Research

Research is one of the core tasks of the Dutch research universities. The Dutch research universities strive to consolidate and develop the position of Dutch research in the world. Always mindful of their role in the Dutch and global knowledge society, the Dutch research universities are committed to innovation and knowledge transfer and to contributing to solving today's urgent societal questions.

The Dutch research universities have implemented a number of policies geared to creating and maintaining a stimulating environment for excellent research. Among these are career enhancement programmes for early-career research and programmes aimed at increasing the visibility of excellent research.

Research at the Dutch research universities is internationally competitive:

• 11 universities in the Netherlands in the Times Higher Education World University ranking top 200 (2009)
• Third place worldwide in citation impact scores (impact 2003-2006)
• Second place worldwide in publication productivity (2008)
• Fifth place worldwide in public-private partnerships in science

 See also: excellence in figures

Cooperation

In research, cooperation is key. Traditionally open-minded and cosmopolitan, the Dutch research universities attach great importance to cooperation and profit from excellent international connections. Cooperation at the Dutch research universities extends beyond academia to encompass government, society and business.

The Dutch research universities participate in international partnerships and maintain close ties with leading universities worldwide. The country’s small size also stimulates cooperation between research universities in the Netherlands both within and across disciplines. 44% of all publications are co-publications, either with researchers within the Netherlands at other institutions or with international researchers. International co-publications generate the highest citation scores.

In supporting and promoting research conducted at the Dutch research universities, cooperation is a key value also for the VSNU. It maintains close contacts with the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the various Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research Institutes (TNO).