Why science needs more women

There are too few women at the top of Dutch science: under professors just over 13 percent. With that the Netherlands is trailing behind in Europe. At the assistant and associate professor levels the average number of women is also too small.

Such an imbalance is not good for science. Excellent, creative and groundbreaking research demands a highly diverse scientific staff so that subjects can be approached from different perspectives. NWO is therefore committed to an improved gender balance to ensure that we make full use of all the talent available.

What is NWO doing?

NWO is using various instruments to encourage the influx and promotion of female talent in Dutch science:

• NWO has several grant programmes specifically targeted at women


• In the directors’ meetings of NWO agreements have been made about how the procedures for awarding grants can be organised so that women – as equally men – who want to combine work and care responsibilities will not be disadvantaged by inflexible requirements or unintended stereotypes. These agreements have been formalised in the handbook NWO seeks women


• NWO also wants to improve the gender balance under its own ranks. Target figures have therefore been set for the proportion of women on boards and committees and in the higher positions within the organisation


• NWO systematically monitors the proportion of women and men for grant applications and awards and provides information about this in its annual report [in Dutch]


• NWO contributes to networks for female scientists, such as AcademiaNet and LEAP!