Description
This indicator pertains to funds awarded to research projects by research funds and institutions other than grants awarded to individuals or funding awarded under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, NWO’s Gravitation Programme and the NWO-Large Programme, in which researchers affiliated with the research unit act as principal applicant/investigator or lead partner.
Explanation
This category concerns funding awarded for a research project by a research institution based on the quality and relevance of the proposal submitted and, in some instances, on the CV of the applicant or applicants. This covers research projects funded by other grants, awarded to research groups or individuals for research projects, provided they are awarded by research funds and institutions based on the quality and relevance of the proposal submitted.
Note:
Funds awarded to research projects under Horizon 2020, Gravitation and NWO-Large, in which researchers affiliated with the research unit act as principal applicant/investigator or lead partner, fall within the scope of the indicator Grants for large-scale research projects. Grants and awards bestowed by private and public non-research organisations and institutions also come under another category (C6).
Usefulness
Experience shows that this indicator is not always easy to use. Many research projects have multiple applicants, some affiliated with different research units and institutions, in the Netherlands and beyond, and that naturally also applies to project execution. If the explanation provided is inadequate, mentioning the funding acquired (e.g. under Horizon 2020, NWO-Large or Gravitation) may paint a distorted and even unduly flattering picture.
This indicator can provide a good indication of the quality and relevance of the research if the following details are reported in connection with the research funding awards:
- the role of the research unit (and its members), for example principal applicant, co-applicant or lead partner;
- the total size of the project budget, with a clear distinction being made between
- funding awarded by research institutions
- funding awarded by civil society institutions (these will reappear in the relevant indicator in Cell 6),
- funds matched by the institution;
- the proportion of the budget (a, b and c) that will actually be allocated to the research unit and be applied towards research.
This category only covers funding awarded and/or projects carried out by members of the research unit during (part of) the period covered by the assessment. Grants whose official effective term ended before the start of the assessment period should not be included.