Chiel van Heerwaarden one of ten new Young Academy members

Members of The Young Academy have all obtained their PhD less than a decade ago and have since proven their scientific worth. They are appointed from all disciplines. During their 5-year tenure as a member, they promote projects in the domain of science, science governance and science communications. The Young Academy is part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (Dutch acronym KNAW).

Chiel van Heerwaarden’s research topic was popular even with 17th-century artists: the patterns of light and shadow clouds cast on the landscape. Studying these patterns may reduce uncertainties about climate change and lead to more precise weather forecasts for the purpose of generating solar energy. Chiel van Heerwaarden uses computer simulations and field data, for which he develops a part of the required software himself. He is an advocate of open-source software for scientific research, as this serves scientific progress and transparency. Van Heerwaarden is concerned over the large increase in publications science demands. He wants to put his membership of The Young Academy towards working on a change in policy that places quality over quantity in assessing scientists.

The Young Academy

With its fifty members, The Young Academy is a dynamic and innovative platform for researchers from many different disciplines with views on science and science governance. The Young Academy organises inspiring activities for various target groups on issues such as interdisciplinarity, science policy, and science and society. Together, these scientists represent a broad range of scientific disciplines. They all work at Dutch universities and research institutes. Every year, ten members leave, and ten new members are admitted.