Open Competition Domain Science – M 2026/2027 (ENW-M)

ENW-M grants from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) fund curiosity-driven research with impact in the NWO Domain Science, which covers earth sciences, astronomy, chemistry, computer science, life sciences, physics and mathematics. Projects may be monodisciplinary, multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary and are intended to start or strengthen excellent, innovative lines of research.

ENW-M-1 grants of up to EUR 400,000 fund one temporary scientific position for a single main applicant; ENW-M-1X adds an investment of EUR 150,000-500,000 up to EUR 800,000; ENW-M-1-Weave pairs a Dutch main applicant with co-applicants from Germany, Luxembourg or Flanders (up to EUR 400,000 from NWO); and ENW-M-2 grants of up to EUR 800,000 fund two temporary positions for a main applicant and one complementary co-applicant.

This is a continuous call: proposals for round 2026/2027 can be submitted through ISAAC from 18 August 2026 up to and including 31 July 2027, 14:00 CEST, unless the round closes earlier once 420 proposals have been received. NWO considers applications in order of receipt.

Full, associate and assistant professors and researchers in a comparable position may apply if they hold a tenured position or a tenure-track agreement at a Dutch university, university medical centre, KNAW or NWO institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, ARCNL, the Princess Máxima Center, KNMI or IHE Delft. Researchers on one- or two-year contracts with an employer statement promising a permanent position are also eligible. Proposals must fit the NWO Domain Science. A main or co-applicant may have only one ENW-M application assessed at a time, faces a 12-month waiting period after a substantive rejection, and applicants with ongoing NWO Open Competition or Talent Programme projects may apply only within two years of their project's planned end date.