Vici is part of the NWO Talent programme. The Vici target group consists of researchers at the stage of consolidation and further development of their leadership/research group.
Who can apply
The Vici target group consists of researchers at the stage of consolidation and further development of their leadership/research group. The goal of the Vici grant is to contribute to the researcher's development in this area. Researchers who are significantly further along in their careers no longer fall within the Vici target group. This applies, for example, when researchers have already built up an established research group compared to their (inter)national peer group, and have secured a large amount of funding to further develop their own research group. The researcher must substantiate and demonstrate that the Vici can provide a substantial development to the consolidation of their own research group.
Vici is aimed at senior researchers with academic qualities that clearly exceed what is customary within the international peer group, as well as established leadership- and mentorship skills.
Researchers may only submit an application if they have obtained their PhD in the fifteen years preceding the benchmark date of this round, 1 March 2026. 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
Vici is aimed at senior researchers with academic qualities that clearly exceed what is customary within the international peer group, as well as established leadership- and mentorship skills.
Researchers may only submit an application if they have obtained their PhD in the fifteen years preceding the benchmark date of this round, 1 March 2026. 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 to request
The maximum grant is 1.500.000 euros.
When
- The deadline for pre-proposals was March 10, 2026, at 14:00:00 CET.
- The deadline for full proposals is September 8, 2026, at 14:00:00 CEST.
- The interview selection will take place in December 2026.
- The interviews will be held in January 2027.
- The decision by the board will take place in February 2027, after which it will be communicated to the applicants no later than March 2027.
All the documents you need for your pre-proposal can be found below. You can submit your completed pre-proposal via the digital portal Mijn ZonMw until September 8, 2026, at 14:00:00 CEST. All information, including the Call for Proposals, can also be found on the NWO website:
Downloads voor uw aanvraag
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Checklist to apply for your grant:
- Write the application in English and also choose the English option under language preferences in MijnZonMw.
- All information, including the Call for Proposals, can also be found on NWO Talent programme Vici ZonMw 2026 | NWO
- The closing date for submitting full proposals will be September 8 2026, 14:00 (CEST)
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Features
- Opening date: 15 July 2026
- Budget subsidy round: € 9.000.000
- Budget per application: € 1.500.000
Contact
Contact
Servicedesk
For technical questions about ZonMw's online submission system, please contact Servicedesk MijnZonMw. This can be reached from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
+ 31 70 349 51 78