The growth of talent - evaluation NWO Talent Programme.

The Talent Programme is a programme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) for personal and unrestricted research and has been in existence for 25 years. The Talent Programme consists of three personal research grants: Veni, Vidi, and Vici. The Rubicon has been added to this for evaluation purposes. The entire programme was last evaluated in 2012. Since then, there have been several changes in the setup of the Talent Programme, such as the two-phase structure (with a preliminary proposal first, followed by a full proposal) and the evidence-based CV. The aim of this evaluation was to gain a better understanding of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Talent Programme. The main questions in this research were as follows:

• Which internal and external developments have influenced the target group and the Talent Programme, and what challenges and opportunities have these developments led to? In what way has NWO, as a learning organisation, improved processes surrounding applications and evaluations? Have applicants experienced an improvement in how they can present themselves in their applications since the introduction of the EBCV, and do they see more opportunities to showcase and highlight unique qualities important for innovative research than before? Does the EBCV contribute to the quality of the evaluation? To what extent do funded researchers remain active in the (Dutch) science field and/or to what degree does the Talent Programme contribute to career security for funded researchers? In what way have funded researchers benefitted from their participation in the Talent Programme, how have they carried out their own research, and what role did the Talent Programme play in the freedom they experienced in this?
• Does funded research lead to groundbreaking scientific results? What impact-related side effects are there from the Talent Programme grants?

Research Method

The evaluation was conducted using a Contribution Analysis (CA). A CA is a structured evaluation method to assess whether all elements of a Theory of Change (ToC) are reflected and to what extent there are actual causal relationships between the elements of the ToC. To answer all research questions and test the ToC, we employed various research methods. We conducted an analysis of administrative data kept by NWO, such as on the number of applications, success rates, and awarded scores. Additionally, we conducted interviews with those involved at NWO and with various stakeholders and experts in the field of science financing. A survey was also distributed among applicants (funded and unfunded) and application reviewers. Finally, we held focus groups with funded and unfunded applicants, reviewers, and grant advisors at universities.

Evaluation Findings

We conclude that the Talent Programme is effective and essential as a personal route for unrestricted research: it enhances the position of talented researchers, stimulates new research lines and groups, and contributes to scientific innovation. In recent years, NWO has improved the application and evaluation procedures in various ways. However, ranking the large number of fundable proposals remains challenging, while funding decisions have high stakes and the assessment requires a significant time investment. Therefore, there are still areas for improvement regarding efficiency within the Talent Programme. Based on our conclusion, we recommend that NWO maintains the Talent Programme as a personal funding instrument for unrestricted research. The personal and unrestricted nature adds value for participants as it provides researchers with the space for innovative research lines, group building, and new collaborations. Without the Talent Programme, there is a risk that Dutch science could lose out on innovation and creativity. It is advisable, however, to continue improving the application and evaluation procedures, achieve further efficiency gains, and position the programme more explicitly within the broader science and funding system.