Dutch Research Council (NWO)
NWO XS
€50,000 for exploratory proof-of-concept research at Dutch knowledge institutions. Pilot studies and early-stage ideas.
Programme guide in progress
We are still researching the full guide for NWO XS. In the meantime, you will find the live open calls, eligibility basics and related programmes below.
Next deadline
15 September 2026 (92 days away)
SSH Open Competition XS 2026 Round 3
View full call details →Key facts
- Budget
- €50,000
- Duration
- Up to 2 years
- Selection
- Excellence threshold + lottery
- Eligibility
- Any career stage
- Success rate
- Effective ~25% via lottery among fundable proposals
Who is eligible?
- •Affiliated with a Dutch knowledge institution
- •Any career stage, PhD, postdoc, or senior researcher
- •Project must be bold, exploratory, and high-risk / high-reward
- •No consortium or co-applicant requirement
Open calls right now
Curious who tends to win this grant?
See past NWO XS awardees →Looking for proposal-writing advice?
Read the Dutch Research Council (NWO) writing guide →Related programmes
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