the thing for you!

Selected students are offered the opportunity to learn about conducting research and to acquire new substantive knowledge by doing research, as opposed to taking traditional classes. In other words, MaRBLe has a hands-on approach: while participating in a MaRBLe project, you will learn about the research process, research methodology and the dissemination of research results, as well as obtain in-depth substantive knowledge. MaRBLe is offered in the form of projects that focus on a theme or method that is not generally addressed in the regular curriculum, that is current and topical and/or multidisciplinary. By participating in a MaRBLe project, you are involved in a core task of the university:  research.

In each project, attention is given to research methodology as well as the specific theme under investigation. In general, the project starts with group meetings in which you explore the subject-matter and/or methodology under the guidance of the supervisor and/or guest speakers. As the project progresses, the focus turns more towards your own research as you develop the contours of your own research project. Throughout, you will be given the opportunity to share your experiences with the other students in your project group, to discuss the progress of your research and the challenges you encounter, as well as to provide and receive feedback on proposals, drafts, and presentations. The project culminates in a final paper, which may even be published in the Marble e-journal and presented during a public workshop or roundtable.

The projects are supervised by researchers in the faculty who will guide and support you while you explore the substantive topic and develop your own research project. The project groups usually have 5 -12 participants.

The MaRBLe programme runs twice a year.

MaRBLe projects in semester 1 will commence in period 1 and run through until period 3; second-semester projects will run from period 4 to period 6.

Please click  here for more information about the MaRBLe projects in semester 2. The projects for semester 1 will be published in May.

Who can participate?

Participation in MaRBLe is open for students in the third year of their bachelor studies who meet one of the following requirements:

• participate in the Maastricht University Law College (UMLC)
• belong to the top 25% of their cohort (in general, this means they must have a GPA of approximately 7,5) or
• who demonstrate exceptional drive and commitment to participate in research-based learning

To be admitted to the MaRBLe programme, you need to submit an application in accordance with the instructions below.

How can you apply?

You can apply to the MaRBLe programme by sending an email to  [email protected] . The application should include a short statement of one page explaining why you would like to participate in the MaRBLe programme in general and which MaRBLe project you are applying for. You should also include an overview of your grades from the Student Portal and a C.V. You should state which project is your first, and which project is your second choice. The projects might be over- or under registered. For some projects, you may be invited for an interview before a decision is taken on your application.

What is the study load and how many credits can be earned?

The study load for participation in a MaRBLe project is 18 ECTS (486 hours) spread over one semester. Upon successful completion, you earn 18 ECTS. Of these 18 ECTS, a maximum of 12 credits will be awarded within your regular bachelor programme, and six credits are awarded as extra-curricular credits, reflecting the excellence character of the MaRBLe programme.

The 12 credits within your bachelor programme may replace your bachelor essay or two electives. For UMLC students, the six extra-curricular credits will count towards your UMLC programme credits.

Successful participation in the Marble project will be mentioned in a special certificate you will receive with your diploma.

Coordinator: Sascha Hardt

Around May, FASoS students will receive an email about the projects, procedure and exact deadline. Students belonging to the top 25% of their bachelor programme will be invited to participate and can register their three preferences along with a brief motivation online. The project also offers exceptions to highly motivated students who can submit their preferences along with a motivation letter. If you are a student from a different Faculty and would like to participate, please contact the coordinator. All preferences ought to be submitted before June 3 rd .

• Timeframe: 2nd semester;
• Number of students involved: 60-80 students;
• Number of projects involved: 10 projects;
• 6-12 Students per team;

Coordinator: Johan Adriaensen

[email protected]

The Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering offers its most talented students the possibility to gain even more in-depth knowledge by completing their study programme with an additional honours programme.

This DKE Honours Program consists of two different tracks: a research-oriented track (MaRBLe) and a practice-oriented track (also known as KE @ Work).

In the research track of our Honours Programme, students get the opportunity to work on a state-of-the-art research project. Work will be organized in a similar way as in professional research institutes where students work together as individual experts on a team project. Each student specializes in a task, will get assigned a team role and receives a self-contained research project. Together they will be working towards a common demonstration where individual research projects integrate towards a journal publication. For the individual subprojects, each student receives an individual supervisor from DKE.

MaRBLe @DKE

Coordinator: Mathias Staudigl

MaRBLe is a form of RBL, Research-Based Learning. In RBL, learning is based on research that students do themselves, rather than being dependent on research done before and by others.

Small groups of students will conduct research under the guidance of a senior researcher. They will act as a group but engage in individual work as well. MaRBLe offers a unique opportunity to develop one’s own research topic within the context of a pre-defined research program. In this way, student researchers will make an actual contribution to ongoing research and will experience first-hand what is involved in doing research. During the project, specific skills will be addressed at the appropriate time: e.g. problem analysis, writing a proposal, data selection, and analysis reporting and presenting.

