Education Minister Robert Dijkgraaf is pleased to have distributed €174 million to five groups of scholars before the end of his ministry. This money will enable them to work on their ambitious research projects for ten years. The outgoing minister sees this as a welcome message after the cuts announced in the main lines agreement, which he views with “some concern.”
Groups of scientists are “truly a champion league of science,” and Dijkgraaf believes it is important that they have a long-term perspective.
Investment is also crucial. De Volkskrant quoted a researcher from the University of Amsterdam as saying that scientists have a greater chance of obtaining new grants after obtaining a large research grant. This would give them an unfair advantage over lesser-known names. The Minister defends that he does “and, and, and”. It has also invested in early-career scientists.
Dijkgraaf calls such huge projects “a kind of tent pole, on which the great tent of science is hung.” The Minister believes that it is in everyone’s interest to invest in this matter. Especially since he now expects “possibly some difficult weather conditions for science.”
By: National News Agency
