Scientists from outside the European Union can apply starting this summer to a new fund intended to bring top scientists to the Netherlands. A total of 50 million euros will be made available for this purpose.
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science previously announced the creation of such a fund. The government had already pledged 25 million euros to the fund. The Dutch Research Council (NWO) is contributing the same amount, bringing the total to 50 million euros.
The fund will start this summer, according to a letter to the House of Representatives from outgoing Minister Eppo Bruins (Education, Culture and Science). Universities and other research institutes can nominate scientists from outside the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland to the NWO. They will then receive a maximum of 1 million euros in funding per scientist. Bruins expects that this will help fifty scientists get to work.
The government hopes to attract international top scientists to the Netherlands with the so-called Tulip Fund. Bruins emphasizes that nationality does not matter in the application, but the fund seems to be targeting American scientists.
Since Donald Trump returned as President of the United States, he has confronted a number of prominent American universities. The Tulip Fund should attract American scientists who are in danger of becoming victims of Trump’s cutbacks to the Netherlands.