Funding landscape

The funding landscape in the Netherlands. The Netherlands offers several sources of research funding. The main governmental funder is the Dutch Research Council NWO.

About NWO

The Netherlands offers several sources of research funding. The main governmental funder is the Dutch Research Council NWO (or Nederlandse organisatie voor wetenschappelijk onderzoek). With funding from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science it is tasked with the distribution of around 900 million Euro for research funding each year. A separate branch of the NWO is the department of health care and medical sciences (ZonMw) who receive funding mainly for the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports. They focus mainly on the health and welfare sector in the Netherlands and related research. Together they fund programmes to stimulate talent in the Netherlands.

NWO offers 5 main lines of funding:

  1. Open Competition
    Curiosity-driven research
  2. Talent Scheme
    Curiosity-driven, responsive-mode research aimed at research talent
  3. Knowledge and Innovation Contract/KIC
    Projects or programmes in partnership with external public and/or private parties
  4. Dutch National Research Agenda (NWA)
    Facilitate science making a contribution to economic and societal challenges
  5. Research infrastructure
    Realising large-scale infrastructure

ZonMw has a slightly different structure. They partner with NWO for the Talent Scheme and Open Competition, but in addition they have about 80-100 different (thematic) calls each year. 

Other funders in The Netherlands

Top sectors

The Dutch Economic affairs unit has issued 6 area’s, the so-called Top Sectors, which are of the utmost economic value of the Netherlands. To maintain a leading role in the world on these topics, research budget is issued for innovation. The Kennis and Innovation Convenant is agreed on every four years where all partners, such as government, universities, and the private sector, work together to innovate the Netherlands. The KIC budget is for a part distributed by the NWO in different funding opportunities.

Health Sector

The Dutch organization for specific health-related diseases also often have a research budget and stimulate research. For these specific grants you can always check the different websites of health organisations. You can get an overview on the website of the Stichting gezondheidsfondsen

More information

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