Working for the Academy means working at the very heart of science and scholarship. Most of the Academy’s employees work for one of its seventeen research institutes. They either conduct research themselves or assist the researchers. The Academy adheres to the employment terms set out in the Collective Agreement for Universities in the Netherlands.

Institutes

The Academy is responsible for seventeen research institutes that together employ about 1,300 staff. The institutes are active in the humanities, the social sciences and the life sciences; two work at the interface of science and government policy. The institutes investigate a wide variety of subjects, ranging from the history of the Second World War to stem cells, from the phenomenon of sleep to the Frisian language, and from the Great Tit population to medieval manuscripts. The Academy institutes play a leading role in Dutch research. They serve as national centres of expertise, manage unique infrastructures, and provide access to world-famous collections.

Learned society

The oldest pillar of the Academy is the learned society, which unites the best scientists and scholars from every conceivable discipline. The society advises the Dutch Government on policy, integrity and quality issues related to science and research. It also organises activities intended  to foster knowledge-sharing and knowledge generation.

Academy Bureau

The Academy’s research institutes and its learned society are assisted by the Academy Bureau, which has a staff of approximately 130. These employees: 

• support the Academy Board and Board of Management in their policy-making and policy implementation work;
• support the learned society;
• help the research institutes with such matters as finances, human resources, IT and communication;
• prepare advisory reports and assist the advisory councils and committees; 
• develop and implement the Academy’s communication policy;
• assist the Academy’s juries and panels and organise award ceremonies; 
• manage the Trippenhuis Building (a listed building) and the premises of the various research institutes.

The two members of the Board of Management are responsible for the Academy’s nine support departments.  The Academy Bureau is located in the Trippenhuis Building in Amsterdam.

Human resources

The Academy works closely with universities and research schools in the Netherlands, for example by collaborating on research projects and training young researchers. It also sets the highest standards for both researchers and support staff. In other words, it asks a lot of its employees, but in return it offers them excellent personal and career opportunities. The Academy devotes special attention to visiting staff, female candidates for senior-level positions and talented newcomers.

Job openings

Job openings at the Academy can be found on the AcademicTransfer website.