In the first round of CIIIC Start, 15 research projects have been selected for funding. With these projects, CIIIC and Regieorgaan SIA invest in practice-oriented research into the effective and responsible use of immersive experiences (IX) in sectors such as healthcare, education and culture.
What is CIIIC Start?
Immersive experiences (IX) are experiences in which digital and physical elements come together to form interactive, sensory experiences, such as virtual reality, augmented reality and interactive environments.
CIIIC Start funds research that provides insight into when and how IX works and under what conditions this technology can be responsibly applied. This takes place across various societal domains, including healthcare, education, safety and social cohesion. The scheme thus contributes to the further development of the IX sector and to sectors that want to use IX.
From experiment to applicable knowledge
The 15 projects provide insights that are directly applicable in practice.
- For IX creators the projects offer insight into what works and what doesn’t, reducing development risks and supporting the scaling up of successful applications.
- For professionals and IX users in sectors such as healthcare, education and culture, the research clarifies under what conditions IX contributes to learning, working and experiencing.
- For education and research the projects strengthen the connection between practice and knowledge development, providing current insights for education.
A total of €719,415 has been awarded. The projects are carried out in consortia of researchers and at least two SME partners, ensuring that the acquired knowledge is directly applicable in practice.
Themes within the projects
Several recurring themes emerge within the funded projects:
- Responsible use and public values: Issues surrounding ethics, inclusivity and societal impact run through the projects as a common thread.
- Effective elements of IX: What makes an immersive experience effective? Projects investigate, among other things, the role of interaction, empathy and user experience.
- Accessibility and application: How can IX be used more broadly and effectively, for example in museums and education?
- Effects and measurements: There is attention to both desired and undesired effects of IX, and to developing shared concepts and measurement methods.
Continuation of the CIIIC programme
The next round of CIIIC Start is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Besides CIIIC Start, the programme includes several schemes, including CIIIC Kern, CIIIC PRO and Learning Communities. These schemes build on the insights from CIIIC Start and contribute to further scaling up of research and the application of immersive technology.
Overview of funded projects
An overview of all funded projects is listed below:
- Visualising Ethics: Bridging Analogue and Digital Immersive Experiences – Lead applicant: Saxion
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Exploring the Potential of VR for Decolonial Storytelling – Lead applicant: Inholland University of Applied Sciences
- The Locus Of Fear 7 (TLOF_7) – Lead applicant: Amsterdam UMC
- Shared Insights into Interactive and Impactful XR – Lead applicant: University of Applied Sciences Utrecht
- Staging Collective VR Experiences – Lead applicant: Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
- Enhancing Authentic Learning in Primary Care: Real-Time Immersive Experiences in Family Medicine Clerkships – Lead applicant: Maastricht University
- Towards a Common Language for Immersive Experiences: a Cross-Sector Exploration of Concepts and Measurement – Lead applicant: Zuyd University of Applied Sciences
- EGG: How an Immersive Art Experience on Transition Affects Daily Life of People and Groups in a Neighbourhood – Lead applicant: HZ University of Applied Sciences
- GausScape: Evaluating 3D Gaussian Splatting for Spatial Understanding in Greenhouse Environments – Wageningen University & Research
- Experience the Future, Embrace the Change: The Potential of IX to Create and Leverage Teachable Moments and Improve Lifestyle Behaviours in Osteoarthritis Patients – Lead applicant: Tilburg University
- ImmersiveValidMovement: Validation of Consumer XR for Responsible Physiotherapy Exercises – Lead applicant: UMC Groningen
- Responsible Immersive Support for Firefighter Retreat under Unreliable Spatial and Communication Information – Lead applicant: University of Twente
- May I Ask You a Question? A Large-Scale Experiment Examining the Effectiveness of a Multimodal, Conversational Digital Dietitian on Nutritional Knowledge in Virtual Reality – Lead applicant: Wageningen University & Research
- From Ethical Dilemmas to Future Thinking: Immersive Technology as a Catalyst for Inclusive Decision-Making – Lead applicant: Fontys University of Applied Sciences
- To What Degree Do Interactive Agents Enhance the Willingness-to-Adopt IX? – Lead applicant: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)