Friendraising was the name of the assignment with which the team for Fundraising Development set to work more than two years ago. Financial targets were emphatically not laid down yet, for first it was necessary to invest in the establishment of relations, the exploration of the market and to define potential projects which donors could support. In addition, small crowdfunding actions were organized for a number of student teams.

The four-member team, led by Karen Ali, who is also director of the board of the University Fund, can now record the first big success. Early in December a donor, who is not an alumnus of TU/e and wants to remain anonymous, promised financial backing for a research proposal from professors Geert Verbong (IE&IS) and David Smeulders (W). This gift will allow a PhD candidate to be put to work, who, as Verbong puts it, thereby acts in anticipation of the establishment of the chair of Technology Assessment in 2019.

Unforeseen consequences

“The chair will focus on research into the implications which the introduction of certain new technologies entails”, says Verbong. “The research supported now relates to the unforeseen consequences that may arise from the introduction of sustainable energy and mobility systems. What may be the benefits of that, and what, on the other hand, may be the burdens? That last question is a tough one, for how, at the outset of the introduction of a new technology, can you make such an assessment? Still, if you gain more insight into that, you may be able to adjust potentially negative consequences yet.”

Verbong refers to the co-drafter of the research proposal, David Smeulders. At the beginning of July of this year, in Cursor among others, Smeulders warned of the negative consequences which he thinks will arise when the Netherlands phases out the use of gas too fast. His message then was: look before you leap.

Verbong too calls the support by the anonymous donor a success. “It has taken a great deal of time to get precisely the right match. David and I together with Karen Ali personally paid a visit to the donor in order to explain our proposal. It is wonderful that this gift now allows us to pay a PhD candidate for four years.”