NWO Open Competition Domain Science

NWO Open Competition Domain Science is the Dutch Research Council's open-topic line for the exact and natural sciences. It sits inside NWO's wider portfolio, which invests about EUR 1.5 billion a year in curiosity-driven research, societal challenge research, and research infrastructure across Dutch universities and knowledge institutions. The call runs annually in the Netherlands. The public description frames it as a core science grant with typical awards of EUR 250,000 to EUR 1.5 million over up to four years, which makes it a serious research-build route rather than a small feasibility cheque. The field focus is the strength of the proposal, not a narrow thematic carve-out, so the right application is one with a clear scientific question and enough depth to justify a multi-year research team. It fits investigators who can anchor ambitious, curiosity-driven work in a Dutch research setting and explain why the project belongs in the science domain rather than a topical challenge line. The strongest proposals read like they could produce durable scientific value, not just a short-term result, and they sit comfortably alongside NWO's other career and programme lines such as the Talent Programme, Rubicon, KIC, and NWA.

No upcoming rounds verified. Cadence: Annual.