The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded €7 million to the project DECIDE: Democratising AI, Empowering Citizens through Transparent Decision Making, which focuses on the democratisation of artificial intelligence (AI). The grant has been allocated through the NWA ORC programme of the National Science Agenda, which supports research driven by societal challenges.
The project is led by Mieke Boon, Full Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Twente, and investigates how AI systems can be developed with citizens rather than for them, with a focus on transparency, explainability, and inclusivity.
AI as a Societal Technology
AI is playing an increasingly prominent role in decision-making processes—across healthcare, mobility, public services, and local governance. However, citizens often do not understand how these systems work or what criteria are used in their decision-making. DECIDE aims to fundamentally change this. "We don't start with the technology, but rather with the question of what societal impact we want to achieve," Boon explains. "Only then do we ask: what knowledge do we need to reach that goal?"
This award is also personally meaningful for Boon. Twenty years ago, she left the technical sciences to focus on the philosophy of science. "My ambition was to make scientific research more in tune with society. DECIDE makes that ambition a reality."
Substantive Collaboration as a Foundation
DECIDE revolves around four themes, known as Citizen Empowerment Scenarios. These include shared decision-making in healthcare, sustainable mobility, local democracy, and lifestyle. In each scenario, AI applications are co-developed with citizens to ensure the systems reflect their values and daily practices.
Researchers from diverse fields—including psychology, computer science, law, and philosophy—combine their expertise. "We blend technical, legal, social, and philosophical insights with real-world experience. This cross-pollination is essential to creating practical solutions," says Boon.
The project is structured as a matrix: thematic work packages such as ethics, education, and regulation are directly linked to the practical scenarios. This enables interdisciplinary collaboration and fosters context-driven knowledge development.
Built Through Shared Ownership
The proposal for DECIDE was developed during the summer of 2024 in a series of intensive workshops involving nearly fifty partners. Researchers from almost all Dutch universities collaborated with societal organisations, municipalities, and knowledge institutes to shape the project plan.
Boon observed how eager participants were to contribute knowledge beyond the confines of their own disciplines: "The fact that so many contributed substantively to a joint approach demonstrates not only broad scientific support, but also the societal urgency of this project."
According to Boon, the unanimous positive assessment from the five NWO reviewers underlines the value of this inter- and transdisciplinary approach.
About the Consortium
The DECIDE consortium consists of nearly fifty partners from academia, policy, technology, and practice. Participants include almost all Dutch universities, several universities of applied sciences, university medical centres, municipalities, societal organisations, knowledge institutes, and companies. This broad collaboration enables the development of AI in an inclusive, democratic, and practice-oriented manner.
About the Programme Leader
Professor Mieke Boon is Chair in Philosophy of Science at the University of Twente’s Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS). She is the main applicant and scientific coordinator of the DECIDE project. Her work explores the philosophical foundations of scientific knowledge and the role of interdisciplinarity in societal innovation.
About the NWA-ORC Programme
The grant was awarded through the programme ‘Research along Routes by Consortia’ (NWA-ORC) of the Dutch National Science Agenda. This programme supports long-term, interdisciplinary research projects that address urgent societal challenges. By fostering collaboration between science and practice, NWA-ORC aims to contribute to solutions for complex social issues. More information about this funding round is available on the NWO website.
