Amsterdam’s AI for Health Equity Lab secures €2.3M grant

New grant to advance fairness in medical AI

A funding boost is heading to the Dutch capital’s AI research scene. The AI for Health Equity Lab, based in Amsterdam, has been awarded €2.3 million through the NGF AiNed ELSA Labs programme, administered by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

The lab, led by Professor Anniek de Ruijter and Professor J.C.M. van Weert of the University of Amsterdam, aims to address one of the most pressing challenges in modern healthcare: ensuring that artificial intelligence systems do not perpetuate or worsen health inequalities.

The lab is part of the broader ELSA (Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects) initiative, which supports interdisciplinary research into trustworthy AI. Working alongside citizens, developers, and healthcare professionals, the Amsterdam-based team will investigate how to design and deploy AI in ways that proactively reduce bias, particularly against marginalised and underrepresented groups.

AI collaboration in Amsterdam

The timing is critical. As the European Union finalises the AI Act, ensuring compliance and accountability in AI systems is becoming not just a scientific priority, but a legal one. 

Amsterdam is a major AI hub, with universities, research centres, and startups collaborating to drive innovation. Projects like AiSalon, work at the University of Amsterdam, and startups like CuspAI are leading the way. This new funding also signals a vote of confidence in Amsterdam’s AI ecosystem, which continues to grow as a European hub for responsible innovation.