We are a network of internationally collaborating universities from the Netherlands, with longstanding partnerships in academia and society, as well as in Low and Middle Income Countries.
We believe that research is vital to understanding and addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our core value is to build and foster research and implementation collaborations based on equity.
We unite a community of research partners to learn together, leverage each other's networks and knowledge, and jointly build an expanding portfolio of impactful research projects.
Interdisciplinary, international, and intersectoral (Triple-I) research and innovation are better equipped to tackle wicked challenges and generate creative, effective solutions. These approaches are crucial for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Currently, most Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) have fewer R&D staff compared to other regions. Through GROW, we invest in training scholars who understand the unique contexts of LMICs, while also strengthening our existing partnerships with the Netherlands.
By involving both academic and non-academic stakeholders from the outset, we foster collective learning and co-creation. This collaborative approach leads to a deeper understanding of challenges, opportunities, and trade-offs, more detailed specifications, earlier prototype testing, and increased opportunities for validation. Ultimately, this helps transform academic research into real-world solutions. The complexity and originality of our science also allow us to produce high-quality scientific papers.
In 2016, our initiating partners began developing what we now call GROW. Supported by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) through the National Science Agenda programme, we launched our programme titled "Sustainable Development Goals for Global Development." Partly funded by NWO and other funding agencies, such as the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, we are building a portfolio of events and research projects. On this website, you can find all our activities, learn about our collaborators, and discover how you can join us if your activities align with GROW.
The GROW community is currently supported by the NWO-NWA Steering committee, NWO and a team of professionals from Dutch Universities
