{"id":95138,"date":"2019-02-20T10:28:17","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T09:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=95138"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:13","slug":"the-young-academy-new-nwo-measure-should-be-thrown-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2019\/02\/20\/the-young-academy-new-nwo-measure-should-be-thrown-out\/","title":{"rendered":"The Young Academy: \u2018New NWO measure should be thrown out\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The new application requirements adopted by NWO in 2018 for Vidi grants have negatively affected researchers\u2019 prospects, says Belle Derks, Chair of The Young Academy. \u201cIf it were up to us, the measure would be scrapped immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>

Belle Derks<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMilette Raats<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

The past few years, researchers\u2019 chances of landing an 800,000-euro Vidi research grant have become very slim<\/a> indeed. To reduce the large number of applications that come in, funding agency NWO introduced the so-called \u2018embedding guarantee\u2019. This means that candidates can only take a shot at Vidi funding after securing a guarantee from a university or research institute that they can work there if they are awarded the grant.<\/p>\n

The measure had an immediate effect: the number of applications has dropped by 25%<\/a> since its adoption. But NOW\u2019s decision could also count on criticism. The Young Academy, an association of relatively young researchers associated with the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), decided to hold a survey to evaluate the impact of the new measure. The questionnaire was completed by 81 scientists, of whom 25 were not allowed to apply for a grant. In the case of the other respondents, it is not yet clear whether or not they were awarded a Vidi grant.<\/p>\n

Belle Derks (Chair) of The Young Academy: \u201cWe decided on this study after complaints came in from researchers who had been barred from applying. Since we didn\u2019t want to base our conclusions solely on the information provided by researchers who had contacted us, we set up a general survey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t