Revised funding rules restrict talent, warn academics

A requirement added to the application process for Vidi grants from the NWO, the Dutch national research council, risks locking out talented outsiders, the Young Academy has warned.

Vidi grants, which are stepping stones to permanent academic positions, can now only be obtained if researchers submit their application with the official support of the institution where they intend to conduct their research. But getting this “embedding guarantee” is difficult for people who do not already have close ties to a research group at a Dutch university.

This poses problems for talented early-career researchers who have spent some of their career abroad or want to move to another university, according to the Young Academy, part of the royal Dutch science academy KNAW. It also risks shutting out researchers from other countries.