Pre-announcement call for proposals NWA

The safety assessment of chemical substances relies heavily on animal testing. Further development and validation of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) is required to bridge the gap between research and implementation.  Validation of NAMs is an important requirement before they can be used as standard methods for safety testing and in a regulatory context. The aim of the ‘NWA Do-ReACT’ Call for proposals is to contribute to the validation of existing non-animal methods (TRL 3-7) that focus on determining the hazards and/or risks of exposure to chemicals for humans, animals and the environment. This will promote the acceptance and use of these methods and the results obtained from them. These include plant protection products, food and feed additives, pharmaceutical ingredients, biocides and industrial chemicals.

The ultimate goal is to bring these NAMs as close as possible to achieving international regulatory acceptance. Gaining insights into the validation process is also an explicit part of this Call for Proposals.

Only consortia focused on the further development and validation of existing methods for the safety assessment of chemical substances can apply for funding within this Call for Proposals. These methods have been developed previously in research projects, which have already provided insight into their feasibility and potential impact. The Call for Proposals is aimed at funding a single project. A maximum grant of € 3,440,000 can be requested for the project. Various different methods can be further developed in the project. In this way, the project can be a learning community where knowledge is developed from different cases and where overarching research focused on generic insights and recommendations is also possible.

This Call for Proposals supports the formation of consortia through a series of two collaborative workshops. The two consecutive workshops form a single session, focusing on the exchange of ideas, exploring collaboration in consortia with other participants, and making the first agreements for jointly elaborating the application. Following the workshops, the formed consortia will further develop the applications. Participation in both workshops is mandatory for lead applicants.

Workshop 1: Wednesday, 14 January 2026

Workshop 2: Wednesday, 4 February 2026

These dates are part of a provisional schedule and are subject to change depending on availability and circumstances.

Would you like to stay informed about this Call for proposals? 

Send an email to doreact.nwa@zonmw.nl.