4–9 July 2027 | Soeterbeeck, Radboud University | Ravenstein, the Netherlands
About the GREATLEAP Summer Incubator
Historical individual-level cause-of-death databases have expanded rapidly over the past decade, creating unprecedented opportunities to study long-term mortality patterns, epidemiological transitions, and health inequalities. Yet most research continues to focus on individual cities or regions, limiting our ability to answer broader comparative questions. The GREATLEAP Summer Incubator aims to bring together researchers working with historical cause-of-death data to develop collaborative, comparative research based on harmonized individual-level datasets and shared methodologies.
The Summer Incubator is an intensive, fully funded, team science programme that brings together researchers from 4–9 July 2027 at Soeterbeeck, Ravenstein (the Netherlands). Housed in a former Augustinian convent, now a conference centre of Radboud University, Soeterbeeck offers a unique setting where participants will live, work, and dine together throughout the week, fostering both focused collaboration and informal scientific exchange. Accommodation and all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are included, allowing participants to fully immerse themselves in the collaborative research environment.
Participants will contribute their own individual-level historical cause-of-death database – or, where such a database is still under development, work with the Amsterdam Cause-of-death Database (ACD) – to collaboratively investigate a set of comparative research questions. During the week, interdisciplinary teams will develop approximately five working papers, which will be further refined over the following year with the ambition of presenting completed manuscripts at a workshop and conference, and subsequently submitting them to peer-reviewed journals. In short, participants will contribute their own or provided datasets to a shared comparative research framework, applying harmonised data, common methodologies and complementary expertise to answer a small number of common research questions that cannot be addressed using a single population or city alone.
The Team Science Approach
The GREATLEAP Summer Incubator is built on the principles of team science. Rather than working on individual projects in parallel, participants will collaborate to answer a small number of comparative research questions that require evidence from multiple historical populations. Research teams will therefore be formed around shared scientific interests.
This collaborative approach is founded on three principles.
Shared Questions: participants jointly refine comparative research questions before and during the incubator, ensuring that projects reflect the strengths of the participating datasets.
Shared Data & Methods: participants contribute their own individual-level historical cause-of-death database – or work with the Amsterdam Cause-of-death Database (ACD) where appropriate – and collaborate on harmonising data using ICD10h and developing common analytical approaches.
Shared Ownership: each working paper will have a lead and co-lead responsible for coordinating progress, while all participants are expected to contribute intellectually across all projects through discussion, data harmonisation, analysis, interpretation, and manuscript development. The ambition is to create a portfolio of collaboratively authored comparative studies that reflects the collective expertise of the incubator.
Outline of the Summer Incubator
Preparing for the Incubator
The Summer Incubator begins well before the week at Soeterbeeck. As part of their application, participants will submit a description of their individual-level historical cause-of-death database (or a database currently under development), together with two or three comparative research questions they would like to explore. Prior to the incubator, all participants will take part in an online meeting to introduce their datasets, discuss their research ideas, and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Based on these presentations and the proposed research questions, the organisers will identify a small number of overarching comparative themes and establish interdisciplinary working groups before the incubator begins. By bringing together participants with complementary datasets and shared scientific interests in advance, the programme ensures that research teams can begin harmonising data, refining research questions, and developing analytical strategies from the very first day of the Summer Incubator.
During the Incubator
The Summer Incubator combines collaborative work across the entire cohort with focused work within individual project teams. Each day will centre on one of the selected comparative research questions, bringing all participants together to discuss data comparability, methodological challenges, analytical approaches, and the interpretation of preliminary findings. These plenary working sessions are designed to ensure that every participant contributes to each project, drawing on the collective expertise of the group. However, probably each person is only involved as a co-author in a couple, and not all, projects.
Alongside these joint sessions, dedicated time will be reserved for the lead and co-lead of each working paper, together with interested contributors, to advance their specific manuscript. Building on the preparatory work completed before the incubator, participants will harmonise data, conduct exploratory comparative analyses, interpret preliminary findings, and iteratively refine their research questions and analytical strategies. By the end of the week, each group is expected to have produced the first version of a collaborative working paper, including an agreed authorship, research design, preliminary analyses, an outline of the manuscript, and a clear roadmap with responsibilities and milestones for completing the paper over the following year. On the final afternoon, each group will shortly present its working paper to the full group for discussion and feedback.
