Scientific Meetings and Consultations

In its strategy 2023-2026 ‘Science Works!’, NWO indicates that it will play a greater role in encouraging national and international knowledge networks and promoting all forms of disciplinary (mono-, inter- and transdisciplinary) collaboration, as well as collaboration spanning the knowledge chain, and knowledge building. The aim of this programme is to facilitate academic networks and collaboration in the (inter)national context within the natural and physical sciences, including collaborations with other scientific domains, by means of scientific meetings and consultations. The programme supports the exchange of research and ideas as well as the formation of research communities. Via this low-threshold instrument, the field can request support for the organisation of scientific meetings as well as consultations for the formation and development of new (cross-domain) teams and consortia.

Full, associate and assistant professors, other researchers with a comparable position, postdocs, and PhD candidates may submit an application if they have a paid position, for at least until the meeting or consultation for which funding is requested, at one of the following organisations (see extra conditions below in section 3.1):

• universities located in the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
• university medical centres;
• Institutes affiliated to the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) or NWO; Netherlands Cancer Institute;
• the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen;
• Naturalis Biodiversity Center;
• Advanced Research Centre for NanoLithography (ARCNL);
• Princess Máxima Center.

For a scientific meeting, a maximum contribution of € 15,000 is available. The maximum remuneration per participant is € 60. This must be matched by the organisers of the scientific meeting with at least € 25 per participant.

For a scientific consultation, a maximum contribution of € 2,400 is available. The maximum remuneration per participant is € 60.

The funding is solely intended to facilitate the meeting. NWO Domain Science makes a contribution towards costs for:

• The design and use of a digital platform hosting the conference (e.g. recording costs);
• Renting facilities (room, studio, technical support, computer, video projector);
• Participants’ attendance costs (coffee, tea, lunch, overnight stay);
• Travel and accommodation costs of guest speakers;
• On-site childcare.

An application for a(n) (inter)national scientific meeting or consultation must be submitted to NWO Science between the final submission date and twelve months before the start date of the meeting.

Criteria

NWO supports scientific meetings and consultations with a research question within or that overlaps with the earth sciences, astronomy, chemistry, computer science, life sciences, physics and mathematics.

Procedure

Applications can be submitted on a continuous basis. NWO will consider the applications in the order they are received.

First, the NWO Science office will assess whether the application satisfies the conditions. Applications that do not satisfy the conditions will not be taken into consideration.

No external advice will be requested for the assessment of applications. The NWO Science office will assess the application and the Board of the NWO Domain Science, will take a decision.

The Domain Science will randomly verify whether funded meetings or consultations have taken place. After a meeting or consultation has ended, NWO may request more information about the meeting from an applicant.

Do you have any other questions? Please contact us at wbo_science@nwo.nl