Vidi is a funding instrument from the NWO Talent Programme. The Vidi target group consists of excellent researchers (up to 8 years after obtaining their PhD) with a striking and original talent and a great fascination for doing challenging and groundbreaking research. The focus is on innovative and curiosity-driven research.
Who can apply
The Vidi target group consists of researchers in transition to leadership, i.e. ready for the establishment of a research group or the expansion of a recent research group. The Vidi can contribute to the researcher's development in this area. The Vidi grant is aimed at researchers with academic qualities that clearly exceed what is customary and demonstrate the development of leadership and mentorships skills.
Applications can be submitted by candidates who have obtained their PhD, irrespective of whether they hold tenured positions and of whether they come from the Netherlands or abroad. Candidates may only submit an application if they have obtained their PhD in the eight years preceding the benchmark date of this round, 1 October 2025. An extension to the above career-dependent submission period may be possible under specific circumstances (see Section 3.4.2 of the Call for proposals).
What for
The aim of the NWO Talent Programme is to provide creative space for adventurous, talented, pioneering researchers to do research of their choice, develop their own line of research and further develop their talent.
The Vidi grant is designed to fund scientifically innovative research and to provide these researchers with the opportunity to establish or expand a research group. Researchers who are significantly further along in their careers—such as those with extensive experience in leading a research group—no longer fall within the Vidi target group. This will be taken into account in the assessment of the researcher's quality. Fit with the target group is one of the aspects evaluated under this criterion (see Section 4.3).
What to request
A maximum of € 850,000 can be applied for within this Call for proposals. The maximum duration of the proposed project is five years. If the proposed research is of shorter duration, the maximum amount will be reduced accordingly. It is also possible to carry out the research part-time without extending the duration of the project.
When
You can submit your pre-proposal via Mijn ZonMw portal until 9 April 2026, 14:00:00 PM CET. The Mijn ZonMw online portal will be open for submissions from 25 February 2026.
Timeline:
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Applicants receive a decision about whether or not to elaborate on their pre-proposal and turn it into a proposal | End Februari 2026 |
| Proposal deadline | Thursday 9 April 2026, 14:00:00 CEST |
| Admissibility check | April 2026 |
| Referees consulted | April-May 2026 |
| Applicants can submit a rebuttal | From 26 May 2026* |
| Interview selection | Early July 2026 |
| Interviews en committee meeting | 8, 9, 10 September 2026 |
| Decision by the board | End October 2026 |
| Latest start date | No later than 6 months after award |
* This is the target date, but the true date can differ somewhat. In that case, this will be communicated. The deadline for submitting a rebuttal is 5 workdays after receiving the reviewer reports.
All the documents needed for your application can be found below.
Relevante informatie
General background information
Embedding guarantee
Since 2019 on NWO has asked candidates for an 'embedding guarantee' from the start of the application round for NWO Talent Programme Vidi funding. Researchers can only submit applications for Vidi funding with the support of the Dutch institution where they intend to conduct their research. It is expected to lead to fewer applications and to be more consistent with the research institutions’ personnel policy.
Optional literature list
As of 2023, the Vidi uses an optional literature list of max. ten pieces of relevant scientific literature closely related to your research idea. NWO will use the literature list - along with your research idea, key words and specified discipline(s) - to search for potential external reviewers for your full proposal. Your literature list will not be submitted to the committee.
Frequently asked questions
On this page you will find an overview of the most frequently asked questions about the NWO Talent Programme, including questions about the set time limit to submit a proposal (and any exceptions to it) and the embedding guarantee.
Downloads voor uw aanvraag
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Checklist for submitting your full proposal application:
- Use the same account in Mijn ZonMw that you used for your pre-proposal
- Write the application in English.
- The full proposal application contains a:
- Description of the research proposal, including a completed motivation for the choice of host institution and an explanation of the relationship between the proposal and the applicant’s academic profile;
- Completed section on scientific and/or societal impact;
- Completed section on data management.
- Mandatory attachment: budget sheet.
- Optional attachment(s), if applicable:
- Completed and signed Statement on Budget Exceedance (see Section 3.5.6 of the Call for proposals);
- Completed and signed Co-funding Statement confirming co-funding (see Section 3.5.7 of the Call for proposals);
- Embedding Guarantee (only required if the host institution has changed since the pre-proposal stage).
The closing date for submission of the full proposal is Thursday 9 april, 14:00 (CET).
The Mijn ZonMw online portal will be open for submissions from 25 February 2026.
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Features
- Opening date: 25 February 2026
- Budget subsidy round: € 12.750.000
- Budget per application: € 850.000
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For whom:
By invitation
- Part of programme: