More than 10 million euros for the development of young top talent
Thirteen research schools have each received 800.000 euros from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) to train young researchers. One of the research schools is Gravitation and AstroParticle Physics Amsterdam (GRAPPA) part of the University of Amsterdam. GRAPPA can use the financial boost to appoint four talented PhDs who will be given the space to develop their own ideas. The funding is part of NWO’s Graduate Programme and facilitates the development of the Dutch PhD courses.
Within NWO's Graduate Programme, local and national research schools and Graduate Schools can apply for funding. A total of 28 schools applied for a grant. Thirteen of them have now received a payment of 800.000 euros for the appointment of four PhD students. The Graduate Schools can use the grant to set up a strong education and research programme for the development of young scientific talent.
The research schools who have received funding are:
- Behavioural and Cognitive Neurosciences (BCN) – University of Groningen
- Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research – Utrecht University
- Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science – Utrecht University
- Erasmus Medical Centre, Medical Genetics – Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Gravitation and AstroParticle Physics Amsterdam (GRAPPA) – University of Amsterdam
- Groningen Graduate School of Science: Synthetic Biology – University of Groningen
- Graduate School of Geosciences – Utrecht University
- Graduate School of Life Sciences: Infection and Immunity – Utrecht University
- Holland Research School on Molecular Chemistry (HRSMC) – VU University Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Leiden University
- Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics (LOT) – University of Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen, Tilburg University, University of Groningen
- Netherlands Institute for Catalysis Research (NIOK) – Utrecht University, Eindhoven University of Technology, Leiden University, University of Twente
- Netherlands Research School of Chemical Biology (NRSCB) – Leiden University, Radboud University Nijmegen, University of Groningen, Eindhoven University of Technology
- Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences (WIAS) – Wageningen University and Research Centre
Freedom for starting researchers
Graduate Schools focus on talented students who are interested in an academic career. During their masters’ study at the research schools they can learn about how scientific research is done. The combination of education and research under a single roof offers advantages to both the students and the Graduate Schools. The PhDs acquire more freedom to develop their own research ideas and to choose their supervisor. The Graduate Schools have the advantage that they can attract the most talented students and from these select the researchers with the most potential for a PhD position.
The excellent education and research environments have been developed following the examples of the most successful initiatives worldwide. The Graduate Schools are part of one or more universities and/or institutes.
Future
The Graduate Programme was developed by NWO at the request of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). This is the fourth funding round. A total of 51 schools have now received funding. A new funding round for the Graduate Programme is expected to take place in 2013.
Further information
grappa.science.uva.nl
www.nwo.nl