NWO and JST have jointly opened their call for Unconventional Information Processing Technologies for applications. With this call, NWO and JST aim to stimulate transnational research collaboration between Japan and the Netherlands in the field of high technology. This program focuses on pushing boundaries by exploring unconventional approaches to information processing.
Goal of this call
Computer manufacturers continue to push the limits of what is achievable in terms of clock speed, chip size and packaging, bandwidth, and latency. They do this to meet societal demand and industrial needs regarding processing power, data processing, and data transmission. At the same time, high-tech devices and facilities, such as smartphones, computers, and data centers, consume a huge amount of energy and scarce materials, which has a significant impact on the environment.
NWO and JST believe that new materials and building blocks for unconventional information processing technologies need to be developed. These technologies must contribute to the ever-increasing demand for processing speed and power. At the same time, they must address challenges related to energy consumption, substitutes for rare materials, and ecological footprints. Therefore, we invite researchers from Japan and the Netherlands to collaboratively develop new, unconventional research ideas that address the aforementioned issues.
Research projects submitted for this call must focus on solving issues by creating competitive alternatives to conventional information processing hardware. This program focuses on the semiconductor area with extensions to (integrated) photonics, quantum, and neuromorphic computing.
Budget
The maximum available budget from NWO for this Call for proposals is €4,650,000 and from JST there is 769,230,769 JPY available (up to 1,000,000,000 JPY including indirect costs that amount to 30% of direct costs). Within this Call for proposals, a maximum of 4 applications are expected to be awarded.
Deadlines
The deadline for submitting the letter of intent is July 31, 2025. This statement is not mandatory. The deadline for submitting full applications is September 9, 2025 before 14:00:00 CEST at NWO and September 9, 2025 before 14:00:00 JST at JST.
Note! Applications must be submitted to both NWO (via ISAAC) and JST (via e-Rad). When you submit an application to ISAAC and e-Rad, you must also provide online information. Therefore, we recommend starting to submit the proposal at least five days before the deadline. If you need to request to add an organization to ISAAC, we recommend starting that at least ten days before the deadline. Applications submitted after the deadline to either funding agency will not be considered.
Webinar and matchmaking
On Tuesday, June 3, there will be an online information session with opportunities for matchmaking. During this online meeting, more information will be provided about the Call for proposals and the application procedure. There will also be time to ask questions. You can register via the button below: