More PhDs, fewer steady jobs

05 / 09 / 2007 | Redactie

The number of PhDs has increased nationally. In 2000 nearly 2360 people received a doctoral degree; last year it was more than 3132. The universities are very happy with these numbers, but also observe the fact they cannot offer all of the trainee research assistants a job contract.

The total number of jobs in science increased between 1998 and 2006 by more than 500 jobs. According to the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), a lot of young researchers get a temporary contract because research funds get divided through indirect government funding more and more often. Those funds are often limited, so institutes need to be conservative while offering job contracts. Still the universities try to give the young scientists an outlook on a steady job. That is often combined with a clear career path or `tenure track': scientists know, thanks to fixed evaluation moments, what their career perspective is in an institute.

Last week VSNU sent Minister Plasterk of Education, Culture and Science a pressing letter because he is planning to transfer another 100 million euros from the free research budget to the budget of science financier NWO. That would rob 1100 young researchers with a temporary contract of their jobs, because NWO has to compensate for a financial disappointment. Plasterk denies this: he is confident that science will prosper under his watch.

HOP, Thijs den Otter
Trans. Henriëtte van Dorp

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