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

Van der Putten succeeds Geert de Snoo, who has been appointed Director of Research Policy at the Academy. Van der Putten will remain in his new position until mid-2025, when a new director is expected to join the institute. 

Wim van der Putten studies aboveground-belowground interactions in relation to biodiversity, climate change and sustainable land use. Thanks to his research, we have a better understanding of the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, the influence of soil biodiversity on aboveground biodiversity, and how those ecosystems develop as a result of climate change. 

Van der Putten is a leading international researcher with a large (inter)national network. He is also a highly experienced adviser and administrator, both in the Netherlands and abroad; examples include his work with the Centre for Soil Ecology, which he co-founded, and the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative. Throughout his career, he has always been mindful of the social and political impact of his research, including on the general public. He is committed to citizen science and has been at the cradle of the popular annual Soil Animal Days event and the first Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas.  

With Wim van der Putten, the Netherlands Institute of Ecology gains an interim director who is passionate about the institute, outward-looking, and sensitive to the impact of ecological research.