Call for Research Proposals for Lowlands Science 2024

Imagine this: you have access to 60,000 enthusiastic individuals for three days who can participate in your research. What would you like to discover? During the Lowlands festival, attendees not only enjoy music but also eagerly visit the Lowlands Science research area, a unique and ideal spot for scientists. You can now submit your research proposal for Lowlands Science on August 16th, 17th, and 18th, 2024. The deadline for submissions is March 31st.

Since 2015, Lowlands Science has been highly successful, with Radboudumc hosting numerous research teams. This year again, Lowlands invites researchers from colleges, universities, and other research institutions to submit proposals for research during the festival. If the quality and feasibility (financially) are satisfactory, the possibilities are vast. The research is anonymous and not traceable to individuals. Data obtained by scientists at the festival are exclusively anonymized for scientific research purposes.

Criteria for application:

• The research must be relevant and interesting to the Lowlands audience.
• Lowlands visitors must be able to participate in the research, be the subject of the research, or learn something from it. Research that solely relies on surveys, for example, is not interesting to visitors.
• The research must consider the environmental conditions of a festival site, such as vibrations, loud noises, music, and alcohol consumption. Research that requires a soundproof room, for instance, is not feasible.
• An application comprises a maximum of 1500 words.

The application includes:

• Name of the principal investigator
• Name of the research institution/organization
• Name of department/faculty/program
• Research title (concept)
• The research question (1-2 sentences)
• Visitor experience during the research
• The research explained in a maximum of three (layman) sentences
• The societal relevance of the research
• An upload of the elaborated research proposal (PDF with a maximum of 1500 words, 10MB), including at least:
  • Societal relevance and rationale of the research
  • Research question, objectives, hypotheses, and/or expectations
  • What do visitors experience/do/learn during the research?
  • Method and setup of the research/action plan, including a list of necessary materials and space. (What is required at the Science site? How much space, which technical means, etc. Please include a floor plan of the required space/physical setup, including dimensions.)
  • How is the information/data obtained at Lowlands utilized for further research?
  • Why is this research benefited by this research population and setting?
  • How will you ensure an attractive format and design?
  • If known, the composition of the team: names and roles (the team may consist of a maximum of 10 people)
  • Brief CV of the principal investigator

For more information, click here.

Submit your research proposal by March 31st via this page on the Lowlands website. By the end of April, submitters will be notified if they are selected to conduct the research.

Proposal Assistance

The science communicators at Radboudumc have been closely involved in preparations in recent years and were also present at Lowlands to assist all press activities. They have good communication with the Lowlands organization and understand what will and won't work. Therefore, do not hesitate to discuss your proposal with them or seek their assistance in a timely manner! You can find Annemarie Eek's contact details at the bottom of this message.

Are you curious about the experiences of researchers who participated in 2023? Look here for a photo report and more information. Annemarie Eek can also connect you with one of them.