Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen - KNAW - KNAW Baanbrekersfonds

What the KNAW Baanbrekersfonds offers

You receive a one-off grant to pay for activities that push your research career forward. PhD students in the final two years get 3,000 to 5,000 EUR. Postdoctoral researchers and university lecturers get 5,000 to 10,000 EUR. You can spend the money on conferences (registration, economy travel, accommodation), a research visit abroad, organising a symposium or lecture series with international speakers, public engagement or patient-care work, or career steps such as coaching, paid mentoring (guidance from an experienced researcher) and leadership or networking courses. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) runs the fund, paid for from the estate of Adriana Hoogerbrugge, to keep first-generation scholars in science. Each year at most 7 grants go out: 4 for PhD students and 3 for postdocs and lecturers.

Who can apply

• First-generation scholar: Either both your parents have no university degree, or you have a refugee background (yourself or through both parents) and are rebuilding your academic career in the Netherlands from scratch.
• Career stage: You are a PhD student in the last two years of your doctorate, a postdoctoral researcher no more than three years into the role, or a university lecturer without a permanent contract.
• Where you work: You work at a university or research institute in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• Field of study: Any field of science.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply, as long as you work at a Dutch university or institute.
• No double funding: Your university or institute must not already pay for the activity, and you can receive this grant only once.

How to apply

You apply by email using the KNAW application form in Dutch or English, before the deadline. The next round opens on 12 February 2027. A three-member panel, including at least one first-generation scholar, assesses applications. You hear the result within three months of the deadline.

How realistic are your chances?

This grant is cut narrowly. You must be a first-generation scholar at a specific career stage, working at a Dutch institution, and only 7 grants go out each year. If too many strong applications come in, the KNAW may decide by draw. If you clearly fit the first-generation definition and propose a realistic, well-budgeted plan, your prospects are solid.