News article | 13-05-2025 | 17:28

NWO is expected to launch a new ‘Call for Proposals’ for PhD Grants as part of the Program Caribbean Research: a multidisciplinary approach in May. The Call is intended for graduate researchers who want to conduct PhD research that is directly related to or relevant for the Caribbean islands of the Kingdom.

About the Program

The Caribbean Research Program was established in 2013 by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. It supports high-quality research aimed at strengthening the knowledge base, building research capacity, and contributing to the resolution of urgent social issues in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Caribbean region).

This ‘Call for Proposals’ offers PhD Grants for research that:

• Increases and strengthens the scientific knowledge production on and about the Caribbean region;
• Has scientific and social impact on the islands;
• Is largely carried out in the Caribbean region, ensuring local relevance and connectivity;
• Contributes to the long-term development of research capacity and infrastructure in the Caribbean region.

This is a great opportunity if you:

• Want to obtain a PhD degree at one of the following universities: University of Aruba, University of Curaçao, University of St. Martin, or in the Netherlands;
• Were born on or currently live on one of the six Caribbean islands of the Kingdom*;
• Hold a masters degree or equivalent;
• Are motivated to obtain a PhD degree that benefits the Caribbean region.

By supporting more PhD candidates from and in the Caribbean region, NWO aims to strengthen local universities, research organizations, and knowledge networks.

* This is a requirement if you want to obtain a PhD degree at a research organization in the Netherlands. All conditions can be found in the Call for Proposals.

Budget

For each project, a grant amount of up to €350,000 can be requested. The maximum duration of the proposed project is 48 months/four years (or equivalent part-time).

Deadlines

• The deadline for submitting letters of intent is June 24, 2025, before 17:00:00 CEST/11:00:00 AST.
• The deadline for submitting pre-applications is September 16, 2025, before 17:00:00 CEST/11:00:00 AST.
• The final deadline for submitting full proposals is February 24, 2026, before 17:00:00 MET/12:00:00 AST.

If you have not submitted a letter of intent, it is not possible to submit a pre-application.

What is a Letter of Intent?

An application starts with a Letter of Intent, followed by a pre-application phase, full application phase, and an interview. With a Letter of Intent, you indicate that you plan to submit an application for this Call for Proposals. The Letter of Intent allows NWO to establish the expected number of applications. This Letter of Intent is not part of the evaluation process, but is mandatory and must be submitted before the submission deadline (see section Deadlines).

In this letter of intent, we ask for further information about the intended research organization for promotion and supervision (responsible promoter, co-promoter, and/or other (daily) supervisors) in relation to the intended research proposal. You can still make changes to your intended research and supervision team in the pre-application. If you have not submitted a letter of intent (and mandatory attachment), it is not possible to participate in the submission procedure. 

Funding

This Call for Proposals, including eligibility criteria, additional conditions, and application procedures, will be published at the end of May on the NWO website. More information will soon be available on the funding page.

Go to the funding page

Disclaimer This is solely an announcement of a proposed research program by NWO. The opportunity to apply for funding will open after the publication of the Call for Proposals in the Staatscourant. All conditions can be found in the Call for Proposals.