The Academy is responsible for seventeen research institutes. The institutes are active in the humanities, the social sciences and the life sciences; two institutes work at the interface of science and government policy. The Academy institutes are meant to play a leading role in Dutch and international research. They serve as national centres of expertise, manage unique infrastructures, and provide access to their collections, many of which are world-famous.

Policy

The institutes are meant to play a leading role in the Netherlands as agenda-setting organisations. They should also serve as international points of contact. In order to become (or remain) an Academy institute, they must strive to achieve excellence in their work. For more information about the Academy’s policy regarding its institutes.

Evaluation

The institutes are evaluated regularly by means of independent, international peer reviews.

Animal experiments

Three of the Academy’s institutes conduct animal experiments in their research:

• the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research
• the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) 
• the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN-KNAW)

The animals concerned are birds, rodents and fish. A small group of primates are kept for behavioural research purposes. Starting in 2011, the Academy will issue a biennial report accounting for its animal experiments. In 2008, it joined forces with the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) and the Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU) to publish the Animal Experiments Openness Code. See also: KNAW Opinion on animal experiments.