Rubicon is changing from three to two rounds per year
Starting in 2027, NWO will be making a change to the Rubicon program. From that year onward, there will be two application rounds per year instead of three. The new deadlines are in April and October. With this change, NWO aims to streamline the process while continuing to meet the needs of researchers.
More efficient procedure and less overlap
A key goal of the change is to reduce overlap between the review rounds. In the current situation, two deadlines in the fall occur relatively close together. This overlap made it difficult to conduct the review process efficiently, leaving little room for reflection and process improvements.
In the new system with two rounds per year, the turnaround time for the rounds will remain approximately three months. As a result, the timing between completing the PhD program and submitting a Rubicon application will remain virtually unchanged. The Rubicon review procedure will therefore remain virtually the same as it is today.
To compensate for the reduction in the number of rounds per year, NWO simultaneously investigated whether shortening the call’s turnaround time was possible. However, the Rubicon procedure already operates at a fast pace. Further shortening therefore appears unfeasible, partly because NWO expects that, under the new system, approximately 1.5 times as many applications will be received per round.
Changes to application deadlines
For applicants, this change means there will be one fewer application window per year. The new deadlines in April and October were chosen to maintain a balanced distribution of application opportunities throughout the year. October was chosen to give applicants sufficient time to contact foreign host institutions outside the summer period. Additionally, there are already deadlines in September for programs with major rounds, such as Veni and Open Competition.
Chances of funding remain unchanged
Analysis of previous rounds shows that the timing of an applicant’s submission has no clear impact on the chance of funding. For example, applicants who submit a proposal later after earning their PhD are no more likely to be funded than those who submit earlier. Applicants who have not yet earned their PhD do not, on average, score lower than those who have.
Planning
The change will take effect for the first round of 2027. The exact deadlines will be published in a timely manner in the Rubicon call for proposals and via zonmw.nl.