Abbreviation NWO Headquarters The Hague, Netherlands Budget 500 million euros | Formation 1950 Chairman Governing Board Stan Gielen | |
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Purpose National research council | ||
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO Dutch: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek) 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.
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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.
Nijmegen professor Stan Gielen is president of NWO as of October 2016. Former NWO presidents include Peter Nijkamp en Jos Engelen.
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:
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:
The Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) is a subsidiary of NWO and manages three of the institutes:
The institute Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS, in cooperation with KNAW) is also part of NWO.
Foundations
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.