Due to “rising tensions” in the world, more and more scientists are reportedly looking to move to another country, said Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins last month. He wants to establish a special fund for them.
The government is making 25 million euros available to this end, reads the supplementary budget that was sent to the House of Representatives on Friday: 13.5 million euros this year and 2.6 to 3 million euros in the next four years. This supplementary budget is part of the Spring Memorandum.
The fund doesn’t directly target the United States, but everyone is talking about it like it is. The idea is that top researchers may be interested in coming to the Netherlands due to the anti-science climate in the US. But this would require freeing up money for them.
Larger
One of the places the ministry is getting the money from is the ‘wage and price adjustments’ of the European Horizon programme. In other words, inflation won’t be entirely covered for that programme.
The new fund could be even larger. Marcel Levi, chair of the Dutch Research Council (NWO), which will manage the fund, is still looking for unused funds in the NWO budget. He’s also calling on the business community.
If you want to attract a top researcher, you’re looking at half a million or a million euros, says Levi. “So let’s say we need 20 million euros to bring 20 people here, and 40 million euros to attract 40.”
Gender
United States President Donald Trump is cutting billions in research into climate, gender, health, the environment and other areas. Research projects are at risk if they use ‘problematic language’ with respect to diversity, equality and inclusiveness. This is reportedly leading to a brain drain, an exodus of researchers to other continents.
European countries such as France and Germany are already doing their best to recruit international research talent. There are also plans to welcome researchers at the European level.