Two Academic Collaborative Centers of Tranzo (Tilburg University) will continue to receive structural funding by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The relevant research focuses on strengthening the national knowledge infrastructure in the long-term care for people with an intellectual disability and for elderly people. The funding of the past seven years will be continued for twelve years, starting in 2025. "This support is a recognition of our work and confirms the success of the collaboration between science, practice, and vocational education in long-term care."
The funding concerns Tilburg University’s Academic Collaborative Center on Living with an Intellectual Disability (AWVB) and on Care for Older Adults (AW Care for Older Adults). Within these collaborative centers, the university, partners in healthcare, and the vocational education sectors (senior secondary vocational education and training and universities of applied sciences) work together to find solutions to social issues in the field of long-term care for people with an intellectual disability as well as for vulnerable elderly people. The extended funding offers the Centers the opportunity to take existing initiatives in the field of developing and sharing knowledge further, and to initiate new activities that contribute to addressing knowledge questions and challenges withing long-term care.
Professors Petri Embregts and Katrien Luijkx, the heads of the two Academic Collaborative Centers, are very pleased about this special extension: "We think it is important that the outcomes of our studies are useful in practical care and in vocational training. For that purpose, we develop practically applicable methods, teaching modules, and instruments in collaboration with elderly people or people with an intellectual disability, their nearest and dearest, and care professionals. Examples include interactive teaching methods, a video, a calendar, or a game. With this funding, we can continue our valuable collaboration with our partners from the care practice. Moreover, we can now continue contributing to the national knowledge infrastructure in long-term care. In the next twelve years, we will be able to contribute to improving the quality of healthcare for people with an intellectual disability and for elderly people."
About the AWVB and AW Care for Older Adults
Both Academic Collaborative Centers operate in a national network. The AWVB collaborates closely with eight Academic Collaborative Centers in the Association of Academic Collaborative Centers for Intellectual Disabilities (Associatie van Academische Werkplaatsen Verstandelijke Beperkingen) chaired by Prof. Petri Embregts. The AW Care for Older Adults is one of the six members of the Cooperating Academic Networks for Elderly Care, SANO (Samenwerkende Academische Netwerken Ouderenzorg).
