New NWO-I team leader Communication Kim Damen seeks connection

Even as a small child, Kim liked to read books about how the world works. She was fascinated by the small dot in that immense universe that we humans live on. With her broad interest and curiosity, the study of journalism was an obvious choice for her. She was only 16 years old when she began training as a journalist.
"The study programme suited me well", says Kim, looking back. "I learned a lot and gained a lot of practical experience." However, the course mainly focused on the acquisition of skills such as writing and filming, whereas Kim longed for more theoretical insights. Therefore, as she was still young, she subsequently decided to study philosophy. In 2012, she successfully completed her master's degree and she set herself up as an independent editor and communication adviser. However, she had a somewhat slow start due to the prevailing economic crisis. “So I kept an eye out for a salaried position."

Excellent training ground in the field of communication

Kim learned the tricks of the communication trade at the Dutch bureau Tappan Communicatie in The Hague, which she joined in 2013. She worked there for five years as an editor and communication adviser. "Tappan was a superb training ground. I did many interesting communication projects concerning a wide range of subjects and for a variety of clients. Examples are communication about infrastructural projects for Rijkswaterstaat and about culture and nature projects for the Dutch province of North Brabant."

Practice-oriented research at the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA

In 2018, Kim was ready for a new challenge and applied for a communications adviser job at the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA, part of the domain organisation of NWO (NWO-D). "I have always been very interested in research and science and wanted to work in that world. The Taskforce for Applied Research SIA was established to encourage practice-oriented research at universities of applied sciences and to facilitate collaboration within the knowledge and innovation system. When I started there, I joined a club of about 25 colleagues. However, over the past few years, the taskforce has grown considerably and now numbers about 80 employees. It was great to experience the growth of both the Taskforce for Applied Research and practice-oriented research itself. "

Works councils

During her time at NWO, Kim was first a member and, a year later, also chair of the NWO-D works council. The works council is a fantastic way to get to know the organisation well as you become far more aware of the many things that are happening. I like to contribute to the discussion about how you can make an organisation a better place for everybody, and I quickly feel a sense of responsibility. During my training as a journalist, I was also a member of the Institution Works Council, and I was a member of the personnel representation at Tappan.”

Fantastic research                                             

Kim already knew a bit about NWO-I through her communication job at the Taskforce for Applied Research and work council responsibilities. “I read and heard about the fantastic, groundbreaking research being done at the institutes and wanted to learn more about that.” Therefore, when she saw the vacancy for team leader communication at the NWO-I office, she quickly decided to apply for the job. “After five years of working on the funding side, I wanted to get to know the research side better. In my communication role, I would like to contribute to the excellent work that takes place at the institutes. And now I have a chance to do so as a team leader and as part of the NWO-I office management team. Furthermore, in doing this, I want to continue working closely with NWO-D colleagues.”

Making plans and sharing knowledge

Kim is pleased she has made the switch. "I received a very warm welcome from friendly, motivated and committed colleagues. At the NWO-I office, the communication department currently has four employees. The management team has seven members plus fantastic support staff. Together with all Communication professionals from the Institutes, we form a communication network of about 25 people. Within this network, the office has a coordinating role with respect to joint or overarching subjects. Several times per year, we come together as a network for a Functional Consultation. This new year, we aim to improve cooperation, learn from each other and exchange knowledge."

At the beginning of 2023, the Communication network had already written an 'Action plan for further development' to improve the communication within the entire NWO-I and to intensify the cooperation. Kim: "That objective is still wholly the same, but the plan was too big and too broad to tackle in one go. Together with the network, I have selected several aspects to make a start on in 2024. For example, we will organise joint communication trainings and establish a communication platform where we will exchange our experiences and plans with each other. We will also contribute to important themes that affect all of us, such as diversity and inclusion. This spring, the entire network will do the training 'Inclusive writing'. We will also expand the digital accessibility of our communication and services, like the accessibility of our websites."

Sparring partner

Kim works closely with Elsbeth Jansen, the Institute manager at ASTRON, and responsible for the portfolio communication. Kim: "Elsbeth is my sparring partner. She is a great colleague who brings a lot of knowledge to the table thanks to her background and due to her work at her own institute".

Who is Kim Damen?

Kim lives in Tilburg with her partner Ben. In addition to work, she has several other passions. "I really enjoy cooking and baking and love the challenge of finding a perfect wine for the meal, which is helped by the fact that I've done various wine courses. I also like to go for a hike with a pair of binoculars to watch birds. And I am a voracious reader who consumes books on a wide range of subjects, from politics to palaeontology, and from philosophy to physics." Laughing: "If I had been a bit better at maths and science subjects, I might have become a researcher at a NWO Institute".

Text: Elke Veldkamp

Newsletter Inside NWO-I, February 2024
You can find the archive of the newsletter Inside NWO-I on the NWO-I website.