Three FOM Institutes rated 'excellent'
All eight NWO institutes, including the FOM Institutes AMOLF, DIFFER and Nikhef, have been assessed as excellent by panels of international experts. Excellent is the highest qualification that can be achieved. The evaluations for the period 2005-2010 praised the groundbreaking research, the national function and facilities of the institutes, and the global top position within their respective scientific fields. The international panels explicitly state the importance of NWO's ongoing support of the individual institutes.
In accordance with the revised Standard Evaluation Protocol (SEP) greater attention has been paid to the societal relevance of the research. The evaluations revealed that this relevance is evident and that the institutes are ideal incubators for innovation and new technology. The existing collaboration with industry and public organisations can be extended further in order to facilitate the good use of knowledge. The Governing Board of NWO has made a one-off award of €12 million to the institutes in order to encourage collaboration and further development.
Declining basic budget
Despite the outstanding performances of the institutes, the decreasing and increasingly earmarked NWO budgets have resulted in an unavoidable structural cut back in the non- earmarked basic funding of the institutes. From 2013 onwards the institutes will jointly receive €1.1 million less basic funding each year from NWO. This means that in order to realise their mission and national coordinating role, the institutes will have to make extra efforts to acquire additional funding via national and international competitions and to realise further cost savings by entering strategic alliances. Together with university and private partners, NWO will undertake efforts to create a long-term perspective in order to safeguard the leading international positions of the institutes.
The institutes of NWO
The eight NWO institutes are each an authority in their research field and collaborate closely with the various Dutch universities. AMOLF, DIFFER and Nikhef fall under the management of FOM. The NWO institutes serve as national expertise centres and distinguish themselves by their coordinating and facilitating role within Dutch research. The NWO institutes develop and manage specialised research facilities and offer a home base for research at large-scale international facilities. They ensure focus and mass in a number of specific, often interdisciplinary, scientific fields and safeguard continuity in the research infrastructure by means of long-term investments.
More information
FOM, Gabby Zegers, hoofd Communicatie t: +31 (0)30 600 12 22,
NWO, afdeling Voorlichting en Communicatie t.: +31 (0)70 344 07 41.