The NWO Foundations
In practice the NWO Foundations act like research councils. Although their legal status is different - a legacy dating from the time when the new organisational structure was not yet in place - this is of no consequence to those outside NWO.
The Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) was founded in 1946 to stimulate the research of fundamental physics in the Netherlands. FOM includes under its umbrella three research institutes - AMOLF, Rijnhuizen and Nikhef. All three receive a mission budget from FOM, but they also supplement their finances with NWO subsidies that are acquired in competition and funds from third parties.
Netherlands National Computing Facilitites Foundation (NCF) promotes the quality of scientific research by making available the most modern computer infrastructure and facilitating its optimal use. Dutch researchers should be able to use the most advanced computing facilities to carry out complex and voluminous calculations, as well as the data capacity in a transparant grid infrastructure. NCF provides access to facilities in the grid.
WOTRO Science for Global Development is the science division within NWO which supports scientific research on development issues, in particular poverty alleviation and sustainable development. WOTRO acts at the interface of the Dutch government, the academic world and the arena of development organisations. The aim of WOTRO is to contribute to a world in which independent scientific knowledge is available for the benefit of all societies and where development issues such as poverty and sustainable development are effectively targeted with evidence-based policies and interventions. For its activities, WOTRO receives substantial funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
