Dutch government contributes to secondment of researchers 

15-05-2009 | press release

Ministers Van der Hoeven (Economic Affairs) and Plasterk (Education, Culture and Science) are making € 280 million available in order to preserve the employment of researchers in the private sector as much as possible for our country. The money is to be used, amongst other things, to allow researchers who will possibly lose their jobs to accept secondment assignments at e.g. large Technological Institutes, TNO research organizations and universities. Money will also be made available for new projects which are designed to support research where the Netherlands has a distinguishing international position, such as nano-electronics and automotive. The council of ministers has agreed with the proposal from Ministers Van der Hoeven and Plasterk who subsequently sent a letter to the House of Representatives on 15 May 2009. The measures are valid for 2009 and 2010.

With this move, the council of ministers answers the business community's call for support. As a result of the economic situation, companies may even have to economize on research in order to survive. This might lead to a loss of research capacity that would not be easy to rebuild after the crisis.

Thus, Van der Hoeven and Plasterk propose that researchers are seconded to e.g. universities, TNO research organizations and large Technological Institutes for a period of one and a half years, while they remain employed by the private sector. During this period, they will work on themes of social importance, such as health care and the use of light materials for vehicles to achieve a reduction in energy consumption. Between 1.500 and 2.000 researchers could be seconded. Remuneration expenses will be covered by the government for the most part, so that knowledge is preserved for the Netherlands. In addition, money will be available for young researchers who currently cannot start working in the private sector. These researchers would be employed by a research institution or a company, and would be working on the same themes. As a result, the Netherlands can come out of the crisis stronger.

Finally, money will be made available for innovation projects, for which companies can register. The projects are particularly those which are designed to support research where the Netherlands has a distinguishing international position, such as nano-electronics and automotive. This particular sector, the high tech sector, is having particular trouble right now.

Ministry of Education, Culture and Science