Minister Dijkgraaf of OCW decided this week to definitively allocate the funds reserved for sector plans in the coalition agreement to universities. The money earmarked for Wageningen University & Research (WUR) comes from the STEM sector plans. For WUR, 13.7 million a year will be available for fundamental research in the fields of earth and environmental sciences, biology and the technical sciences. The sector plans run until 2028.
The intention is for the budget to become part of the first flow of funds after that. In addition, WUR participates for 1.1 million a year from its own resources in the Social Sciences Sector Plan, on the basis of which WUR can strengthen its position in national social science research.
Peace and space for science
Specifically for WUR, the investment in the sector plans means that some 75 - 80 positions can be filled in total; this mainly entails scientific positions at various levels, but there is also room to appoint technicians. This involves growth in staff size. This is in line with OCW Minister Dijkgraaf's ambition to bring more 'peace and space' to scientific research.
Universities have developed plans based on so-called sector pictures over the past year detailing how their sector can be strengthened. Agrotechnology and design engineering are two disciplines that have been given a place in the Technological Sector Plan.
Further shaping cooperation
Karin Schroen, personal professor of Food Process Engineering, is leading the Wageningen contribution to the Techniek sector plan: "We are very happy with the result for the engineering sciences," she says. "The investment enables us to strengthen technical education and sciences within the WUR domain, and to further shape our cooperation with the other TUs and the RUG in technical research."
Schroen also sees that a big boost can be given to the 'Wageningen domain'.
"The groups participating will focus on food in the broadest sense of the word. For example, this entails land-based production, as well as the production of sustainable food and what effect this has on people. Because of this, we are approaching this in issue in a wider sense than from a purely technical point of view. There will be a lot of focus on a multi- and interdisciplinary approach, because that is necessary to realise social impact, i.e. to make sure society actually notices something from our science."
Sector plans
Funds for sector plans come from the Coalition Agreement. Sector plans are mainly intended to stimulate smart cooperation between universities and to create 'peace and quiet' by reducing the workload and providing more permanent contracts.
An important aspect of sector plans is that they are drawn up by the disciplines themselves in the form of so-called domain and sector images. For the current sector plans, the government has made available a total of 200 million euros per year.
