The VU University Academy Assistants programme is now entering its fifth year. Initially funded through a KNAW grant and aimed at combining social sciences and computer science research, it has since been adopted by the Network Institute and opened up for other interdisciplinary projects that fall within the research themes of the institute. The Academy Assistants programme aims at interesting high-potential master students in conducting scientific research and pursuing an academic career. Last year, the programme received 30 proposals of which 12 were funded. This year, the programme will be able to fund 5 to 8 projects.