National funding for research in the Netherlands is available from a number of sources. The main sources of funding for TU/e researchers are NWO and RVO.

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) funds scientists and scientific research at Dutch universities. NWO has several funding lines and each line have a distinct objective:

Funding lines NWO

• Open Competition
  Curiosity-driven research in the domains:
  Science; Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH); Applied and Engineering Sciences (AES);
  ZonMw (Health research)
• Talent Programme
  Curiosity-driven, responsive-mode research aimed at research talent
  • NWO Talent programme Veni | Vidi | Vici
  • Rubicon
• Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC)
  Projects or programmes in partnership with external public and/or private parties
  • KIC
• Dutch Research Agenda
  Facilitate science making a contribution to economic and societal challenges
  • NWA
• Research infrastructure
  Realising large-scale infrastructure
  • Research infrastructure: national consortia' (formerly: NWO Investment Grant Large) 
  • National Roadmap for Large-Scale Research Facilities

Open calls for research grants can be found on

• the website of NWO and their integral call planning
• the website of ZonMW for health and life sciences related calls

More information can be obtained from your departmental project development officer (PDO) or contact Rianne Pas.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) supports entrepreneurs, NGOs, knowledge institutes and organisations. They facilitate entrepreneurship, improve collaborations, strengthen positions and help realise national and international ambitions with funding, networking, know-how and compliance with laws and regulations.

EUREKA

RVO is the Dutch national funding source for participation in the EUREKA programmes (ITEA, PENTA, Xecs, Eurostars). Yearly, calls for Dutch funding are published that require a EUREKA label for participation.

More information can be obtained from your departmental project development officer (PDO) or contact Paul Merkus.

Top-sectors policy/ TKI

The Netherlands has to be competitive to retain its top international position. At the same time, creative solutions are needed to societal problems like the rise of an ageing population and the transition to clean energy and sustainable food production. Therefore, the Netherlands needs new products, smart production chains and new skills. In nine top sectors companies, researchers, government and NGO’s are working towards a common goal to sustain innovation with well educated people. The power of the top sectors approach lies in collaboration between industry, research and government within the different top sectors and the cross-fertilization between these top sectors. 

Each top sector draws up a research agenda. The Top consortia for Knowledge and Innovation (TKIs) are fleshing out these research agendas.

Research organizations and companies work together within a TKI on private-public funded, multiyear TKI programs that contain fundamental research, industrial research, experimental development or a combination of these kinds of research. The TKI takes care of the orchestration, network creation and knowledge sharing, and applies for TKI allowance to execute the program.

As from 2017, the Top consortia for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI) allowance is known as the "PPS allowance" for Research and Innovation. The private-public partnerships can apply for a PPS project allowance directly with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) or via the TKI organisations.

TU/e applies for the TKI program allowance for all TKIs centrally, so you do not have to do anything more. The resulting PPS-allowance is the financial source of the TU/e mini-IMPULS program, in which strategic private partners are invited to define joined innovation projects.

More information can be obtained via Paul Merkus.