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Reflection by Marileen Dogterom on the Academy’s role in times of geopolitical conflict
As the Academy’s president, Marileen Dogterom reflects on the Academy's role in conflicts and wars, and the dilemmas that it poses.
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Elies van Sliedregt (lid KNAW): 'The rule of law is being undermined in the US – my greatest concern is that these ideas will take root here in the Netherlands'
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) is examining the impact of recent policy shifts under the Trump administration on the work of Dutch researchers. In this series, our members share their experiences, insights into potential consequences, and suggestions for actions the Netherlands should take. Elies van Sliedregt, Professor of International Criminal Law at Tilburg University and a member of the KNAW, discusses the immediate impacts of Trump's policies on her field and emphasises the importance of a strong, independent international legal order.
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Make universities more accessible to first-generation academics
Universities should look more closely at the subject of ‘first-generation academics’, according to The Young Academy. It has examined this group’s experiences and has recommendations for making the academic world more accessible to academics from differing backgrounds. Among its recommendations: make unwritten rules explicit, and encourage mentoring.
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Ten young researchers to meet Nobel laureates
What young scientist wouldn't want to meet a Nobel Prize winner? The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings are unique gatherings in Lindau, Germany, at which young and established researchers meet to find inspiration and share knowledge.
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'We've censored the word ‘diversity’ from the title of our brain research ourselves — both absurd and deeply unsettling.'
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) is investigating how recent policy changes under the Trump administration are impacting the work of Dutch scientists. Through three questions, we gather insights from our members about their experiences, views on potential consequences, and suggestions for actions to be taken in the Netherlands. In this article, Fleur Zeldenrust (Radboud University and member of The Young Academy) discusses how fundamental neuroscience research is also affected by these developments.
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Open letter to Ursula von der Leyen on the future of science in Europe
A group of more than thirty European science academies, including the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), has sent an open letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and other EU leaders.
Read moreInterview with Marileen Dogterom: 'This isn't just about America; it's about us too'
Interview with Marileen Dogterom: 'This isn't just about America; it's about us too'
Read morePhilomena Essed receives the Academy Medal
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences has awarded Philomena Essed its Academy Medal for her important contribution to scholarly research into racism in the Netherlands and elsewhere.
Read moreNew insights into how gut cells respond to bacterial toxins
Researchers from the Organoid group at the Hubrecht Institute have found that specific gut cells, BEST4/CA7+ cells, regulate electrolyte and water balance in response to bacterial toxins that cause diarrhea.
Read moreAcademic freedom and international research collaboration under threat in U.S.
The European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities expresses grave concern over the escalating threats to academic freedom, both in the United States and beyond. The statement is also signed by the KNAW.
Read moreBeyond the boundaries of virology: M.W. Beijerinck Virology Prize and Beijerinck Premium recipients announced
A revolutionary technique to modify genes in DNA, research on the immune response to the rabies virus and research on vaccines against respiratory infections: three virologists are receiving recognition for their groundbreaking and socially relevant research.
Read moreStefan Dekker named new director of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology
Ecohydrologist Stefan Dekker has been named the new director of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences' national institute for ecological research, effective 15 June 2025.
Read moreRobbert Dijkgraaf named President-Elect of International Science Council
Robbert Dijkgraaf, former Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science and mathematical physicist, will be spending the next few years as President-Elect of the International Science Council (ISC), a ‘United Nations of Science’.
Read moreExtreme climate pushed thousands of lakes in West Greenland 'across a tipping point'
West Greenland is home to tens of thousands of blue lakes that provide residents drinking water and sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
Read moreWhat 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.
Read morePublication 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.
Read moreZebrafish 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.
Read moreDon'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.
Read moreRoyal 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.
Read moreUse 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.
Read moreNew 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.
Read moreResearchers 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.
Read moreThe 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.
Read moreALLEA 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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