Publication of tender for investigation into Academy's colonial past

Conversations 

‘Over the past several months, we’ve had numerous conversations with researchers from the Academy's own institutes and with members of the Academy, The Young Academy and the Society of Arts,’ explains project coordinator Marie Beauchamps.  ‘We also spoke to organisations that have launched similar investigations, including DNB (the Dutch central bank), The Royal Society in the United Kingdom, and members of the Racialized Scholars network. Discussion topics included the scope of the investigation and the research methods to be applied.’ 

Multiperspectivity is essential 

‘For me, the main take-away from these conversations is that multiperspectivity is absolutely essential to this investigation,’ says Beauchamps. ‘By that I mean that the research team in the Netherlands should collaborate with local knowledge networks in the former colonies, and take multiple perspectives from a variety of different disciplines into account.’    

Impressions from preliminary market consultation 

The project team held discussions with interested parties in November during a preliminary market consultation. Says Beauchamps, ‘We thought it was important to consider their questions and recommendations while we fine-tuned the tender. It also gave the participants the opportunity to get to know one another.’ 

Deadline for proposals 

Research teams must submit their proposal before 1 May 2025. The proposal must describe how the team plans to approach the investigation as a whole. The investigation is expected to start in mid-2025 and to take several years. Details regarding the research brief, participation in the tender, the schedule, and the assessment procedure can be found on TenderNed.  

Researchers who have questions may submit them using the form on TenderNed.  

Evaluation committee 

The proposals received are assessed by a committee. Judi Mesman chairs this committee. She is a member of the KNAW and professor at Leiden University. Mesman focuses on the study of social (in)justice with special attention to intergenerational issues at individual and institutional levels.

Furthermore, the committee consists of experts representing the various tasks of the KNAW:

• Alida Dors, member of the Society of Arts and artistic director of Theatre Rotterdam. Dors is a theatre producer, artistic director, choreographer, interdisciplinary maker and sociologist. Her work is characterised by a strong commitment to social issues in which she explores themes of race and bicultural identity.
• Martijn Eickhoff, director of NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies and endowed professor of Archaeology and Heritage of War and Mass Violence at the University of Groningen.
• Karwan Fatah-Black, a member of The Young Academy and an expert on early modern globalisation and slavery and emancipation in the Atlantic world. He recently collaborated on De Wereldgeschiedenis van Nederland and published books on slavery and colonial governance.
• Maria Grever, member of the KNAW and chair of the KNAW advisory committee on controversial monuments (2023 report Wankele Sokkels). Grever is professor em. Theory and Methodology of History and founding director of the Center for Historical Culture at Erasmus School of History, Culture & Communication (ESHCC).