In the NWO Open Competition Domain Science - M, researchers can apply individually or in collaboration for non-programmed, curiosity-driven basic research. This funding instrument is open for proposals with a research question in or overlapping the fields of earth sciences, astronomy, chemistry, computer science, life sciences, physics and mathematics.

Purpose

ENW-M grants are intended for curiosity-driven scientific research with impact. The ENW-M grants offer researchers the opportunity and freedom to start, and/or strengthen excellent, challenging and innovative lines of research, both mono disciplinary, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary.

For this call for proposals, your application must fit in the NWO Domain Science. Consider at an early point in time if the contents of your application meet this condition. In case of any doubts, for instance because your application is (partially) multidisciplinary, please contact one of the contact persons for this programme. This person can advise you about the substantive connection between your application and this Call for Proposals.

Who can apply

Full, associate and assistant professors and other researchers with a comparable position may submit an application if they have a tenured position (and therefore a paid position for an indefinite period) or a tenure track agreement at one of the organisations mentioned in the Call for Proposals. Researchers with a one-year or a two-year employment contract who are expected to be offered a permanent employment contract after the initial one-year or two-year period has elapsed, are also eligible to submit a proposal.

An additional condition is a.o. that a main or co-applicant may only submit an ENW-M proposal for substantive consideration once every twelve months. 

For a description of this and other conditions, please refer to the Call for Proposals.

What to apply for

The Open Competition Domain Science - M consists of multiple categories:

An ENW-M-1 grant has a maximum size of 400,000 euro and has a single main applicant, no co-applicant. The grant must be used for a single temporary scientific position in combination with material budget, a small investment (equipment) and/or non-scientific support, as needed.

An ENW-M-1X grant has a maximum size of 800,000 euro and has a single main applicant, no co-applicant. The grant must be used for a single temporary scientific position and an investment between 150,000 and 500,000 euros in combination with material budget, and/or non-scientific support, as needed.

An ENW-M-1-WEAVE or ENW-M-1-LUX grant has a single main Dutch applicant and one or more co-applicants from Germany/Flandres/Luxembourg who work together to realise the proposed research. The budget requested from NWO has a maximum size of 400,000 euro and must be used for a single temporary scientific position in combination with material budget, a small investment (equipment) and/or non-scientific support, as needed.

Note! This concerns Weave applications in which the Dutch applicant acts as main applicant and NWO as the lead agency. In case of Weave-proposals where the German/Flemish researcher acts as main applicant and the Dutch researcher as co-applicant NWO will act as partner agency, see https://www.nwo.nl/en/calls/weave-with-nwo-as-partner-agency-2024/2025 and https://www.fwo.be/en/support-programmes/all-calls/senior-researchersresearch-teams/weave-fwo-lead/ (FWO) and http://www.dfg.de/nwo (DFG).

An ENW-M-2 grant has a maximum size of 800,000 euros and has a single main applicant and a single co-applicant who work together to realise the proposed research. It should be clear from the application that their expertise is complementary. The grant must be used for two temporary scientific positions in combination with material budget, small investments (equipment) and/or non-scientific support, as needed. 

When to apply

The Open Competition Domain Science - M is a continuous call, meaning that applications can be submitted on a continuous basis. A new round of this call is opened annually. A round consists of 5 sets of 84 admissible proposals each. 

The current round (2024/2025) is closing:

• Once 420 (5x84) applications have been received OR
• No later than 31 July 2025.

Applications for the current round (2024/2025) can therefore be submitted until 31 July 2025 at the latest, as long as the maximum number of 336 applications has not yet been reached. The new round, year 2025/2026, will be opened in August 2025, in which applications can again be submitted continuously.

Note! ENW-M-1-WEAVE proposals with a Flemish co-applicant should be submitted no later than 28 February 2025, 14:00:00 CET.