The Dutch Programme Council for Educational Research (PROO)'s framework consists of the assignment allocated to the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research (NWO) by the State Secretary for Education in 1995. The PROO was set up in September 1996 by the NWO Governing Board, under the auspices of the Board of NWO’s Social Sciences and is charged with drafting a research programme for educational research. The PROO focuses on fundamental and strategic research, application-oriented (mid-) long-term research, international comparative research and evaluative research. The research areas of PROO include primary education, general secondary education, (pre-) vocational education and teacher training institutes. It consists of five scientific members and four educational practitioners.

In its 2012-2015 programme, the PROO has a focus on four central lines of research that represent a balance between micro-, meso- and macro-oriented issues: Educational learning processes and their results; Educational staff and school organisation; The educational system; and Education’s pedagogic function. With these lines of research, the PROO aims to contribute to more evidence-based education.