ERC Proof-of-Concept grant for Eva-Maria Merz and Alexandra Ciausescu

Eva and Alexandra will receive an ERC PoC grant for the Learning to Donate project (LEARN-DO). LEARN-DO will develop and market a fun and interactive knowledge intervention to stimulate key motivators and overcome key barriers for individuals to become a donor. We target two main stakeholder groups with this intervention. Individuals (children and adults) - potential future donors - and blood collection agencies that need to recruit donors to meet demands. We propose three installation elements that manipulate key barriers and motivators of blood donation. A Donor Picture Pillar that provides information about blood donation and shows patient and donor stories. A "Donation Experience" to decrease fears and psychological distance towards blood donation and a Conversation Couch to stimulate talking about donation. LEARN-DO can thoroughly change the recruitment of future donors and improve the recruitment strategy of blood collection agencies by making them more evidence-based, fun and interactive and targeted to specific groups, including families and members from ethnic minorities.