Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences - KNAW Van der Gaag Grant

KNAW Van der Gaag Grant

You get a one-off cash grant of up to 10,000 EUR for a research project or working visit abroad lasting 1 to 4 months. The money covers your travel there and back (second-class train or economy flight) and your monthly accommodation at the destination. If you get no salary or other income during the stay, it can also cover basic living costs like groceries, insurance and local transport. The grant comes from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) through its Van der Gaag Fund. It supports early-career researchers who study the biological, psychological or social causes of human behaviour.

Who can apply

• Career stage: You are working on your PhD, or you finished your PhD no more than four years before the year you apply.
• Where you are based: You are attached to a university or research institute in the Kingdom of the Netherlands during the funded activity.
• Field: Your work looks at the biological, psychological or social causes of human behaviour.
• Where you go: The research project or working visit takes place abroad, for a stay of 1 to 4 months.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply, as long as you are attached to a Dutch university or research institute.
• One-time only: You can receive this grant just once.

How to apply

You apply by email to the KNAW using the official application form and the requested attachments. The grant runs every two years, and the next round opens on 15 September 2027. You submit before the closing date the Academy sets. A three-member committee reviews the written applications, and you hear back within three months of the deadline. There is no interview.

How realistic are your chances?

This grant is narrowly targeted: you must be an early-career researcher in behavioural science, based at a Dutch institution, planning a stay abroad. That keeps the applicant pool small. In 2025 the fund supported 13 researchers with about 80,000 EUR in total, so several grants go out each round. If your project has a clear research question, real social relevance and a workable plan, your prospects are solid.