NWO and the Dutch National Research Agenda
The Dutch National Research Agenda (Nationale Wetenschapsagenda: NWA) consists of 140 major scientific questions. These form the foundation for 'routes' that make new connections across the entire research chain. In 2015 the questions and routes were presented to the Minister for Education, Culture and Science, Jet Bussemaker. The Dutch government has decided to take the 16 routes as the exemplary starting point for subsequent agreements about the implementation of the Dutch National Research Agenda in science policy. Now the initiative lies with researchers and research institutions: they must elaborate the routes further.
More information on the NWO website
For more information about the Dutch National Research Agenda, please see the NWO website (in Dutch only).
Register for the newsletter NWA-routes
You can register for the newsletter (in Dutch) 'NWA-routes' via the website of the Dutch National Research Agenda.
Workshops
The 16 routes of the Dutch National Research Agenda are currently being shaped. By means of broad workshops, the aim is to explore what the new links and possibilities for new highly promising research are within each route. Each route has one or several initiators who have set to work on organising the 'field'. The workshops took place this spring. The leading lights will use the input during the elaboration of the routes and before the summer the plans will once again be presented to the government.
The results of the workshops can be found on the NWA website.
NWO and NWA
In January 2016, on the Monday evening before the Physics@FOM Veldhoven Congress, extensive discussions about the significance of the Dutch National Research Agenda for physics were held with the workgroup leaders, institute directors and others. The NWO Domain Science believes it is important to actively pay special attention in the coming months to the following themes that are currently not explicitly visible in the route: sustainable energy, quantum physics/technology, nanophysics/technology, building blocks of life, and material sciences.
Contact persons for current exemplary routes and new topics
For exemplary route number 5 'Building blocks of matter and foundations of space and time' Stan Bentvelsen (Nikhef) is the initiator. Contact person from the NWO Domain Science is Job de Kleuver. A first workshop took place in 22 March in Amsterdam, see the Nikhef website for more information.
- For exemplary route number 9 'Using big data responsibly' Astrid Zuurbier is the contact person from the NWO Domain Science.
- Wim Sinke (ECN, University of Amsterdam, AMOLF), Richard van de Sanden (DIFFER, TU Eindhoven) and Kornelis Blok (TU Delft, Ecofys) are the expert initiators who will head up the realisation of an intended new route Energy Transition. The organisational realisation of the route will be led by Erik Langereis (DIFFER), with support from a project team in which Jacqueline Mout (NWO Domain Science) participates. More information about the intended new route Energy Transition and the workshops can be found at: www.nera.nl/route-energietransitie/. On 26 April the workshop 'Energy transition' took place in Jaarbeurs Utrecht.
- Leo Kouwenhoven (TU Delft) and Dave Blank (University of Twente) are the leaders of the combination of the subjects Quantum physics/technology and Nanophysics/technology. From the NWO Domain Science the contact persons are Michiel van den Hout and Pieter de Witte. The workshop 'quantum/nano-revoluation' took place on 28 April.
- For Building blocks of life the instigators from science are Marileen Dogterom and Nynke Dekker (both TU Delft). Sandra de Keijzer is the contact person fromthe NWO Domain Science.
- Albert Polman (AMOLF) is initiator for the topic Materials. Hendrik van Vuren backs him up for the time being. On 10 May the workshop Materials was held in Utrecht. The Dutch National Research Agenda for school pupils Following on from the Dutch National Research Agenda, school pupils have been specifically invited to formulate questions with the help of teaching material about science and how to pose good questions. The lessons are intended for pupils from all levels at the top end of secondary school. Since 29 November 2015 schools have been able to use the teaching material free of charge. Questions that the pupils have formulated can be found on the website of the Dutch National Research Agenda for Pupils.
- About the Dutch National Research Agenda In 2014 the Dutch government commissioned the knowledge coalition to develop a binding agenda for research in the Netherlands. Under the leadership of a steering group this was elaborated over the past nine months. This Dutch National Research Agenda encourages creativity and innovation and connects parties and themes. Through the realisation of the agenda, science, industry and society have come closer together. Almost 12,000 questions, submitted by interested and curious people form the basis of the Dutch National Research Agenda. From these questions, 140 cluster questions were distilled, inspired by theory and practice with branches to various disciplines. These cluster questions concern important intersectoral and interdisciplinary issues but do not cover the entire of science. Everything in the Dutch National Research Agenda is important but not everything that is important is contained in the Dutch National Research Agenda. In addition to the agenda, sufficient room must remain for curiosity-driven and non-programmed research.
Want to learn more?
See www.wetenschapsagenda.nl for all questions and the routes. On YouTube there is a short film about the Dutch National Research Agenda