Great news for researchers who want to explore an unforeseen opportunity for impact: the NWO Impact Explorer 2025 round is now open! This year, the grant ceiling has been increased to €1 million, giving more researchers the opportunity to submit a proposal.
As a researcher, you may have experienced this: during your project, you discover unexpected but promising research results – findings that fall outside your initial research scope. Securing funding can therefore be challenging. This is exactly where NWO Impact Explorer comes in.
Other, more suitable approaches then the original goal
Last year, Geert van den Bogaart, Professor of Molecular Immunology at the UG, received the grant. Together with his colleague Dr Frans Bianchi, he developed a technique for the sensitive detection of proliferating cells in blood samples. The NWO Impact Explorer programme helped assess the potential of this technique for diagnostic applications. Initial discussions with clinicians and external experts revealed that there were other, more suitable approaches then the original goal of detecting proliferating cancer cells. A promising new application emerged: the detection of disease-specific T cells. Building on the results from the Impact Explorer programme, we successfully applied for the Biotech Booster programme. We are now in the process of launching a spin-off company that focuses on realizing this impact.
For whom
Applications can only be submitted by researchers involved in an ongoing project from a talent programme (Veni, Vidi, or Vici) of NWO or ZonMw, and/or researchers involved in an ongoing project from the Open Competition programmes of NWO or ZonMw. The Open Competition programmes include the Open Competition SSH-XS, -M and -L, the Open Competition AES-XS, -M and -XL, the AES Open Technology Programme, the ZonMw Open Competition, and the Open Competition Science Small and Large.
Budget and timelines
For each proposal researchers can request funding of at least €20,000 and up to €30,000. The grant ceiling is €1 million. Proposals can be submitted until 2 February 2026 or until the grant ceiling has been reached. Proposals will be called for evaluation at different times:
More information
Visit the NWO Impact Explorer webpage or connect with one of our Business Developers to explore the opportunities.
Doe de quickscan door je gegevens hieronder in te vullen.
