Tips & tricks

NWO is keen for female scientists to submit applications to its grant programmes and to the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme, in particular, as this is the most important NWO programme for encouraging scientific talent. Here you can read a few tips & tricks that can help you to further and you are also encouraged to visit the special information days. Make sure that you also take the time to orientate within your own institute or department. Coaching is often provided! And consult anyone you might know who has first-hand experience: both laureates and committee members can tell you what the critical factors are during the application procedure.

Proposal and presentation

• Aim your proposal and presentation at a broad group of scientists and not just at specialists


• Try out your proposal and presentation on colleagues


• Make it clear: why are you the best person?


• Emphasise the innovative character of your work


• It might seem obvious, but take good note of the criteria and adapt your proposal to these

Curriculum vitae

• Does international mobility play a role in the assessment procedure? If it does then emphasise the organisation of international workshops, partnerships, the invitation and receiving of guests and mobility within the Netherlands


• On your CV you should also state any experience you have gained in education, management or valorisation activities


• Are there are gaps in your CV due to pregnancy leave or caring responsibilities, for example? Then state this clearly


• Calculate the effective research time, therefore the time that you have actually devoted to research, after deducting leave and hours spent on educational tasks


• Have you published little to date? Then emphasise the quality of your publications instead of the quantity. Add, for example, a list of your top 5 publications. Or emphasise the status within your discipline of certain journals you have published in or conferences you have attended