KNAW Early Career Award 2026

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. Applicants should use the official call page to confirm final requirements before submitting.

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.

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.

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.

Confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, and submission route on the official call page.

Plan internal approvals, partner confirmations, budgets, letters, and portal submission before the final deadline.

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 submitting, check required documents, eligible costs, attachments, page limits, institutional approvals, and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration, or nomination stage.