{"id":169908,"date":"2024-06-19T13:46:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-19T11:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=169908"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:24","slug":"researchers-vast-breach-of-trust-caused-by-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/06\/19\/researchers-vast-breach-of-trust-caused-by-cuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Researchers: Budged cuts on research funding cause vast breach of trust"},"content":{"rendered":"

Members of the scientific community are calling on the new government not to cut research funding. PhD students and postdocs urge prospective education minister Eppo Bruins to heed the advice he gave himself eleven days ago: invest in knowledge and research.<\/p>\n

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WOinAction is preparing new protests against the cuts.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Two years ago, the outgoing education minister earmarked an additional 200 million euros for higher education institutions, in the shape of \u2018sector plans\u2019. Integral to the education budget, these plans were aimed to give institutions the resources to offer 1200 researchers a permanent contract early in their career. The incoming coalition government of PVV, NSC, VVD and BBB now wants to\u00a0<\/span>reverse<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that investment, a move that has sparked considerable opposition.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Society of Spinoza and Stevin Laureates has attacked the cuts as a threat to the Netherlands\u2019 earning capacity. In a\u00a0<\/span>letter to the editor<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of national daily\u00a0NRC<\/i>, 78 laureates emphasise that the sector plans provide long-term vision and stop research falling prey to fads and fleeting trends.<\/span><\/p>\n

Breach of trust<\/h2>

The prize-winning scientists slam the proposed cuts as \u2018a huge breach of trust between the new government, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and the scientific field as a whole. Especially considering that some 1200 young researchers have been given permanent employment contracts in recent years.\u2019 They argue that the cuts \u2018put these appointments at risk\u2019.<\/p>\n

In their letter, these scientists echo earlier criticism voiced by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Academy was \u2018shocked by the warning signs\u2019 being given off by the new coalition. WOinActie, a platform of university lecturers and students, calculated that the total cuts to higher education in the coalition agreement equate to the budget of a major university.<\/p>\n

\u2018Settling scores\u2019<\/h2>

Yet the cuts to the sector plans are not entirely unexpected: they had already come in for criticism from VVD. Two years ago, the party raised the issue of funds being given to the social sciences and humanities, rather than \u2018the Netherlands\u2019 earning capacity\u2019.<\/p>\n

Last week, PVV said it was happy to see cuts being made to universities where, in its view, activism has become too dominant. The party gave no evidence to back its position. In a farewell interview in NRC last Friday, outgoing education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf said he found the PVV\u2019s statement \u2018hard to accept\u2019 as it suggested a desire to \u2018settle scores\u2019.<\/p>\n

Precarious<\/h2>

It also pains him to see that investment in permanent contracts for young researchers is in danger of being withdrawn. Groups representing the interests of PhD candidates and postdocs in the Netherlands \u2013 Promovendinetwerk Nederland and PostdocNL \u2013 share Dijkgraaf\u2019s concern in a statement issued this morning. Scientists starting out on their careers \u201cwill pay the price\u201d of these cuts, the groups insist. \u201cPrecarious contracts, heavy dependence on managers and abuse of power lead to social insecurity, especially among young researchers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Own advice<\/h2>

They point to an opinion piece in FD by prospective education minister Eppo Bruins, published eleven days ago. At the time, Bruins was writing as head of the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (which posted the letter on its website the following day).<\/p>\n

Five days later, he was announced as candidate for the post of Minister of Education, Culture and Science. In the piece, he advises the new government \u2013 and, it now turns out, himself \u2013 to ensure \u201cstable and long-term public-sector funding for research and innovation\u201d. He describes such funding as \u2018essential to give companies and knowledge institutions greater certainty, so that they know where they stand\u2019.<\/p>\n

Bruins\u2019 opinion piece also touches on the concerns raised among scientists \u2018even before the presentation of the coalition agreement\u2019, in response to proposed cuts in the National Growth Fund. \u201cThese are legitimate concerns given the vital nature of investment in research, development and innovation. A country that fails to systematically invest in these areas has no future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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