INREF background
INREF is the development oriented Interdisciplinary Research and Education Fund of Wageningen University. Most of the problem oriented research is conducted by 'sandwich' PhD students working in groups on complex topics concerning the developing countries and emerging economies focusses on tackling the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The core activity of the INREF programme is formed by interdisciplinary, multi-annual, graduate schools-overarching research programmes on complex development-related issues. The Graduate Schools will play a leading role in the development and in assuring the scientific quality of the multi-annual research programmes and will be responsible for submitting the proposals to the INREF Board.
All activities of INREF will be monitored by the INREF-board, consisting of the Rector, the Dean of Research and a Director of one of the Wageningen graduate schools.
The Executive Board of WUR stresses the importance of collaboration to tackle the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to further develop and strengthen national, regional and world-wide Research for Development and Education (RfDE).
Objectives
The most relevant objectives of the INREF programme are:
- Contributing to excellent research by stimulating interdisciplinary collaboration and exploring new research topics and approaches;
- Come to research results that really make a difference for the intended end users (researchers, policy makers, NGOs, farmers, companies, etc.);
- Contributing to the SDGs;
- Carrying out and activating innovative, interdisciplinary and comparative research for development within Wageningen University and 'broader' WUR
- Strengthen interdisciplinary education programs at Wageningen University and partner institutions;
- Strategic use and expansion of strategic international partnerships for RfDE;
- Application of additional financing.
Expected output
The main expected outputs of the INREF programme are:
- new, interdisciplinary and innovative research approaches and methods;
- increased (scientific) knowledge and insights about transversal societal challenges in close relation with the SDGs, with a focus on developing countries and emerging economies;
- extensive strategic international RfDE partnerships;
- scientific knowledge and information that can be used for well-described stakeholders (policy makers, research and educational organizations, farmers or others) in the field of RDE;
- interdisciplinary educational modules or programs developed at Wageningen University and / or partner institutions for BSc, MSc and PhD students;
- increased capacity for RfDE in southern and northern countries;
- stronger position of WUR in the RfDE domain;