Rubicon is part of the NWO Talent Programme, aimed at retaining talented already postdoctoral researchers for science. The Rubicon programme allows recently graduated scientists to gain experience at a foreign top institute. This is an important step up in a scientific career.
Research experience abroad is usually a vital aspect of building a scientific career. Rubicon allows recently graduated, talented scientists to gain experience at a foreign top institute for a period of 1-2 years. This increases the chance that they can continue working in academia. For specific Dutch topics, the research can be done at a Dutch institute.