Dutch Research Agenda (NWA)
Funds Dutch strategic research collaborations and pilot projects linked to national opportunities and societal challenges.
The Dutch Research Agenda (Nationale Wetenschapsagenda, NWA) is a large-scale research programme funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and managed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). Since its launch in 2018 it has built a portfolio of 560 active projects structured around approximately 12,000 questions submitted by citizens, organised into 140 cluster questions and 25 self-organising research routes.
The programme runs four funding lines: Research along Routes by Consortia (NWA-ORC), which requires knowledge-chain-wide consortia linking researchers, government bodies, civil society organisations, and citizens; Thematic Programming in collaboration with government departments on specific societal challenges; Innovation and Networks for strengthening research clusters and citizen engagement; and Science Communication and Outreach. Open calls in 2026 include Reducing drug harm: towards effective societal interventions, NWA Citizen Science 2026, and NWA Resilient Digital Ecosystems.
Project consortia must demonstrate broad societal relevance and include partners from outside academia. Award sizes and project durations vary by funding line and call. The programme operates on a standing basis, with individual calls announced throughout the year as thematic priorities are confirmed by the NWA programme committee and the NWO Executive Board. Researchers based at Dutch universities and knowledge institutions are the primary eligible lead applicants.
Societal challenge research across 25 self-organizing research routes. Open 2026 calls: Reducing drug harm, NWA Citizen Science 2026, NWA Resilient Digital Ecosystems.
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