Delft University Fund was founded in 1925 (when it went by the name of Delft Hoogeschoolfonds) to ‘promote the interests of the university and of those who study there, as well as technical and related science, through any appropriate means in the broadest sense’. To this end, 35 founders, 12 donors, 29 patrons and 21 members raised the initial capital of 37,031 Dutch guilders. Delft University Fund continues to serve the same aim as in 1925. And contributing to the fund is becoming increasingly important, says Jasper Peterich, director of the Delft fund. “The government continues to invest less in education and research,” he explains. “And it looks like future cabinets will also implement cuts in education and research, which means that universities have to find money from other sources.”
Significantly less money
How can universities do this? In the case of education, Peterich believes it could entail charging higher tuition fees, as is done abroad. But research funding is a different matter.
The government will provide significantly less money to the research funding body Dutch Research Council in the coming years and will contribute less to the European academic ecosystem.
So who pays for the research? “University research is very important for a country. It gives rise to new discoveries and innovations that create businesses and employment opportunities,” he said. “Technical universities also contribute solutions to societal challenges. So research is of great economic value. Many alumni are aware of this and donate to their alma maters and Delft University Fund owes a lot to these loyal alumni.”
Sand Motor
An artificial peninsula of 21 million cubic metres of sand near Kijkduin: the Sand Motor is a bold experiment in coastal defence. Wind, waves and currents gradually disperse the sand along the coast, reinforcing beaches and dunes for at least 20 years. The project is also a recreational area and outdoor laboratory. Supported by the Zabawas Foundation, PhD student Romy Hulskamp has been working on sustainable coastal design on-site since 2023.
Healthcare transition
The healthcare transition is one of the greatest challenges of our time and some issues are so complex that they require transdisciplinary solutions. Delft’s Centre for Safety in Healthcare plays a crucial role in this. It’s where researchers develop interventions that contribute to the improved well-being of healthcare professionals and safe care for patients. The centre was established thanks to a generous donation by Dr J.P. Visser.
‘The government continues to invest less in education and research’
Bequests
Delft University Fund received its first bequest in 1933. It involved 3,000 Dutch guilders from Miss Beyerinck to be used to publish the posthumous writings and a biography of the late Prof. M.W. Beyerinck. Over the past 100 years, several professors and alumni have made bequests or gifted their estate to TU Delft. Like Justus van Effen, who strongly believed in technological developments as a solution to social issues. The Justus & Louise van Effen Fund has been funding scholarships for excellent master’s students since 2010. Thanks to this donation, TU Delft has already been able to facilitate 240 international students coming to Delft.
Student grants
FAST Fund (Funding Ambitious Students TU Delft) receives around 200 grant applications from students each year. This funding allows them to do things such as conduct research abroad or participate in an international competition. They can also receive grants for developing innovative technology, just like the founders of CupHub, who came up with the Casey portable menstrual cup cleaner. They applied for the grant to be able to make prototypes of the right material and carry out user testing.
Endowment fund
In addition, Peterich thinks creating a ‘big pot’ could be a solution. “The government cannot always give priority to research,” he says. “A university needs to build up its own equity if it doesn’t want to be dependent. This could be done, for example, with the help of wealthy alumni and Dutch citizens, companies that benefit from engineers, wealth funds and family foundations. This independent flow of money is best spent on independent fundamental research because there is less money available for it from the government. Such an endowment fund is one of Delft University Fund’s major tasks over the next decade. You now see in the United States, for example, the importance of universities having their own capital. TU Delft and Delft University Fund need to communicate more about the value of donating to the university. About how, as a donor, your contribution can have a huge impact. And this might be something that TU Delft has to do together with other universities instead of going it alone.”
“Delft University Fund is now 100 years old,” he continues. “It was established to maintain the high quality of the university. In 2025, this applies more now than ever. If you want to help fund a better, safer and healthier world, a donation to TU Delft is perhaps the most effective way to do so.”
50 million euros
In its 100 years of existence, Delft University Fund has granted over €50 million (in today’s money) to research, new teaching subjects and educational innovations as well as to ambitious students, study associations, students in need, and young entrepreneurs. The fund has thereby always tried to be relevant – from grants for ‘study days on design when rebuilding destroyed cities’ just after the war, to setting up the TU Delft Covid Response Fund during the pandemic, and unlocking a student emergency fund for Ukrainian students in financial need due to the war, for example.
Delft University Fund currently funds about 1% of annual research at TU Delft. Peterich: “This should be 10% but we need an engaged donor community to achieve that.”
Delft University Fund will celebrate its 100th anniversary on 30 June. TU Delft works on technology that helps the world progress but to really make an impact, additional support is indispensable. Your contribution strengthens TU Delft’s position as a global leader in technological innovation. Will you join us in investing in the future? See at: Giving to TU Delft. Also see: Tech for impact
Top researchers to Delft
The Excellence Fund was established six years ago and, thanks to its support, nine top international researchers have now been recruited to set up a research group or lab in Delft. One of these researchers is Prof. Sebastian Geiger, professor of sustainable geo-energy. He leads the Geoscience Twin for SubSurface Energy Lab, which is developing a modular, open-source ‘digital twin’ for underground energy systems. This helps in the safer and more sustainable development of underground resources for the energy transition. “Creating something that makes people think and see things in a new way is what drives me to conduct research with real-life value.”