After the Incubator
The Summer Incubator marks the beginning of a year-long collaborative research programme. Following the week at Soeterbeeck, each working group will continue to develop its paper through regular online meetings, with the lead and co-lead coordinating progress and ensuring that all contributors remain actively involved. Participants are expected to continue contributing across projects, embracing the team science philosophy that underpins the incubator.
The anticipated timeline is as follows. In September 2027, working groups will reconvene online to review progress and refine their analytical strategies. By December 2027, each group is expected to have completed a substantial first draft. During May 2028, the papers will be presented and discussed at a dedicated (also funded) workshop, providing an opportunity for peer feedback and further refinement. The ambition is for the completed papers to be presented at, for instance, the European Population Conference (EPC 2028) in Tallinn, Estonia (28 June–1 July 2028), before being revised and submitted to international peer-reviewed journals later in 2028.
Expected Outcomes
By participating in the GREATLEAP Summer Incubator, researchers will become part of an active international team science network dedicated to advancing comparative historical cause-of-death research. Participants will contribute to the development of multiple collaborative working papers, strengthen their expertise in data harmonisation and ICD10h coding, exchange methods and perspectives with researchers from different disciplines and countries, and establish lasting collaborations that extend beyond the incubator itself.
The Summer Incubator aims to produce approximately five comparative working papers that address research questions beyond the scope of individual datasets. More broadly, the programme seeks to strengthen an international research community committed to sharing data, methods, and expertise to advance comparative historical mortality research.
Who Should Apply?
The GREATLEAP Summer Incubator welcomes applications from researchers at all career stages working on historical individual-level causes of death, historical demography, population health, epidemiology, medical history, and related disciplines. We particularly encourage applications from researchers who have access to an individual-level historical cause-of-death database, whether already harmonised or currently under development. Applicants whose own database is not yet sufficiently developed are also welcome to apply and will have the opportunity to work with the Amsterdam Cause-of-death Database (ACD) while contributing their expertise to the collaborative projects.
Applicants should be willing to actively engage in the team science approach that underpins the incubator by sharing data, methods, ideas, and expertise, contributing to collaborative analyses across projects, and committing to the year-long research programme following the incubator. We particularly encourage applications from both junior and senior researchers, as well as from researchers representing diverse geographical regions and historical populations, to maximise the comparative potential of the programme. Applicant should be willing and able to collaborate during approximately 2 years from January 2027 onwards.
Selection will be based on the complementarity of datasets, the expertise of the researcher, their perspectives, and methods applicants bring to the collaborative research environment. This may include methodological or analytical skills, experience with ICD10h coding and data harmonisation, substantive knowledge of historical mortality, or innovative theoretical and comparative perspectives. Our aim is to bring together a diverse group of researchers whose combined expertise will strengthen all collaborative projects.
Application Process
Applications should be submitted by 8 January 2027 to tim.riswick@ru.nl. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by 15 January 2027. The preparatory activities for the Summer Incubator will begin in February 2027.
The application should include:
A short curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages).
A brief description (maximum 500 words) of the historical individual-level cause-of-death database (or database under development), including its geographical and temporal coverage, available variables, and current status of ICD10h coding or harmonisation. If the database is part of the HLCS-special issue ‘Counting the Death’, this can also be send instead of the brief description.
A short statement (maximum 500 words) outlining two or three comparative research questions the applicant would like to explore, how their data and/or expertise could contribute to collaborative projects, and what methodological, theoretical, or substantive perspectives they bring to the incubator. This should also make clear why team science is needed.
If needed, a short statement describing what kind of financial support (travel, accommodation, daily allowance) is required to participate in the programme (the Summer Incubator and the follow-up workshop). This information is used to be able to determine how many participants can be funded.
Key dates
Application deadline: 8 January 2027
Notification of acceptance: 15 January 2027
Online preparatory meeting: Spring 2027
Summer Incubator: 4–9 July 2027
Follow-up workshop: May 2028
European Population Conference: 28 June–1 July 2028 (Tallinn, Estonia)
Submitting articles to journals: Summer 2028