Science is under pressure worldwide, for instance in the United States. That is regrettable, but it also creates opportunities for Dutch science: perhaps this is the moment to bring leading scientists here, the previous cabinet thought.
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and research funder NWO pooled 50 million euros for the Tulip Fund. The fund is not specifically aimed at the US, but focuses more broadly on researchers who want to come to the Netherlands — perhaps because they will have more freedom here than in the country where they currently work.
Even so, 29 of the 34 candidates come from the US, from universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Columbia and Yale, or from federal research institutes such as the National Cancer Institute. It is not only Americans, NWO reports, but also Europeans who are returning.
Criterion
Other researchers are coming from Israel, Turkey and Singapore. In addition, one person is coming from the United Kingdom. That may not be a country where academic freedom is under threat, but this was not a criterion in the awards, explains an NWO spokesperson. Candidates only had to be working outside the European Economic Area and Switzerland, and since Brexit the UK does indeed fall outside that.
“The arrival of these scientists is good news for the Netherlands,” says minister Rianne Letschert in a press release. “This really makes an impact. Every extra leading scientist means access to new knowledge, networks and fresh perspectives for current researchers in our country.”
The researchers had to be working “in fields that are of evident importance to the Netherlands”, wrote then-minister Eppo Bruins when the fund was established. The selected candidates conduct research in fields including vaccines, nuclear energy, cancer, Alzheimer’s, mental health, climate, food production, astrophysics and democracy.
Privacy
NWO cannot provide a list of names and institutions, for privacy reasons. “Some haven’t yet told their own institution abroad that they’re leaving,” says a spokesperson. “Someone else said: I want to be in the Netherlands with my whole family before the news breaks.”
Some institutions can already reveal their candidate. Kelly Holley-Bockelmann is moving from Vanderbilt University to the Dutch institute SRON to continue her research into gravitational waves, on which she also collaborates with scientists from NASA.
The researchers come to the Netherlands on the recommendation of Dutch universities, universities of applied sciences and other knowledge institutions. They must rank among the world’s best in their field. Per researcher, the host institution receives up to one million euros over five years. Further Tulip Fund grants will follow in 2027.