L’Oréal Belgilux & Nederland, the Netherlands Commission for Unesco, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS-KNAW), and the Dutch Network of Women Professors (LNVH) work together to offer a national programme of grants for women researchers. These national grants, which have been offered since 2012, are part of the international partnership between L’Oréal and Unesco – ‘For Women in Science’ (FWiS) which was set up in 1998 to improve the position of women working in science. FWiS has two international programmes alongside national programmes in different countries.
The Dutch FWIS fellowship programme is part of a prestigious international programme that is a collaboration between Unesco and L’Oréal. Since 1998, more than 3900 women from 110 countries have received a fellowship or award. Five of them have gone on to win a Nobel Prize, including the Nobel Prize winners of 2020 for Chemistry, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna.
The Dutch L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science Fellowship grants (hereafter: grants) are intended to advance the academic careers of women researchers with 3 to 10 years of post-PhD academic experience (comparable to Veni/Vidi level) and working in the field of Life Sciences or in the STEM disciplines. The aim is to increase the number of women professors in the Netherlands. These grants offer women, and researchers, the opportunity to work within the interdisciplinary, international academic environment of NIAS-KNAW in Amsterdam, away from the distractions of regular administrative and teaching tasks so that they can focus on broadening and deepening their research and writing publications or grant proposals.
Two grants of € 30,000 each are available annually to fund the costs of two fellowships at NIASKNAW in Amsterdam. The fellowships are for the duration of one semester. The fellowships are called ‘Dutch L’Oréal-Unesco Fellowship for Women in Science’. They include the provision of an office, computer, research facilities, and, depending on the distance between NIAS-KNAW and a fellow’s home, either accommodation or a daily travel allowance. The holder of the fellowship may be eligible to apply for replacement funds to cover the costs of teaching, administrative or clinical tasks. FWiS fellows are eligible to apply for funds to cover the additional expenses of childcare made
during their fellowship
Location:
NetherlandsBenefits
- An office with PC, network and printer connection, telephone, and Wi-Fi in the whole building.
- Office equipment and stationery.
- Large and small meeting rooms with presentation facilities.
- A library service.
- Academic and social activities within an international and multidisciplinary community.
- Communal workday lunches and coffee and tea facilities.
- Use of the NIAS-KNAW facilities described above (€ 2,100 per month; € 10,500 at 5 months).
- Travel expenses (on a reimbursement basis, and fully covered if a fellow’s single journey commute takes 1.5 hours or less).
- If necessary, fellows will be able to acquire subsidized housing: either a studio apartment in the Fellows House or subsidized rent for a family apartment. The fellow is asked to contribute € 750 p. m. € 3,750 at 5 months out of their grant’s budget for either of the housing arrangements.
- The fellow may be eligible for replacement funds to cover the costs of teaching, administrative or clinical tasks (Dutch University Grant). This amount is set at € 2,500 per month (€ 12,500 for 5 months). The university faculty must send NIAS-KNAW a statement of hours, and payment will be made to the faculty once NIAS-KNAW has approved the declared amount.
- Contribution to additional costs of childcare that occur as a result of working at NIAS-KNAW instead of the regular workplace (on a reimbursement basis).
- A small workshop or meeting at NIAS-KNAW during or directly following the fellowship period. The academic programme of the workshop should aim at developing new, preferably interdisciplinary themes, and participants should be of high scientific quality. Planning and budgeting are to be drafted in consultation with NIAS-KNAW.
Eligibilities
- Women researchers with 3 to 10 years of post-PhD academic experience (Veni/Vidi level) may apply.
Maternity leave, part-time work and family care will be taken into account and, if applicable, the
upper limit of 10 years can be extended by up to 18 months per child. - Applicants submit a proposal on a current research topic in the Life Sciences or in the STEM
disciplines. The Life Sciences are defined as research focusing on scientific and engineering
knowledge that contribute to the understanding of the underlying processes in the existence of
living organisms. This includes the study of conditions of health and disease in humans. It implies
a comprehensive and integrated approach which may also include the humanities and social
sciences, while at the same time doing justice to a solid foundation in the natural sciences.
Additionally, STEM is defined as the exact sciences, including research in the fields of technology,
engineering and maths. - As the aim of this programme is to increase the number of women professors in the Netherlands by
improving the career prospects of women researchers, only researchers with a permanent or
temporary contract3 at a Dutch university or research institute are eligible to apply. Zero-hour
contracts or visiting researcher positions do not apply. - The Call is open from 16 January 2023 to 1 March 2023. Applications can be submitted for fellowships
at NIAS-KNAW starting early September 2023 or early February 2024 (academic year 2023/2024). - Candidates who are not successful may apply a second time (only) by submitting a new project
proposal to the Dutch L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science Grant Programme.
Application Process
- An application consists of the following:
– an application form
– a project proposal form
– a CV (maximum 3 pages including the list of publications)
– two letters of recommendation
– copies of the two publications most relevant to the proposal - Applicants will have to provide a full description of max. 1500 words of the proposed project before the 1st of March 2023.
- For more information about the application criteria please consult the application form and the project proposal form.
- The application can be submitted by e-mail to Dr. Jon Verriet, science advisor to the Netherlands Commission for Unesco, [email protected], no later than 1 March 2023.
Application Deadline: March 1, 2023
Application ClosedOfficial link
