Netherlands
In the Netherlands, NWO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappeliijk Onderzoek, Netherland Organisation for Scientific Research) acts as the main funding and coordinating agency for the whole Dutch astrophysics. It operates under the control of OCW (Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science). NWO designs the national strategy and provides the funding programs. It also funds the Dutch membership at ESO and ESA but the deputies in the Councils are appointed by the Ministry of Culture and Science and the Ministry of Economy. In turn, most astronomical research in the Netherlands is undertaken within Universities, largely relying on the resources made available by NWO. Two further important scientific institutes, both under the responsibility of NWO are ASTRON and SRON.
Main Scientific Institutions
NWO is a semi-governmental organisation that functions as a national research council. It was set up by an act of parliament as an independent organisation, and relies for its funding, almost entirely, on the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
Science policy within NWO is determined through its discipline oriented research councils. Astronomy resides under the Council of Physical Sciences (GBE, mathematics, computer sciences, and astronomy).
The astrophysics research in Netherlands is carried out in University departments. The ones involved are:
- University of Amsterdam (UvA) – Astronomical Institute ‘Anton Pannekoek’
- University of Groningen (RuG) – Kapteyn Astronomical Institute
- University of Leiden (UL) – Leiden Observatory
- University of Nijmegen (RU) – Department of Astrophysics
- University of Utrecht (UU) – Astronomical Institute Utrecht
Together these comprise NOVA, the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy. In 1998, NOVA was identified by the Dutch G overnment as a national focus area for world-class scientific research and received a grant to carry out a 10-year innovative program. NOVA supports the astronomical research (observational and theoretical), and also has a coordinating role in instrument development for astronomical observatories (ground-based and in space).
All graduate astronomy education in the Netherlands is concentrated in NOVA.
ASTRON is a NWO institute that hosts the Joint Institute for Very Long Baseline Interferometry in Europe (JIVE), the global project office of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). Its Board of Governors is responsible for setting global policy at the institute. Its membership reflects the institutional composition of the astronomical community in the country, augmented by several external experts in the areas of importance to ASTRON.
SRON (Nederlands expertise-instituut voor ruimteonderzoekù,The Netherlands Institute for Space Research) acts as the national centre of expertise for space research in the Netherlands. Its mission is to design and develop world-class innovative space instruments for astrophysical and earth-oriented research and to analyse the data provided by these instruments. In addition, SRON promotes, coordinates and supports Dutch activities in space research; and, advises the Dutch G overnment on the participation in international space research programs, in particular those of ESA.
Other Scientific Institutions
KNAW (Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, The Royal Netherlands Academy) was founded in 1808 by K ing Louis I Napoleon Bonaparte to ensure the quality of scientific research in the Netherlands, offering solicited and unsolicited advice on scientific matters. KNAW has established an advisory council for Physics and Astronomy and an “ESO contact committee”, with the aim of coordinating and preparing the national policy matters and scientific issues concerning ESO.
The Netherlands Committee for Astronomy (NCA) represents the Netherlands in the International Astronomical Union (IAU). It coordinates research activities and policy-making decisions among the astronomical community in the Netherlands.
Funding
The main source of grants is NWO. N WO has a complex granting scheme, call ed “Veni, Vidi, Vici”, that ensures funding to different classes of researchers, from young post-doc students to senior staff, and for projects of different complexities . Applications are typically submitted through a peer review process, using a combination of external referees and national committees.
Personel
Most Dutch astronomers have staff positions at University Departments of Physics and Astronomy. In 2005, 84 professional astronomers (5% female) had permanent staff positions in Dutch Universities, with 42 Post-docs and T enure- tracks and 98 Ph.D. students. The combined scientific staff of SRON and ASTRON consists of 61 scientists and 18 p ost-docs and t enure- t racks.