Every year, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) nominates five professors who are given the opportunity to conduct innovative research for five years, free of any constraints. The KNAW pays the salaries of the Academy Professors and also finances the research budget. The money that this frees up must be used by the university to appoint at least one young and talented research supervisor in order to promote the progression of young researchers into managerial positions.
Academy Professorships:
| Who | Research | Faculty | Year |
 | Dorret Boomsma researches the role of genes in health using the Netherlands Twin Register she established. | FPE | 2014 |
 | Rienk van Grondelle is researching the first stage in the process of photosynthesis from a biophysical perspective, using a new laser technology | FOS | 2009 |
 | At VU University Amsterdam Sierd Cloetingh has researched tectonics, the link between the deep regions of the earth and what we can see on the surface. | FELS | 2006 |
 | Martijn Katan carried out research in healthy diet, in particular the relationship between nutrients and the effect of diet on cardiovascular disease and obesity. | FELS | 2005 |
 | Andrew Tanenbaum is researching reliable and safe system software. | FOS | 2004 |
 | Gun Semin carried out research primarily into communication, social cognition, language and the different ways in which language is used in social interactions. | FPE | 2003 |