Conflictueuze interacties tussen leerkrachten en leerlingen met ernstige gedragsproblemen en tussen leerlingen onderling verhinderen in Rotterdam en Amsterdam dat de door beide gemeenten bekostigde gestapelde interventieconstructie Taakspel en Alles Kidzzz gedrags- en interactieproblemen substantieel terugdringt. Leerkrachten geven aan tijdens de implementatie van Taakspel behoefte te hebben aan zowel individuele maatwerkbegeleiding als teamcoaching op de thema’s groepsdynamica (diversiteit) en interactievaardigheden en aan onderlinge kennisdeling op deze thema’s. In dit project onderzoeken wij of reflectieve implementatiebevorderende coaching op leerkracht- en teamniveau op het vormgeven aan warme, ondersteunende dyadische interacties met hoog-risicoleerlingen leidt tot een effectiever preventielandschap op scholen in beide grote steden.

The STRONGER2GETHER project supports youth flourish by strengthening social relationships, which are crucial for their mental health and well-being. Focusing on underrepresented groups such as vocational and special education students, we co-create and test interventions that promote positive relationships and youth flourishing in schools, online, and sports context. These insights will be integrated into the curricula of future professionals, enabling them to better support young people in their social and mental development. The project aims to create lasting societal impact by empowering educational environments to foster resilience and positive social connections for all youth.

Neurodivergent (ND) individuals, such as those with autism or ADHD, often experience social challenges. Current treatments focus on making their behavior appear more typical by masking their ND traits, but a recent report reveals this approach may harm their well-being. Masking, or hiding ND traits, is linked to stress, anxiety, poor mental health, and erosion of the sense of self. This proposal aims to study the impact of masking during social interactions on brain activity, stress, and social connectedness. Understanding these dynamics could lead to better treatment strategies and increased the quality of life of ND individuals.

Renewable energy generation will certainly form a significant part of the energy mix in 2025. The intermittency as well as the regional spread of renewable energy sources require storage and transport of energy on a large scale. A plasma-assisted Power-to-Gas (PP2G) route is chosen for the conversion of CO2 and H2O mixtures combined with catalysis to form methane that is compatible with the gas net infrastructure. The proposal combines expertise in non-equilibrium plasma processes with materials science to study new innovative routes to use a CO2 containing (plasma-activated) gas stream to convert it to methane. The number of process steps can be reduced and additional recuperation of energy will become feasible through plasma-catalyst interaction. As a kind of risk-mitigation for the entire chain, the approach focuses on both CO and H2 as intermediate products. Proof-of-principle studies encompassing field tests will help in assessing the envisaged routes.

In this educational innovation, a high-quality elective program within the psychology curriculum is developed with the aim that students acquire expertise in the field of low-intensity treatment. In concrete terms, masters students in psychology will eventually, after intensive preparation in the bachelors programme, give low-intensity online psychological treatments to fellow students who are struggling with psychological complaints.