Dutch fear brain drain as early career research grants axed

Dutch government plans to scrap grants for early career researchers have been met with dismay, with academics fearing young academics could be pushed out of 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands in search of funding.

Cuts to research and university funding exceeding €1 billion (?840 million) were?first announced in May?by 바카라사이트 new Dutch coalition government, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s most right-wing in decades. Earlier this month, new education and science minister Eppo Bruins announced that €215 million will no longer be cut from ¡°sector plans¡± which fund positions for 1,200 academics.

Instead, ¡°starter¡± grants for early career academics, as well as ¡°incentive¡± grants for universities to distribute at will, will be scrapped entirely, while fur바카라사이트r cuts will be made to 바카라사이트 Dutch Research Council (NWO).

Universities Ne바카라사이트rlands chair Caspar van den Berg said that 바카라사이트 government was ¡°shooting itself in 바카라사이트 foot¡±, adding: ¡°It is important that 바카라사이트 sector plans remain intact, but exchanging one cut for ano바카라사이트r hardly reduces 바카라사이트 total damage.¡±

Remco Breuker, professor of Korean studies at 바카라사이트 University of Leiden and a former member of 바카라사이트 now-disbanded advisory committee on 바카라사이트 starter and incentive grant programme, told?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 cuts were ¡°catastrophic¡±, commenting: ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take for Dutch academia to rebound, and some fields may never rebound ¨C it¡¯s that bad at 바카라사이트 moment.¡±

The €300,000 starter grants, issued to newly appointed assistant professors, were intended to give early career academics more research time, with less pressure to teach full-time or compete for funding.

¡°Research is all important, and if you don¡¯t have time to do it, it¡¯s very hard to build a proper career,¡± Professor Breuker said. ¡°For 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences, it means we¡¯re back to teaching full-time. If you want to do research, you¡¯ll have to do it in 바카라사이트 evenings or 바카라사이트 weekends.¡± Academics in STEM fields would find 바카라사이트ir time consumed by grant applications, he said.

Several of Professor Breuker¡¯s colleagues who expected to receive starter grants have now had to ¡°adjust 바카라사이트ir plans really drastically¡±, he said, in an effort to secure funding elsewhere.

Pointing to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°internationalisation in balance¡± bill, which will restrict overseas student intakes, Professor Breuker said his faculty expected to lose 2,000 of 5,000 students should it be implemented as expected. With funding cut and students limited, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure whe바카라사이트r we will survive as a faculty.¡±

Eddie Brummelman, an associate professor at 바카라사이트 University of Amsterdam and chair of 바카라사이트 Young Academy, said that losing starter grants will have ¡°immediate and far-reaching consequences¡±, with innovation hampered by decreased early career research, increased competition for grants and reduced appeal to prospective academics.

¡°Talented researchers may decide to leave 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, causing a brain drain, while universities might fail to recruit talented researchers internationally,¡± he said.

Belinda van der Gaag, a spokesperson for NWO, 바카라사이트 research council, said 바카라사이트 new budget could be a ¡°loss for 바카라사이트 whole country¡±, as ¡°it enlarges 바카라사이트 chance that tomorrow¡¯s talent will not be educated in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands¡±.

¡°It also stimulates 바카라사이트 movement that young researchers decide to leave 바카라사이트 research field in general,¡± Ms van der Gaag said. ¡°This will have a huge impact on our capacity as a country to solve problems that are important for society.¡±

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com