Course objectives MaRBLe brings multidisciplinary scientific research to the bachelor phase. It is a semester-long 3000 level research program carrying 10 ECTS. Please beware that it is not possible to do multiple MaRBLe projects, unless you receive special permission by the Board of Examiners.

MaRBLe encompasses the two Skills and one Project offered during a semester. In most MaRBLe projects, the first-course period will be mainly dedicated to an introduction into the specific field and related methodologies, and a research plan or proposal will be written. During the second and third period, the students will engage in their own research, while staying in touch with the other members of their group to discuss progress and challenges. At the end of each semester, UCM will organize a symposium during which all participating students will present their research to their fellow researchers and the larger UCM community.

Prerequisites NB: Exchange students who are interested in doing the MaRBle project can only apply if they stay for a full year and then only in their second semester. More than anything else, the MaRBLe undergraduate research program is aimed at students with a great appetite for learning and research. Students should ideally have a progress rate of ≥0.9, and a grade average of ≥7.5. In addition, specific courses may be required for particular projects (these prerequisites will be mentioned in the announcement of offered projects). At least as important as these ‘technical’ requirements, we expect students who apply for MaRBLe to be motivated and to have a clear idea on how the project they apply for fits into their individual UCM curriculum. The deadline for MaRBLe applications is identical to the UCM course registration deadline. Students have to apply via a separate form (on the UCM intranet) and will also have to include a letter of motivation, and if eligible, can be invited for an interview.

All MaRBLe related questions and requests can be send to [email protected]

MaRBLe @UCM

Coordinator: Jenny Schell-Leugers

Credits, certificate & marble scholarships, credits & certificate, scholarship.

Credits The number of credits varies from 15-18 ECTS, depending on the faculty that organises the project. A research project can be combined with the final assignment capstone or thesis. UCM awards 10 ECTS for each project, and it is possible to extend a project at UCM over several skill blocks. For each skill block you receive 10 credits. At UCM, your bachelor’s thesis is not included in the research project.

Certificate Students receive a separate certificate for their MaRBLe participation. A Research Based Learning project is not included on your diploma.

The university allocates scholarships to the most talented students participating in RBL-projects. Every academic year 6 scholarships of € 750 are available.

The scholarship can be used for:

• an internship with a (foreign) renowned research institute
• a congress or conference
• a publication.

Read the  Marble Guidelines  for a scholarschip.

The Maastricht Research Based Learning (Marble) was originally funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science as part of the Sirius programme.

Students can send the application to [email protected] , the programme manager for MaRBLe/PEERS. She will discuss all applications with the steering board.

Every student that receives a scholarship is requested to write an article about their experience and send it together with their picture, to [email protected] .

MaRBLE Series

Marble series online.

In 2011 the steering board of the bachelor excellence programme MaRBLe started a journal to publish the best student research papers. Since then, 16 volumes have been issued on a broad variety of student research projects.

In close cooperation with the University Library, all editions have been published in an Online Journal.

Alumni achievements

We’re proud of our alumni that continue doing research even after MaRBLe. Take a look at their publications!

MaRBLe News

MaRBLe experience: a unique addition to the regular curriculum

During MaRBLe 2019-2020, six UM 3rd year bachelor students decided to take their MaRBLe experience to the next level. MaRBLe is a unique addition to the regular curriculum: while the […]

MaRBLe experience: dealing with unforeseen circumstances might lead to the best results

Shanice Janssens is a 26-year-old PhD candidate within the Brain Stimulation and Cognition (BSC) group at the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (Maastricht University). Using a combination of neuroscientific methods (non-invasive […]

MaRBLe experience: Teamwork at its best

Corinna and Ana are third-year bachelor students at the faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience (FPN) who experienced the honours journey at Maastricht University at the bachelor level to the fullest. […]

Combining a semester abroad and research in MaRBLe

A journey in MaRBLe looks differently for every student. Imke Hrycyk, a 3rd-year bachelor’s student from the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, considers herself lucky. When she first received an […]

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Privacy Overview

Centre for European Research in Maastricht

Mission statement.

The Centre for European Research in Maastricht (CERiM) provides a platform of collaboration, intellectual exchange and facilitation between the participating researchers. At the same time it bundles individual efforts to increase international outreach and to give a substantial input to the Maastricht University’s strategic research theme Europe and a Globalising World.

In practical terms, the Centre will engage in various kinds of activities:

Developing own research projects and lending support to individual members and participating institutes in developing (externally funded) research projects. The newly to be hired postdoc researchers and the existing funding advisors will play a key role in this.

