Marieke Kleemans Receives a Tulip Fund Grant from NWO

Prof. dr. ir. Marieke Kleemans

Development economist Marieke Kleemans is one of the researchers receiving a Tulip Fund grant from NWO (Tulpfonds in Dutch). This fund was established in response to the global threat to academic freedom and offers top researchers abroad the opportunity to continue their research in the Netherlands.

Marieke Kleemans is a development economist: this means she studies the factors that drive economic development and how this can help reduce poverty and inequality, particularly in developing countries. She studied at Eindhoven University of Technology and Yale University, after which she conducted doctoral research on economic development and migration at U.C. Berkeley. Since 2016, she has been working in the United States as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois.

Research on economic development

“The Tulip Fund means a great deal for the launch of my research at Utrecht University, and I am therefore very pleased and, of course, deeply grateful,” says Kleemans. “In Utrecht, I will be building a research group focused on important societal issues within development and labor economics. We conduct research on labor markets, migration, economic development, and diversity - for example, the effects of migration on economic development, factors that influence women’s labor force participation in developing countries, and causes of inequality within the academic community." In her research, Kleemans regularly collaborates with international organizations and NGOs, including the World Bank and the United Nations.

The current political climate in the United States has created a challenging environment for this type of research. Her research fields face increased political pressure, uncertainty regarding funding, and institutional pressure. In the Netherlands and at Utrecht University, Kleemans can continue this important research without restrictions.

Procedure

For the nomination to the Tulip Fund, UU’s Deans and the Executive Board have determined which proposal was appropriate, in close alignment with the university’s strategic themes. As a result, Marieke Kleemans was nominated as a candidate. She had previously been identified through a regular, open recruitment process and also met the Tulip Fund’s eligibility requirements.

A university may receive up to 1 million euros in funding per researcher from the Tulip Fund for a period of five years.