The article entitled "The selection of scientific talent in the allocation of research grants" by van Arensbergen and van den Besselaar published in "Higher Education Policy" 25/3 (2012) is based on research that both researchers carried out on behalf of The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. In this comment, we…

A sequel to an earlier article about the first round of Dutch retrenchment in higher education looks at the response to the second round, with the introduction of the concept of selective retrenchment and growth, a new approach to resource allocation. (Author/MSE)

The emphasis of the planning process in higher education in the Netherlands is seen as having to shift from a mainly financially oriented to a content and discipline oriented approach. The approach of promoting higher education as a consumption good and not accepting manpower planning will cause serious problems. (Author/MLW)

Two interconnected problems are implicated in every model of state funding of universities: (1) every decision on norms, parameters and standards creates specific incentives in the system, often in unintended ways and unforeseen directions; (2) every model is an expression of the relationship between the state and universities. (Author/MLW)

The Dutch binary system of higher education and trends toward increased vocationalism are discussed. The article notes the governmental policy to encourage the technical and natural sciences and explores new relationships between the university and higher vocational education sectors. A policy of parity in resources with clear distinction of the…