• The Centre will facilitate the organisation of international workshops and conferences with high-profile experts in the field (academics and practitioners). It may contribute to the organisation of workshops through its own funds.
• Organising academic valorisation and outreach activities. The Centre will provide a platform through which the communication with stakeholders (press releases, press enquiries, policy briefs, etc.) will be organized in a professional manner.
• A platform for intellectual exchange in Maastricht Univer-City: The Centre will contribute to the discussion on EU-related topics in the University and in the city and province, for instance through a lecture series and other public events.

The People and the Work

The Centre is driven by a group of distinguished professors of Maastricht University and by two postdoc researchers who manage the daily work of the Centre. In addition to developing their own research projects, the post-docs work as research coordinators of the Centre, in particular by providing professional support to the whole Centre in the development of new funding applications and the organization of common activities. Such activities will come in the form of international workshops on the research themes covered by the Centre, and public events at which prominent scholars and public figures will discuss ongoing questions of European integration with students and the broader citizenry.

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Novo Nordisk and University of Maastricht announce international research collaboration for cardiovascular diseases

33 leading international partners, supported by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), have teamed up to launch the research consortium iCARE4CVD to better understand cardiovascular disease and optimise future prevention and treatment. By creating one database consisting of data from more than 1 million patients and using artificial intelligence, partners will look for new strategies to shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to personalised care.

The international public-private research consortium iCARE4CVD ( individualised care from early risk of cardiovascular disease to established heart failure ) has launched to better understand cardiovascular disease and optimise future prevention and treatment. The consortium brings together 33 leading international partners from civil society, academia and industry, and is led and coordinated by Maastricht University and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk.

Cardiovascular disease is very prevalent worldwide with enormous socio-economic impact. It is still the most common cause of death, despite significant advances in therapy. Due to population ageing and unhealthy lifestyle, the number of Europeans suffering from CVD currently exceeds 85 million and is still on the rise. This underscores the critical need for better care pathways to reduce the impact of CVD.

“As doctors, we are mostly bound to a one-size-fits-all approach while treating our patients with CVD. Our mission however, within iCARE4CVD, is to personalise diagnosis and management of CVD to improve both outcome and patient satisfaction. We will achieve this by collecting data of more than 1 million subjects in a federated database, analysing them using artificial intelligence (AI) and prospectively validating personalized treatments during the second half of iCARE4CVD,” said Prof Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca, coordinator of iCARE4CVD and cardiologist at Maastricht University and Maastricht University Medical Center+ (Maastricht UMC+).

To improve patient outcomes, iCARE4CVD aims to improve four aspects of current care:

1) Early diagnosis and classification into clinically meaningful subgroups 2) Risk stratification defining urgency for intervention 3) Prediction of individual treatment response 4) Inclusion of outcomes based on patient perspectives

“CVD encompasses a range of intricate, chronic conditions, with atherosclerosis being the most prevalent. Many questions remain about why some individuals with risk factors develop CVD while others do not, and how CVD progresses to more severe stages. iCARE4CVD represents a significant stride towards a deeper comprehension of CVD and the customization of interventions at each stage, catering to individual needs much more effectively,” said Prof Kees Hovingh, Senior Medical Officer and iCARE4CVD Scientific Leader at Novo Nordisk.

The voices of people at risk for and those currently living with CVD will be at the heart of iCARE4CVD during the entire project, by using patients’ insights, opinions and wishes. They will help to translate the findings into a more patient-centric and equitable narrative around CVD and its multiple impacts on individuals from both a social and medical perspective.

iCARE4CVD will also investigate health outcomes in people with type 1 diabetes at risk of developing CVD, explains Dr Jeanette Soderberg, Director at JDRF. “With the help of such a large European collaboration, we will investigate the impact of novel therapies typically used in type 2 diabetes on clinically important outcomes in the traditionally underappreciated but growing population of type 1 diabetes at risk. With the help of biomarkers, we will also be able to determine who’s in most need for such intervention.” 

iCARE4CVD has been granted €22 million in funding from the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) - a joint undertaking of the European Commission and the European life science industry. The project officially kicked off its activities across Europe in October 2023 and will run until 31 March 2028.

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• UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University 2024 Migration Management The Gambia Training (Fully funded)

Published: 30 Aug 2024 27 views

The Migration Management the Gambia Training is a capacity building training funded by the European Union (EU) through the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). The training is addressed to senior level civil servants who work in the migration field in the Gambia.

The Migration Management The Gambia is a tailor-made capacity-building training offered by UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University. This training is designed for senior level civil servants who work in the field of migration and/or asylum in the Gambia. 

The training runs on a full-time bases for two-weeks and uses various teaching and evaluation methods, including lectures, interactive sessions, and hands-on practical exercises, with a special focus on the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method.

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About United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT

Unu-merit migration management the gambia training, aim and benefits of unu-merit migration management the gambia training, requirements for unu-merit migration management the gambia training qualification, interview date, process and venue for unu-merit migration management the gambia training, documents required for application, application deadline, how to apply.

