According to an advisory committee at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) chaired by Professor Bert Weckhuysen, the balance has been lost. In an interview with the HOP in late January, he characterised strategic, bound research as a Pac-Man eating up all the budget.

Researchers these days are overly dependent on competition for funds awarded by NWO, while NWO is itself constrained by a host of agendas and agreements. Research for its own sake is getting lost in the shuffle, Weckhuysen pointed out.

So what’s the solution? More money to restore the balance. That would allow NWO to set up two equivalent pillars: one for strategic research and one for unbound research that’s driven by the spirit of inquiry. This would also give universities some more breathing space.

More money

“I will implement this where possible”, wrote Minister Van Engelshoven in response to the committee’s recommendation. The problem is she has no more money to distribute. All she can do is initiate the discussion in hopes the next administration will free up funds.

The minister is therefore asking NWO to start keeping count of how much unbound research it funds and include this in its annual reporting. In its own calculations, the committee arrived at a ratio of 1:2 in favour of strategic research.

It remains to be seen if NWO will in fact establish two separate pillars. The Council has just been reorganised and an evaluation is still ongoing. Moreover, while the minister has pledged to pursue the issue, she thinks there’s little to be gained in splitting up all kinds of budgets and programmes.

Rolling grants

The minster will also be talking to universities about the so-called rolling grants advocated by the committee. This is non-competitive funding made available to researchers. “Those working in the exact sciences for example would like one or two PhD candidates to do specific research”, explained Weckhuysen, “while in the humanities teaching often takes up so much time that there’s simply not enough left for research.”

Rolling grants “hold appeal” said the minister, writing “I want to promote this, but also feel it is necessary to further elaborate this model and fully map out differences between the disciplines”.

In her letter, she – like Weckhuysen – also notes the importance of strategic research. Both kinds of research, she emphasises, are crucial. But she has taken a small step in Weckhuysen’s direction.