7 July 2026
On 28 February 2024, Ms Drs M.A.E. (Riet) van Tellingen-’t Hooft passed away. As a UvA alumna of the Psychology programme, she felt a strong connection with the university community. Through the UvA Fund, she established the Families Boer & ’t Hooft Fund. With her Fonds op Naam (Named Fund), Van Tellingen-’t Hooft wanted to create opportunities for others who, like her, recognise the value of education and personal development. This Named Fund therefore provides scholarships to mature students and supports research projects in the field of parenting and education.
Her great-nephew Arno Buijs and great-niece Nynke Buijs remain closely involved with the Named Fund. On behalf of the family, they help to ensure that the ideals of Riet van Tellingen-’t Hooft continue to be realised.
‘We saw this very concretely in a research project focused on unequal opportunities in education. The project did not only collect data, but also worked with schools and teachers to implement improvements straight away. That practical and socially engaged character – not only thinking, but also doing – felt exactly in line with what she had in mind. We were therefore very happy to support it.’
Their involvement with the Named Fund has also changed their own view of giving and leaving a legacy: ‘We now see what it means to link your estate to clear values and a concrete aim. Instead of simply 'leaving something behind', you can give direction to what happens to your estate, even after you are no longer here.’
Scholarships from the Families Boer & ’t Hooft Fund are awarded via the Research Institute of Child Development and Education (RICDE), part of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the UvA. RICDE conducts interdisciplinary research into how children grow up and learn, what good teachers and carers need, and how education can be organised in a more inclusive and effective way.
Researchers affiliated with RICDE can submit an application to the Fund. Director Geertjan Overbeek is involved in assessing the proposals. In this way, Van Tellingen-’t Hooft’s legacy reaches projects that are aligned with her ideals and that also contribute to the UvA’s societal mission.
Overbeek explains: ‘All projects supported by the Fund are expected to yield concrete insights and practical tools to strengthen education for, and the upbringing of children and young people. In this way, healthy development and successful, inclusive learning among young people are further promoted.’
In 2025, four highly promising proposals in pedagogy and educational science at RICDE were funded through the Families Boer & ’t Hooft Fund. The projects range from innovative teaching initiatives to research on dyscalculia, educational innovation, and student support in higher education.
In her project Therapeutic alliance in residential youth care, Melissa van Dorp examines how young people in residential youth care can build a strong, trusting relationship with their carers – and which factors are decisive in this process. The ultimate aim is to improve treatment outcomes and to support a successful return to society.
Thanks to support from the Named Fund, she can carry out this research in close collaboration with practitioners. ‘The contribution from this Fund makes my research with a vulnerable group possible. And that is wonderful. It is a recognition of these young people and their carers.’
In this way, the legacy of one person continues to have an impact on the lives of many children and young people: through scientific research that contributes to better support, better education and more future prospects.