Award to recognise ground-breaking research into mental wellbeing in cities

Engineering and environmental consultancy Ramboll has launched its funding prize for research on mental wellbeing in cities. 

Early career researchers are invited to apply for the 2022 Flemming Bligaard Award, a EUR 65,000 prize which recognises ground-breaking research that helps to improve mental health in urban environments and enables sustainable change for the benefit of people, nature and society. 

Ramboll says more than four billion people live in cities today and by 2040 this is set to grow to nearly two-thirds of the world’s population. 

For cities to be truly resilient, sustainable and liveable the mental wellbeing of residents is paramount.

It is against this backdrop that the Ramboll Foundation has launched the 2022 Flemming Bligaard Award.

The award is open to early careers researchers from a range of disciplines and backgrounds who are conducting research that aims to help the complex mental health and wellbeing of city inhabitants – examining the relationship of city life and mental health, as well as identifying the factors that can help promote mental wellbeing in cities. 

The intended research outcomes must have the potential to be replicable, scalable and applicable in diverse urban environments.

Søren Staugaard Nielsen, managing director of the Ramboll Foundation, said: “Mental health is an often invisible and neglected aspect in developing cities and urban environments. 

“It’s critical we address this gap as global urban populations rise, so cities can develop in sustainable ways that meet the needs of people, nature, and communities.

“The foundation is honoured to once again support the best and brightest research talent by way of the Flemming Bligaard Award.”

The Flemming Bligaard Award aims to uncover bright ideas, new knowledge and applicable sustainable solutions that provide knowledge to society. It was launched in 2020.

Applications for this year’s award close on October 10, 2022.

Click here to find out more about the award.