NWO TDCC call for proposals 2026

Following the successful calls for proposals in 2023/2024 and 2025, the NWO will open another call for projects that address the ambitions and challenges defined in each TDCC's roadmap and their recent addendums (where applicable). As in previous years, each TDCC facilitates the creation and selection of the project proposals for their domain through a unique facilitation process, with different deadlines.

For those familiar with NWO’s financial instruments and open call formats, we would like to emphasise that the Thematic Digital Competence Centre Call is somewhat unique: To apply, you must first follow the selection process of one of the TDCCs.

As network organisations, the role of the TDCCs is to ensure that project proposals are developed and approved through a community-driven process fitting the respective domain. It is not possible to apply to the NWO TDCC call without following this process.

The total of €2.400.000 in NWO call funding is divided equally into three portions, one for each domain: Life Sciences & Health (LSH), Natural & Engineering Sciences (NES), and Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH). Projects must address challenges in the respective domain and will be developed with, and approved by, the relevant domain community.

The formal requirements through which the NWO ensures this approach are:

• Every application needs to be accompanied by a submission letter from the relevant TDCC domain, which will only be granted if the TDCC process was followed.
• One third of assessment by NWO will be based on the degree to which a transparent, community-driven process has been followed in drawing up the application, including the involvement and consultation with a TDCC.

Why a community-driven process?

We expect that the community-driven process will result in projects that are more informed by the needs of those in the relevant research domain, and therefore respond more closely to those needs. Challenges that go beyond one institution and are shared by many can be addressed collaboratively, meaning that project results will benefit a wide cross-section of the domain. The co-creative process enables links to be made - both throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands and internationally - between those working on similar challenges, benefitting the project participants and leading to results with greater impact.

Do you have any questions?

Don't hesitate to contact the relevant TDCC: