Law sector plan

Empirical Legal Studies Sector Plan

Through multi-year sector plans, the Netherlands invests in innovative scientific research. Empirical Legal Studies is one of the legal science themes that the Law Sector Plan incorporates. Five universities in the Netherlands have committed themselves to advancing empirical legal research and education at their respective law schools: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Leiden University, University of Groningen, Utrecht University, and the VU Amsterdam. The ELS Academy embodies a national collaboration in the field of Empirical Legal Studies.

New research groups are being set up at the various faculties, often bringing together legal and social scientists. The funding has allowed for investment in academic talent. With the recruitment of young researchers, a new generation of empirical legal researchers is emerging, who are the driving force for innovation in both research and education at their faculties. What’s more, they are the PhD supervisors of the future.

The ELS Academy contributes to the training and support of aspiring empirical legal researchers. The ambition is to enable more researchers at the various faculties to ask empirical questions and to provide them with the empirical ‘toolbox’ to answer those questions.

Sectorplan Rechtsgeleerdheid

The plan is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science