Implementing an inclusive and diverse personnel policy at NWO-I

Implementation Plan for an organisation in which everybody feels at home, safe and respected

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Over the past few years, NWO-I has worked on a policy for diversity and inclusion (D&I). On 5 October 2022, the NWO-I Foundation Board approved the Implementation Plan to realise this personnel policy, with many compliments for its writers. The first step listed in the plan, which will run until 2027, has already been taken: NWO-I is in the process of appointing a part-time D&I project leader who will draw up an Annual Plan to implement diversity with action points for both the entire of NWO-I and at the institute level. Based on this plan, the institutes can develop their own activities.

Highlight SRON: large methane-emitting landfills mapped for the first time

Collaboration between Global Methane Hub, SRON and GHGSat

Waste management is responsible for about 18% of global methane emissions caused by people. A large proportion of this comes from a small number of landfills, which makes these important mitigation targets: taking on this challenge will help to tackle climate change. The Global Methane Hub, SRON and GHGSat are now joining forces to launch a world-first initiative to characterise, study, and monitor the large-scale emissions of landfills around the world. The objective is to improve our understanding of these waste-deposit sites, initiate a dialogue, and realise actions at a local level, such as better management. During the COP27 Climate Conference in Sharm-el-Sheikh (Egypt) at the start of November, the initiative presented the first outcome of this project: a world map showing the locations of over a hundred methane-emitting landfills.

Launch of national platform for threatened academics

Academics regularly face threats, harassment and hate speech. To address this issue, the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), the Dutch Research Council (NWO), and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) launched the platform WetenschapVeilig at the beginning of November. Academics who are being threatened or harassed can visit the English website of www.wetenschapveilig.nl 24 hours a day for help.

A first step towards implementing the Dutch Climate Research Initiative (KIN)

Administrators and researchers recently came together at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) to discuss the “Dutch Climate Research Initiative (KIN)”. The aim of the KIN is to acquire the knowledge needed to accelerate the transformation to a sustainable, climate-neutral society by 2050. Many different scientists jointly published a report this year, commissioned by NWO and KNAW, in which they recommend that the KIN be implemented as soon as possible. The KIN envisages an innovative approach: researchers will cooperate far more closely to achieve the aim of a climate-neutral society, rather than competing for funding. Michiel van den Hout has been appointed as quartermaster for the KIN on behalf of NWO and KNAW.

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Highlight CWI: Van Wijngaarden Awards for Marta Kwiatkowska and Susan Murphy

Computer scientist Marta Kwiatkowska and mathematician Susan A. Murphy have been presented with the CWI Van Wijngaarden Award. They received the awards for the numerous and highly significant contributions they made to their respective research areas: preventing software faults and improving decision making in health. The five-yearly award is established by NWO Institute CWI and is named after former CWI director Aad van Wijngaarden. The winners received the prize during a festive soirée on 3 November 2022 in the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of CWI.

Benefits of a collective insurance at OHRA Zorgverzekering

Until 31 December, you are free to change your health insurance, for example alter your coverage, add your family to your policy or switch to a different health insurance. As an NWO-I employee, you can profit from various benefits under the collective health insurance of OHRA, such as a 10% discount on supplementary health insurance packages. On the "NWO-I" part of the OHRA website (in Dutch only) you can read more about this health insurance and which benefits apply to you. There you can calculate your premium, including discount, and take out the health insurance immediately. Tip: OHRA cancels your current health insurance for you.

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NSCR celebrates its 30th anniversary

On 9 November 2022, NWO Institute NSCR in Amsterdam celebrated its 30th anniversary with a festive afternoon full of inspiring lectures about science and policy. Over its 30-year history, the institute has grown from 10 to 100 employees and now has five research groups for fundamental scientific research into criminality and law enforcement. With that, NSCR makes an important contribution to solving major societal issues in the area of security and justice. ‘NSCR is built on a solid foundation’, said Beate Völker, the institute’s director. She wrote a blog about her first year as its director to mark the institute’s anniversary (in Dutch).

About NWO-I

NWO-I, the Institutes Organisation of NWO, is an independent foundation belonging to NWO. The following nine institutes are part of NWO-I: AMOLF, ARCNL, ASTRON, CWI, DIFFER, Nikhef, NIOZ, NSCR and SRON. The 200-plus workgroups in which physics research takes place at Dutch universities and knowledge institutes are also part of NWO-I.

Contact

NWO-I
www.nwo-i.nl
info-nwoi@nwo-i.nl
(030) 600 12 11

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