The United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) is a research and training institute of the United Nations University (UNU) which collaborates closely with Maastricht University. UNU-MERIT aims to advance societal policy and innovation research, provide education and mobilise knowledge to unlock innovation's full potential for achieving inclusive sustainable development. The research agenda of UNU-MERIT on ‘Comprehensive Innovation for Sustainable Development’ (CI4SD) focuses on the interco... continue reading

This training aims to develop theoretical knowledge on migration management and practical skills such as articulation and presenting. Overall, the course equips participants with new skills and insights, offering practical and interactive experiences in applying the latest knowledge in the field of migration management.

Moreover, this training provides a platform for networking through a field trip to visit EU institutions in Brussels. This experience offers participants insights into the European regional perspectives on migration management.

Structure of the Training

The Migration Management The Gambia Training runs for two weeks of courses in Maastricht, the Netherlands, and it includes a fieldtrip to Brussels. The training courses cover the following key areas:

• Migration studies and data
• International migration law
• Irregular migration 
• Migration and development
• Migration Governance

Participants are expected to commit to 40 hours per week, which includes both contact hours and self-preparation. The training emphasizes interactive exercises and practical workshops to ensure a high-quality learning experience.

Eligible applicants for participation in the training must meet the following criteria:  

• Be fluent in spoken and written English 
• Hold a minimum Bachelor's university degree 
• Be sufficiently confident in computer skills to follow an education programme  
• Be a civil servant in a senior position and/or a decision-making role in The Gambia working on migration and/or asylum issues

Admission Guidelines 

The Migration Management The Gambia Training will run from 10 February 21 February 2025 in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

As part of the admission process, applicants will need to provide the following documents:

• A recent CV that details their work experience, academic qualifications, and participation in additional courses.
• A motivation letter clearly explaining why the applicant chose this programme and convincing the Programme Team of their commitment to successfully completing the programme.
• A copy of a valid passport that expires no less than 3 months after the end of the training.
• A passport-sized photo.
• Copies of degree(s) and transcripts.
• Have the full and written support from their employers stating that the applicant will not be expected to carry out their work duties for the duration of the training, and that will retain their job and salary for the full duration of the training if they are granted a scholarship

The Migration Management The Gambia Training: Now Accepting Applications

The call for scholarships is now open. Applications?for scholarships are welcomed via our online application portal from senior level civil servants in the Gambia who work in the migration and/or asylum field. To apply, please submit your details and all required supporting documents through our  online application portal . Please note that applications sent by email will not be accepted. 

• The application deadline:  1 October 2024 at 23:59 CET

Notification of Selection:  End of October 2024 

For more details visit:  UNU-MERIT website . 

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Wesley Chapel teen wins international contest for student inventors

FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. - A Wesley Chapel teenager won an international contest for student inventors. 

Daniel Park, 16, has studied bacteria for past science projects and recently discovered a way to use bacteria to make water cleaner and safer from pollutants. 

The eleventh grader at King High School in Tampa used artificial intelligence technology and other complex modeling software to study proteins made by certain bacteria. 

"It really did look like art to me. And I was like, I also don't know what the heck is happening here, but eventually I figured it out," Park said of the colorful protein models generated by the intricate software. 

The teenager discovered a way to quantify the effectiveness of certain bacteria and analyzed how it breaks down harmful chemicals in soil. These harmful chemicals, or pollutants, have the potential to affect drinking water. 

" I think that is a common misconception with bacteria that people have. We often see all the diseases that they cause, and you sort of get scared of them," Park said. "But there are a lot of different bacteria that have very good applications for the environment, for medicine."

Park presented his findings at the RTX Invention Convention Americas at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Michigan last week. He won Best In Show and also took first place in the grade 9-11 category. 

" I remember it really vividly," Park said. "My parents and I were screaming, jumping around in the room."

OTHER NEWS: Labor Day travel could set records: Here's what to know

The teenager is working with lawyers to get a patent. He believes this helpful bacteria could be sprayed on soil to help farmers and Bay Area residents have access to cleaner water. 

"This just sort of motivated me to keep going and to keep trying new things and keep researching and experimenting into these fields that I'm interested in," Park said.

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International projects.

Research Engineering is partner in ongoing funded projects with international collaboration:

Genito-Pelvic Pain

Remote Monitoring @ Home

Interreg EMR

SGF, NWO, Health~Holland, ZonMw

Chips Joint Undertaking

Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking

Democratising Cryo-EM

One Stop Breath Analyser

Finished funded projects in which Research Engineering was partner:

Moore4Medical

H2020 ECSEL

Coordinator

Smart4Health

Little Nirvana

WearIT4COVID

Vitrojet for cells

Hospital fit.

Health~Holland