The Open Competition ENW-M round 2025-2026 is open for research proposals with questions in the (border) area of earth sciences, astronomy, chemistry, computer science, life sciences, physics, and mathematics. In this round, a number of adjustments have been made; read more about them below.

Opening and budget

The new round of the Open Competition ENW-M (2025-2026) will open on August 7, 2025. A total of 40 million euros in funding is available for the projects that will be assessed by NWO. Additionally, 11 million euros in funding is available for allocations of projects from Dutch co-applicants that will be assessed via the Weave principle by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR) or the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek – Vlaanderen (FWO).

Weave pilot expanded with Luxembourg

FNR and NWO signed a ‘Statement of Intent’ in March 2017 in which they agree to support bilateral projects between researchers in the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Dhis collaboration with researchers from Luxembourg was previously embedded in the Open Competition but is now incorporated within the Weave pilot from the new round Open Competition ENW-M (2025-2026). This now also makes it possible to submit a bilateral application to the FNR where FNR is the lead agency .

NWO is not an official partner within the Weave consortium, but is exploring whether it can become one in the future. To this end, NWO is conducting the same pilot with partners from Germany, Luxembourg, and Flanders within this Call for proposals. NWO has made agreements with the DFG in Germany, with the FNR in Luxembourg, and with FWO regarding the financing of bilateral projects according to the lead agency principle. Bilateral cooperation with one or more German, Luxembourgish, or Flemish researchers is possible by submitting a Weave application to DFG, FNR, FWO, or NWO. Projects with partners from more than two countries, involving three or four research financiers, are currently excluded.
Want to know more about WEAVE? Check out the WEAVE information page. 

Goal

Open Competition ENW-M funding is intended for conducting curiosity-driven fundamental scientific research with impact. The ENW-M funding gives researchers the opportunity and freedom to start or strengthen excellent, challenging, and innovative (monodisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or interdisciplinary) research lines. There are different categories of Open Competition ENW-M funding: ENW-M-1 (1 scientific position), ENW-M-1X (1 scientific position plus investment), ENW-M-1-WEAVE (1 scientific position in the Netherlands in collaboration with Germany, Flanders, or Luxembourg), and ENW-M-2 (2 scientific positions in collaboration) that will be assessed in mutual competition.

In the current call, the following changes have been made to the assessment criteria and budget modules:

• the wording of the original assessment criterion 2 (Scientific and/or societal impact) and the weighting factors of the slightly adjusted assessment criteria have been more aligned with the formulations of the Open Competition ENW-XL and the Talent line;
• changes have been made to the budget modules

More information

For more information about Open Competition ENW, visit the program page and funding page . Additionally, NWO will soon announce more information about this call via the NWO website, NWO newsletter, and NWO social media channels.