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  • 15 January 2025

    What bones teach us about the past – and ourselves

    In a lab in Groningen, archaeologist Anna Moles pieces together the lives of people long gone. Moles’ research focuses on the human stories hidden in skeletal remains. Her work in osteoarcheology—a discipline that combines biology and archaeology to uncover insights about the lives and cultures of past societies—was recently recognized with the KNAW Early Career Award.

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  • 7 January 2025

    Publication of tender for investigation into Academy's colonial past

    On 30 May 2024, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) announced its plan to commission a thorough investigation into its own colonial past. The Academy wishes to contract an independent team to carry out this investigation, to be selected by means of public procurement. As of now, interested research teams may submit their proposal on the tendering platform TenderNed.

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  • 2 January 2025

    Zebrafish protein unlocks dormant genes for heart repair

    Researchers from the Bakkers group at the Hubrecht Institute have successfully repaired damaged mouse hearts using a protein from zebrafish.This study, supported by the Dutch Heart Foundation and Hartekind Foundation, marks an important step toward regenerative therapies to prevent heart failure. The findings were published in Nature Cardiovascular Research on January 2, 2025.

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  • 19 December 2024

    Don't make irreversible decisions on language studies now

    The position of language studies at Dutch universities is very worrying. Two universities are in the process of abolishing French and German as independent subjects. Other languages, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean, are also on the verge of disappearing as main subjects. In order to maintain and secure necessary expertise for the Netherlands, the Academy advises against taking irreversible decisions on language studies until national agreements have been reached on how best to preserve and develop independent language courses and programmes.

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  • 18 December 2024

    Royal Academy’s new vice-president is Lodi Nauta

    Lodi Nauta, professor of the History of Philosophy at the University of Groningen, will be the Royal Academy’s new vice-president effective 1 April 2025.

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  • 11 December 2024

    Use evidence-based methods for decision-making on complex policy issues

    Regular consultations with academics and the use of evidence-based methods can lead to important findings and reveal blind spots in science policy, according to The Young Academy in its report Informed choices.

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  • 4 December 2024

    New research shows how cannabis can potentially influence brain development

    Neuroscientist Rogier Min from the Amsterdam UMC has collaborated with Christiaan Levelt’s lab from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and discovered how brain cells may react to cannabis, along its potential impact on our brain’s flexibility.

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  • 2 December 2024

    Researchers create a new organoid with all key pancreas cells

    Researchers from the Hubrecht Institute have developed a new organoid that mimics the human fetal pancreas, offering a clearer view of its early development.

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  • 6 November 2024

    The Academy supports protest against cuts to higher education and science

    The government plans to make historically harsh cuts to education, research and innovation. This has major negative long-term consequences for the economy and society. Also, it damages our reputation as a country of knowledge.

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  • 24 October 2024

    ALLEA Calls for EU-Wide Harmonisation of Secondary Publication Rights for Scholarly Research

    In a statement published in the context of International Open Access Week 2024, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA) expresses its strong support for Secondary Publication Rights (SPRs), a legal mechanism that allows researchers to freely share publicly funded scholarly articles via institutional or other non-profit repositories.

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  • 15 October 2024

    KNAW Early Career Award 2024 for twelve promising researchers

    The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) will be honouring twelve young researchers active in various fields of study with a KNAW Early Career Award.

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  • 3 October 2024

    ‘Multiperspectivity is absolutely essential to the investigation into our colonial history’

    On 30 May 2024, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) announced its plan to commission an investigation into its colonial past. The commission will be awarded to an independent research team selected by means of a European tender. As part of the tendering procedure, the Academy will meet with interested researchers on 18 November 2024.

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  • 13 August 2024

    From quantum physics to following your dreams: looking back at this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

    The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings are unique gatherings in Lindau, Germany, at which young and established researchers meet Nobel laureates to find inspiration and share knowledge. Three young promising researchers share their personal experiences and insights from the event.

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  • 25 July 2024

    Wim van der Putten appointed interim director of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology

    Ecologist Wim van der Putten has been appointed interim director of the Royal Academy's Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO), effective 1 October. He is currently head of the Department of Terrestrial Ecology at the institute and special professor Functional Biodiversity at Wageningen University & Research.

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  • 12 July 2024

    Academy's response to report of inappropriate behaviour by Leiden University professor

    Leiden University's report regarding undesirable and inappropriate behaviour by one of its professors also concerns the Academy. The university’s report has affected us profoundly. First and foremost, our sympathies lie with those who complained about inappropriate behaviour and with others on whom this case may well have a major impact.

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  • 3 July 2024

    New Board of Management KNAW appointed

    The Academy Board is pleased to announce the appointment of three members of the Board of Management, effective 1 October 2024. Adriana Esmeijer has been appointed Director of General Affairs, Iwan Holleman Director of Operational Management, and Geert de Snoo Director of Research Policy. The new Board of Management succeeds the Academy’s acting Board.

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  • 11 June 2024

    New government’s austerity plans detrimental to Dutch higher education and research

    The Academy and The Young Academy are deeply concerned about the austerity plans for higher education and research proposed in the outline coalition agreement of 16 May 2024.

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  • 30 May 2024

    Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences to commission investigation into its colonial past

    The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) intends to commission an investigation into its history of involvement in colonialism.

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  • 16 May 2024

    Academy selects 17 new members

    The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has selected 17 new members. Of these, 16 are ordinary members and one is a foreign member. The Academy’s approximately 600 members are leading scientists and scholars active in every discipline. Membership is for life. The new members will be installed on Monday 30 September.

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  • 15 May 2024

    Alzheimer’s Disease without symptoms. How is that possible?

    Everyone experiences aging in their own way, and factors such as genetics, lifestyle and environment play a role in this process. Some individuals reach the age of 90 or even 100 in good health, without medications or brain disease. But how do these individuals maintain their health as they age?

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  • 6 May 2024

    The future of Europe depends on robust, open and free science and education

    Address of the Presidents of National Academies of Sciences of the European Union Member States to the candidates for the 2024 European Parliament elections.

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  • 29 April 2024

    Ten researchers to receive an KNAW Early Career Partnership in 2024

    Ten young researchers will be awarded an KNAW Early Career Partnership this year. They will have the opportunity to organise an interdisciplinary meeting and will receive the sum of EUR 10,000 to do so.

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  • 24 April 2024

    Academy Statement: Research knows no borders: Preserve the open science system

    Nurture international research talent and pursue a well-considered language policy. International research collaboration and an open science system are important for Dutch science and society and for the economy of the Netherlands. The Academy wishes to see international mobility preserved in the academic world.

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  • 17 April 2024

    Scientists call for a European institute for AI in science

    A group of renowned scientists have advised European Commissioners on the use of AI in science. According to the advice, artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionise scientific discovery, accelerate research progress, boost innovation and improve researchers’ productivity.

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