About Regieorgaan SIA

The mandate of the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA, or Regieorgaan SIA for short, is to improve the quality and widen the impact of the applied research done by universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. We do this by funding research and facilitating collaboration between universities of applied sciences, industry and public bodies.

Funding applied research

Regieorgaan SIA encourages the professionalisation and strengthens the quality of applied research in universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. We support the universities of applied sciences through various funding mechanisms.

We fund the research itself, as well as the creation of networks and platforms. Our subsidies support the development phase and the direction that the universities of applied sciences, research groups and professors are taking.

Funding your research

Researchers at universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands can apply to Regieorgaan SIA for funding.

More information Funding your research

Strong position for applied research

Regieorgaan SIA believes that the applied research at universities of applied sciences can be further developed to become more independent high value forms of research. Research that has a strong societal relevance and takes a clear position in the innovation network. Our activities are designed to support this.

Strategy and policy

Applied research helps solve societal and economic issues and against this backdrop our goal is to interconnect these issues and universities of applied sciences more strongly. We do this by connecting people, organisations and policy-making. As a network organisation, we operate at regional, national and European level.

Applied research

Universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands carry out applied research which arises from issues or problems in practice.

Learn more Applied research

4 strategic pathways

Our work with universities of applied sciences and their lectorates and professors is based on 4 strategic directions which create the space to further build on and strengthen applied research. The 4 strategic pathways are:

to offer opportunities to university of applied sciences researchers
to encourage high quality research that impacts education and practice
to strengthen the position of applied research in society by identifying priority areas and linking these to the knowledge chain and
to rethink the research, education and innovation systems

Collaboration and contributing to national policy

We play an active role in shaping the Netherlands’ innovation and research policy. We work closely with a wide range of entities such as Government agencies, leading sectors and knowledge institutes. And we collaborate in programmes such as the Dutch Research Agenda and the Knowledge and Innovation Convenant.

Internationalisation

Regieorgaan SIA stimulates the internationalisation of applied research. This both improves the quality of the research and helps it have a greater impact. It also facilitates the sharing of knowledge, offers new opportunities for talent development and can lead to the funding of applied research internationally.

Issues arising from the field that call for collaboration with international entities are usually the trigger for the internationalisation of research. Equally, an international issue may call for a regional or national contribution from the Netherlands.

There are already several good examples of successful international collaborations in applied research. Universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands, and particularly those along the borders, work closely with German or Belgian partners. Outside Europe there have been successful projects with Brazil, Vietnam and Indonesia.