Funding lines

NWO harmonises the current funding instruments as much as possible to facilitate collaboration. As a result, researchers, irrespective of the research domain, will be subject to the same conditions as much as possible. Harmonisation will facilitate both applicants and NWO to work more across the boundaries of disciplines and domains.

NWO will provide a limited palette of funding instruments with a clear number of modules. These modules can be combined in accordance with the objectives of the programme or call concerned. This approach will provide the flexibility needed to meet the needs of the various disciplines.

Objective each funding line

The harmonisation of instruments will provide the following palette of funding lines and each line will have a distinct objective:

  1. Open Competition
    Funding of curiosity-driven research in the four scientific domains, thus enabling researchers to conduct research into a subject of their own choice without being bound by thematic conditions.
    Choose one of the following domains:
    Science 
    Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) 
    Applied and Engineering Sciences (AES) 
    ZonMw (Health research)
  2. Talent Programme
    Personal funding for individual researchers, whether working in teams or otherwise. For example, we finance curiosity-driven research aligned to the various stages in the careers of researchers through the Talent Programme.
    NWO Talent programme Veni | Vidi | Vici
    Rubicon
  3. Collaboration with knowledge users and society
    Projects or programmes for thematic research and valorisation in partnership with external public and/or private parties. These projects or programmes are designed to increase and accelerate the economic or social impact of the research. Examples are programmes or projects falling under the auspices of the National Research Agenda, the Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (focusing on major challenges facing society which require more knowledge and ground-breaking innovations) and the National Growth Fund (large-scale investments to promote long-term economic growth).
    KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Covenant)
    NWA (Dutch Research Agenda)
    NGF (National Growth Fund)
  4. Practice-oriented research
    Investment in the professionalisation, quality improvement and self-organisation of practice-oriented research in the universities of applied sciences. This funding is provided using different instruments managed by the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA.
  5. Infrastructure
    Support in constructing and providing access to (large-scale) scientific infrastructure through programmes such as the National Roadmap for Large-scale Scientific Infrastructure. Financial support is provided for the further expansion of the Dutch digital research and data infrastructure, for eScience and computing facilities for example, and to foster coordination and cooperation through Thematic Digital Competence Centers.

Modules

In the majority of cases, the programmes and projects from the aforementioned funding lines will be built up from the following modules: