Dutch Research Council
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| Abbreviation | NWO |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1950 |
| Purpose | National research council |
| Headquarters | The Hague, Netherlands |
Chairman Governing Board | Jos Engelen |
Budget | 500 million euros |
| Website | http://www.nwo.nl |
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is the national research council of the Netherlands. NWO funds thousands of top researchers at universities and institutes and steers the course of Dutch science by means of subsidies and research programmes. NWO promotes quality and innovation in science.
NWO is an independent administrative body under the auspices of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The organization receives about 400 million euros per year, of which approximately 300 million comes directly from the ministry. NWO directs the 300 million budget toward Dutch universities and institutes, often on a project basis. Also, the NWO has its own institutes.
NWO was established in 1950 as Nederlandse Organisatie voor Zuiver-Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (ZWO). This organization did not focus on applied research; the research organization TNO was established for that purpose. In 1988 ZWO was renamed as NWO and was given the broader mission.
NWO is also known for the annual Spinoza Prizes, and the National Science Quiz for Dutch television.
Jos Engelen, the former scientific director of CERN, is the president of NWO. Former NWO presidents include Peter Nijkamp.
NWO organisation
Science divisions
NWO's science divisions allocate subsidies and grants, mostly within programmatic limitations, to scientists from their own specific disciplines. The divisions have their own budget, Council Board and Council Executive Committee:
- Earth and Life Sciences (ALW)
- Chemical Sciences (CW)
- Physical Sciences (EW)
- Humanities (GW)
- Social Sciences (MaGW)
- Medical Sciences (MW), managed by ZonMw Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development
- Physics (N), managed by FOM Foundation
- Technical Sciences (TW), managed by Technology Foundation STW
- WOTRO Science for Global Development
Research institutes
NWO has eight institutes that make a strategic contribution to university research in the Netherlands. They coordinate and facilitate at a national level and house large, frequently international, research facilities:
- ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy
- Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI)
- Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
- SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research
The Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) is a subsidiary of NWO and manages three of the institutes:
- FOM Institute AMOLF
- FOM Institute DIFFER (Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research)
- FOM Institute for Subatomic Physics Nikhef
The institute Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS, in cooperation with KNAW) is also part of NWO.
Foundations
- Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM)
- NLeSC (Netherlands eScience Center, in cooperation with SURF)
Temporary Task Forces
The Temporary Task Forces have a semi-permanent status. They collaborate with industry experts in order to accelerate the development of promising technologies.
- National Initiative Brain & Cognition (NIHC)
- Netherlands Initiative for Education Research (NRO)
- Taskforce for Applied Research (NRPO-SIA)
External links
52°5′0″N 4°19′0″E / 52.08333°N 4.31667°E (Den Haag)