How to apply?

Criteria and selection

In general, the following criteria apply to Collective Futures candidates.  

• You are enrolled in a 2-year MSc program at a science faculty (UvA or another university) 

• You are eligible to participate according to the requirements of your MSc-program, usually stated in its Teaching and Exam regulations, with permission of the examinations board.
   

Additionally, you: 

• Have a strong desire to create a positive impact on society using your scientific knowledge and skills. 

• Seek opportunities to apply your academic background outside of traditional academia and make a tangible difference in the world. 

• Are excited to collaborate with a partner organization on a real-world societal challenge that requires interdisciplinary solutions. 

• Recognize the value of improving your professional and interpersonal skills and are committed to actively explore and developing them. 

• Want to work in an interdisciplinary team environment where diverse perspectives and expertise are leveraged to drive progress towards a common goal. 

• Want to embrace the opportunity to go beyond your comfort zone, take calculated risks, and learn from both successes and failures. 

• Are prepared to commit to an intensive 5-month program and have a relevant track record in both your academic and extracurricular pursuits (reflected in your GPA and C.V.). 

Collective Futures has limited capacity (24 participants), which means that not all applicants might be granted admission. A selection, based on the above mentioned criteria, is part of the admission procedure.

Application process

1. Approval from examination board

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

2. Application

Every applicant is required to submit a resume (C.V.), list of courses and grades, and a motivation letter (maximum one page). 

3. Presentation

Based on the ‘paper application’ the applicant may be invited to participate in the second phase. In this phase of the intake procedure each applicant is asked to prepare a short presentation (10 minutes). The general theme of the presentation is ‘connecting your science background to practice’, in which applicants are free to choose their own specific topic and approach.  The audience will consist of other candidates and UvA staff. Each of the applicants will present their story and provide feedback and questions on the presentations of the others. 

4. Intake  

After the presentation round follows a collective intake with all applicants. In this meeting the Collective Futures teachers will share our vision and explain what the minor entails and there will be time to ask questions. The main aim of this meeting is to assess if there is a match between Collective Futures and the applicants.
An additional personal intake with one of our teachers might be part of the selection procedure. 

Upon completion of the application process, you will be personally contacted whether you are selected for Collective Futures.   

Dates & application form

Our next cohort runs from 10 February – 4 July 2025. Our capacity is limited to 24 participants. The application process starts with a priority application round in June 2024. Submission deadline to participate in the priority applications is June 1st 2024. If any spaces remain after this priority application round, we will evaluate applications as they come in.

UvA students 

You can submit your application using this application form on Datanose. After receiving your application, we will inform you about the next steps.

Non-UvA students 

Please send an e-mail to collective-futures-science@uva.nl 

Contact 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: 

• Rob Schuurink (coordinator): R.C.Schuurink@uva.nl  

• Jarik Guijt – J.J.Guijt@uva.nl  

• Jelger Kroese – J.Kroese@uva.nl