Intertwined

Dutch politicians are pushing for equality between basic and applied research in EU funding

Basic and applied research are of equal importance in solving societal issues and accelerating innovation, according to Robbert Dijkgraaf and Micky Adriaansens, the Dutch ministers for education and economic affairs.

At the most recent meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council on 31 January and 1 February, which brought together the bloc’s economic affairs ministers, both advocated equal treatment of basic and applied research in order to make academic careers more attractive. They pushed EU leaders to set aside more money for basic research, to ensure that excellence and discovery drive European science policy.