Breakthrough for young researchers in the humanities

21 December 2009

Nearly 17 million euros for PhDs in the humanities

Joint press release by NWO and the Humanities Taskforce

NWO and the Humanities Taskforce are together putting nearly 17 million euros into a new programme for PhD positions in the humanities. The report Sustainable Humanities indicates that the increasing age of academic staff and an inadequate throughput of young talent are two major problems in this field of studies. The Taskforce and NWO are planning to do something about this.

Throughput of talent

NWO and the Humanities Taskforce have set up a joint initiative, which will start this year, to encourage the growth and throughput of young talent in the humanities. There will be five annual rounds, each with 15 full-time PhD positions.

Applications will be made via university faculties. The applications will be assessed by competition. The Humanities Taskforce and the NWO Humanities Division will together set up an assessment committee. The chairs of the Taskforce and the NWO Division will jointly decide on which applications are to be approved and which ones are to be rejected. Policies will be matched as regards the further career prospects of the candidates who are selected for doctoral studies.

Taskforce

The Minister of Education, Culture & Science set up the Humanities Taskforce on 1 April 2009, as a result of the report Sustainable Humanities issued by the Committee on the National Plan for the Future of the Humanities (Cohen Committee). The job of the Taskforce is to assess faculties’ plans on the basis of the relevant criteria set forth in the Sustainable Humanities report. The Minister announced a structural support reserve of 15 million euros to enhance the humanities from 2011 onwards, with an increase of 2 million euros in 2009 and 10 million euros in 2010.

Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) is the principal Dutch science funding body and its mission is to facilitate excellent scientific research in the Netherlands by means of national competition. The aim of the NWO Humanities Division is to provide the humanities with a full and appropriate package of grant types. In order to meet the need for greater numbers of PhD positions, the Division, in conjunction with the Humanities Taskforce, successfully investigated the option of a new joint PhD programme. As well as the Humanities Taskforce, the Governing Board of NWO has made extra resources available for this initiative.

PhD programme

The PhD programme will start this year. A call for proposals was sent out at the end of December 2009. Information about the possibilities for applying, the grant rules and the exact procedures for this programme can be found at www.nwo.nl/gw/promotiesindegeesteswetenschappen. Information about the Humanities Taskforce can be found at www.regiegeesteswetenschappen.nl. 

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last modified on 8 February 2010