Current research projects

Policy evaluations evaluated. When do they prompt an overhaul of policies? (NWO Veni 2022-2026)

Policy evaluations have a crucial role for policy makers to know whether policies 'work'. Nevertheless, concerns about the limited relevance of evaluation research have grown substantially. Even in settings with a high level of evaluation institutionalisation, evaluations are often not used; and when they are, they risk resulting merely in quick fixes of policies, rather than enabling fundamental reassessments and changes in those policies.

The project ‘Policy evaluations evaluated. When do they prompt an overhaul of policies?, funded by an NWO Veni grant (2022-2026) aims to systematically measure, explain and understand the influence of policy evaluations in settings with different levels and modalities of evaluation institutionalisation. Data is collected in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium. The project is part of ‘The Power of Evidence’ research programme.

S4PXchange. Integrating Communities and Practices for a Robust, Inclusive, and Sustainable European Science-for-Policy Ecosystem (Horizon-Widera 2026-2029)

S4PXchange builds a robust and interconnected European Science for Policy (S4P) ecosystem to enhance evidence-informed policymaking across Europe. Leiden University leads the work package dedicated to developing the S4P framework and mapping and analysis of existing S4P practices in Europe. Project website: S4PXchange - S4PXchange

Vragenlijstonderzoek ervaringen en omstandigheden gepromoveerde ambtenaren binnen het Rijk (2025-2026)

Survey on the experiences and working conditions of PhD‑trained civil servants within the national government.

Commissioner: Science for Policy team Ministerie Onderwijs, Cultuur, Wetenschap (Dutch Ministry Education, Culture and Science).

Past research projects (since PhD, selection)

  • 2021-2025: Co-supervisor Uncertainty Communication Project. Interdisciplinary project funded by KU Leuven (with Steven Van de Walle and Sylvia Wenmackers)

  • 2024: Building capacity for evidence-informed policymaking in governance and public administration in a post-pandemic Europe. Country analysis, Policy recommendations and Implementation Roadmap: The Netherlands. Commissioner: Joint Research Center. European Commission.

  • 2021: Project leader Evaluation Pilot ‘Accessibility of evaluative information’— Section 3.1 of the Dutch Government Accounts Act’ (Evaluatie Gebruik Bijlage CW3.1 door Tweede Kamer). Commissioner: Dutch Ministry of Finance. The report is available here. See also here for a short entry about the project.

  • 2020-2021: LUF/ Gratama grant for project ‘Designing for policy effectiveness in the case of the Sustainable Development Goals’ (in collaboration with Fabrizio de Francesco, University of Strathclyde).

  • 2016-2020: COST Action “Professionalization and Social Impact of European Political Science”. The COST Action ProSEPS (2016-2020) focuses on the social visibility and advisory roles of political scientists in 36 countries, their disciplinary identity, and their degree of internationalization. In Working Group 4, we studied the Advisory role of Political scientists in Europe. This OA Book, edited by Marleen Brans and Arco Timmermans, provides some key findings.

  • 2017-2020: Impact Evaluation ESF Interventions: ‘Trainings in Firms’. Commissioner: Flemish Department Work and Social Economics. Theory-based impact evaluation, in which we rely on a combination of Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Process Tracing. Other team members: Bart Cambré (Antwerp Management School), Benoît Rihoux (UCLouvain), and Priscilla Alamos Concha (UCLouvain/Antwerp Management School).

  • 2016-2020: H2020 Project ITS4Land ‘Geospatial Technology Innovations for Land Security in East Africa’. Project partners: University of Twente (NL); Universität Münster (Germany), KU Leuven (Belgium), Hanse Luftbild AG (Germany), Institut d'Enseignement Superier de Ruhengeri (Rwanda), Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia), Technical University of Kenya (Kenya), Esri Rwanda (Rwanda).