Grant opportunity
KNAW Early Career Award 2026
The KNAW Early Career Award recognises early-career scientists and scholars in the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have made valuable and innovative contributions to science or scientific practice.
- Funder
- Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Nomination deadline
- Nomination deadline: Jul 1, 2026
- Award
- EUR 15,000 and a work of art
- Applicant
- Early-career researchers
- Discipline
- All Disciplines
- Region
- Netherlands
- Posted
- May 24, 2026
Call summary
Overview
The award encourages a diverse range of early-career scientists and scholars whose contributions relate to research, education, impact, patient care in university medical centres, leadership, or other forms of scientific practice.
Who can apply
- Candidates must be employed at a university or research institute in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- Candidates must have obtained their PhD at least three and at most seven years before the award year, subject to the Academy's extension arrangement.
- Candidates must not hold a position as associate professor, full professor, or an equivalent senior role.
What it supports
- Awards are made across the Academy's four domains: Behavioural and Social Sciences and Law; Humanities; Medical, Biomedical and Health Sciences; and Natural Sciences and Engineering.
- The award recognises valuable and innovative contributions to science or scientific practice, including research, education, impact, patient care, and leadership.
Funding and duration
A maximum of twelve awards are presented each year. Each award consists of a work of art and EUR 15,000, which the awardee may spend at their own discretion to advance their research career.
Nomination deadline
Nomination deadline: Jul 1, 2026
How to apply
Nominations must be submitted in Dutch or English through the KNAW nomination portal by authorised nominators before the Academy deadline of 1 July 2026.
Call details
About the opportunity
The award encourages a diverse range of early-career scientists and scholars whose contributions relate to research, education, impact, patient care in university medical centres, leadership, or other forms of scientific practice.
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences lists this opportunity for Early-career researchers, All Disciplines, Netherlands.
This listing is written for researchers, students, universities, NGOs, research teams, policy professionals and academic institutions searching for All Disciplines grants, fellowships, scholarships, conferences, workshops and funding opportunities in Netherlands contexts.
Eligibility
Candidates must be employed at a university or research institute in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Candidates must have obtained their PhD at least three and at most seven years before the award year, subject to the Academy's extension arrangement.
Candidates must not hold a position as associate professor, full professor, or an equivalent senior role.
Funding and benefits
A maximum of twelve awards are presented each year. Each award consists of a work of art and EUR 15,000, which the awardee may spend at their own discretion to advance their research career.
Themes and supported activities
Awards are made across the Academy's four domains: Behavioural and Social Sciences and Law; Humanities; Medical, Biomedical and Health Sciences; and Natural Sciences and Engineering.
The award recognises valuable and innovative contributions to science or scientific practice, including research, education, impact, patient care, and leadership.
Deadline and timeline
Nomination deadline: Nomination deadline: Jul 1, 2026.
Applicants should confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, required documents, portal steps and any institutional approvals on the official call page before submitting.
How to apply
Nominations must be submitted in Dutch or English through the KNAW nomination portal by authorised nominators before the Academy deadline of 1 July 2026.
Before applying, check eligibility rules, budgets, attachments, page limits, partner requirements, cost-share conditions and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration or nomination stage.