Yield conducts multidisciplinary research on the bioecology of human development, from infancy to young adulthood. No less than nine research programmes from three faculties participate in Yield, using perspective from disciplines as diverse as: 

Vision and Mission

RPA Yield focuses on human development from infancy to adulthood. Development is considered successful if a child grows into an adult who fully participates in society. Yield’s goal is to conduct fundamental research which extends scientific knowledge and contributes to the successful development of children. Regarding the gene-environment interactions that shape human development, we distinguish between:

• Developmental factors: biological (health), cognitive, and social-emotional factors
• Contextual factors: family, peers, health care, child and youth care, school, media, cultural and socioeconomic factors

Developmental and contextual factors should not be studied in isolation. All processes and factors interact, have reciprocal effects on each other, and simultaneously affect child and adolescent development. Yield's research focusses on:

• The underlying processes of biological, cognitive, and social development
• The reciprocal relationships between developmental and contextual factors
• Risk factors, protective factors, and interventions in health, cognitive, and social development

Targets and Strategy

Yield’s goal is to conduct fundamental research that extends scientific knowledge and contributes to children’s successful development. RPA Yield has been established to:

• Provide means and opportunities to improve and extend current research
• Design and conduct new research
• Facilitate the acquisition of additional external research funding
• Extend our infrastructure

To achieve our goals we have built a multidisciplinary team of excellent post-doctoral researchers and PhD students in each of the major research lines within Yield. Besides serving as a linking pin between the research programme, Yield and the Principal Investigators (PIs), the post-doctoral researchers are expected to submit individual and contribute to programme grant proposals.