NWO in figures

source: NWO Annual Report 2007, Science and Technology Indicators 2008 (Netherlands Observatory of Science and Technology), key figures OCW 2002-2006

It is estimated that some 9 billion euro per year are spent in the Netherlands on research.

What is going well...

 

What can be improved...

  • Dutch science accounts for 2.6% of the total number of scientific publications in the world
  • 3% of all citations worldwide refer to these publications
  • (even though just 0.25% of the world's population live in the Netherlands)
  • the R&D (research & development) sector employs almost 90,500 fte – 6429 of which are funded by NWO
  • Dutch university research is number 3 in the world in terms of scientific impact
 
  • 9 billion euro is not even 2% of Dutch GDP
  • international mobility ensures a net outflow of graduates
  • just 12% of all innovative companies state a university as a partner
  • Dutch R&D investments, in particular by companies, continue to remain under par
  • although there has been an increase in the number of scientific staff at universities, this is mostly due to indirect government funding (NWO) and less due to direct government funding or funding by third parties

Investments in R&D in the public sector

Each year, in the Netherlands about 3.5 billion euro is invested into public sector-based research. These flows of funds are as follows:

  government (direct) 70% - 2,450 million euro
  indirect funding (NWO) 11% - 385 million euro
  funds from third parties (private sector) 10% - 350 million euro
  from abroad 6% - 210 million euro
  private non-profit funds 3% - 105 million euro
 

Investments in R&D at universities

Each year Dutch universities spend approximately 2.3 billion euro on research. That money comes from:

  direct government funding (OCW) 74% - 1,725 million euro
  indirect funding (NWO) 13% - 285 million euro
  funds from third parties (private sector) 7% - 161 million euro
  from abroad 4% - 92 million euro
  private non-profit funds 2% - 46 million euro
 

NWO expenditure and result

NWO's contribution at the overall local level is modest. Nevertheless, NWO sees opportunities to select excellent research in the Netherlands and has a long history of encouraging groundbreaking and exciting research.

  (x €1000) 2007 2006
  NWO institutes1 125,000 125,000
  universities 285,000 294,000
  other research institutes2 30,000 42,000
  NWO office 36,000 35,000
  other 52,000 27,000

How many ftes in science does NWO fund?

  (in fte) 2007 2006
  NWO institutes 1,326 1,353
  universities 4,385 4,337
  other research institutes2 362 393
  offices 356 356

And the tangible results...

NWO-funding enabled researchers to realise high-quality results, recorded, for example, in articles, books...

    2007 2006
  publications in refereed3 journals 7,576 6,304
  in other scientific journals 2,655 2,315
  contributions to books 980 897
  monographies 302 210
  theses  609 639

...and patents or other professional products (such as publications for a wider public, contributions to documentaries or scientific TV and radio programmes).

    2007 2006
  patents  52 45
  other professional products and publications4 4,643 4,911

1Including funds obtained in competition.
2Knowledge institutions such as TNO, GTI, NKI, RIVM, KNMI, KNAW, etc.
3Refereed: the article was subjected to a thorough assessment by fellow scientists prior to publication.
4Everything not covered by the other categories: for example, prizes, membership of programme committees, unpublished conference contributions, etc.

Expenditure in 2007

In 2007, NWO spent 528 million euro, mainly on

  Line of Action 1 - Opportunities for researchers 207 million euro
  Line of Action 2 - Consolidating strengths 209 million euro
  Line of Action 3 - Science for society 55 million euro
  Other subsidies 11 million euro
last modified on 17 November 2009