Organisation

Organisation of NIOZ with its departments

Science Departments

NIOZ is composed of four science departments:

• Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS, Yerseke) – prof. dr. Klaas Timmermans
• Coastal Systems (COS, Texel) – prof. dr. Myron Peck
• Ocean Systems (OCS, Texel) – prof. dr. Gert-Jan Reichart
• Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB, Texel) – dr. Laura Villanueva

Support Departments and Management Office

NIOZ staff functions are organised in two support departments and a management office:

Management office - prof. dr. Han Dolman

• Valorisation of NIOZ research - Ir. Marck Smit
• Secretariat - Carmen Blaauboer and Renate Smidt

Dept. National Marine Facilities (NMF) - Aarnoud van de Burgt

NMF units:

• Office – dr. Erica Koning and Zeynep Erdem
• Fleet – Albert van Burk a.i.
• Support – Yvo Witte
• Development – Yetzo de Hoo
• Data management – Taco de Bruin

Dept. General Support (GES) – Peter Smit

GES units:

• Human Resources Management – Sandra Liefhebber 
• Finance Contracts & Control – Johan Bolt
• Project Control – Theo Davidse (YE), Jack Gootjes (TX), Marcel van der Linden (TX)
• Facility Management – Biem Trap
• Information & Communication Technology – Aiko van Zadelhoff
• Communication – dr. Kim Sauter, Daan van Loon (Library), Dörte Poszig (Education)

Browse the full list of NIOZ staff.

Overall organisation of NIOZ within NWO

Advisory boards  

NIOZ has a structure of formal advisory and network bodies that help to define and evaluate the strategy and to improve the positioning of the institute nationally and internationally.  

Institute Advisory Committee (IAR)  

The Institute Advisory Committee (IAR) functions as a societal network in the broadest sense. It contributes to maintaining and strengthening strategic relationships with science, corporate businesses, local, regional and national policies, and other relevant national parties within society. The IAR members all have an affinity with the research carried out at NIOZ and contribute expertise and advice from a wide range of perspectives. The IAR keeps the interests of NIOZ in mind and functions as a critical sparring partner for the institute director. The IAR meets once a year, while for specific issues the director consults with individual group members.  

Members

• Prof. Gerard van der Steenhoven (chair), Advisor to Government of the Netherlands, professor at the University of Twente  
• Dr. ir. Bas Buchner, President of MARIN  
• Mr. Ing. Jan Hendrik Dronkers, Secretary-General at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management  
• Prof. dr. Jack Middelburg, Professor of Geochemistry, Head of Department Earth Sciences, Utrecht University  
• Rob van der Zwaag, Acting Mayor of Texel  
• Ir. Henk van Muijen, Market Director IHC Mining of Royal IHC  
• Annemieke Nijhof, Managing director of Deltares    

Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC)  

The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) advises the institute through the director and management team. It advises on the scientific programme, general strategy, and scientific infrastructure, and annually reviews the scientific developments at NIOZ. The SAC meets once a year.  

Members

• Prof. Jef Huisman (chair), Professor of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam  
• Prof. Suzanne Hulscher, Professor and Head of the group Water Engineering & Management, Faculty of  Engineering Technology, Civil Engineering, University of Twente  
• Prof. Achim Kopf, Professor of Marine Geotechnics, MARUM, University of Bremen  
• Prof. Katherine Freeman, Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences, Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University  
• Prof. Corinna Schrum, Professor and Director Institute of Coastal Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, University of Hamburg  
• Prof. Karen Wiltshire, Professor and Vice Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)  
• Prof. Colin Janssen, Professor at Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University  

University Forum NIOZ (UF-NIOZ)  

Because of the institute’s national role in seagoing marine research and as national platform-provider (NMF), NIOZ installed a new networking body ‘University Forum NIOZ’ in 2022, to strengthen the links with the Dutch universities involved in marine research. The members of this Forum are at the level of dean, sometimes at the level of professor, at their universities. The aim of the Forum is to enhance collaboration and to strengthen marine scientific research in the broad sense in the Netherlands, with a view to developing joint research programmes and expeditions.  

Works Council NIOZ

• dr. Ellen Hopmans (chair)
• dr. Rob Middag  (deputy chair)