Marja van Bijsterveldt Fund supports student projects with a social focus

The Marja van Bijsterveldt Fund has been established for a five-year period under the University Fund Delft (UfD). During this period, the fund will support one student project per year, in combination with a grant from FAST (Funding Ambitious Students TU Delft). The focus will be on projects with social objectives that Van Bijsterveldt considers important.

The exact objectives will be announced later by the UfD. Students can then apply during one of FAST’s four annual application rounds. In that round, projects are eligible not only for a FAST grant but also for recognition by the Marja van Bijsterveldt Fund.

If there are several, she gets to choose

Whether a grant is awarded is decided by the Executive Grant Committee, which includes representatives from the faculties and assesses all FAST applications. “The allocation procedure is exactly the same as before,” explains Jasper Peterich, director of the University Fund. Only after has been determined which projects receive a grant does the new fund come into play: “If we have an award that meets her criteria, we attach her name to it.” If none of the projects meet Van Bijsterveldt’s objectives, the prize will not be awarded. If there are several, she may choose “the one she likes best,” says Peterich.

The ‘winning’ project can count on the involvement of former mayor Van Bijsterveldt. She will lend her name to it, be available for advice, and use her network. If a project proves successful, she could even leverage that network for crowdfunding, Peterich adds: “She is incredibly enthusiastic.”

A FAST grant has a maximum value of 15,000 euros, funded by the UfD. As part of Van Bijsterveldt’s farewell gift, the university is making a one-off contribution of 5,000 euros to the fund.

Uncertainty and incorrect information

The exact details of the gift have been unclear in recent months. The student council found it odd that no information about the fund was available on TU Delft’s website, while an article in AD (in Dutch) did provide details. The council therefore raised the issue in its October consultation meeting with the Executive Board (CvB). Thomas Walta (ORAS): “It’s a great idea to give a present that benefits students, but it should be clear how students can apply.” Board member Hans Hellendoorn agreed that the information should be available. He found it particularly unfortunate that the only source with more details was the AD article, “because it’s completely wrong.”

The amount of money that the AD article said the TU was contributing to the fund was allegedly too low. According to Hellendoorn, it should be 25,000 euros: “5,000 euros per year for the next five years.” Neither amount appears to be correct. According to the Board’s Secretary, the university is making a one-off contribution of 5,000 euros, and the fund can be further built up “through voluntary donations from third parties.”

The university spokesperson was unable to establish exactly how the different stories came about, but Peterich hopes ‘all the commotion’ were to be at the expense of the fund. He was touched by how much Van Bijsterveldt appreciated the gift: “It’s even more wonderful than I expected.”