Direct comparison
NWO Veni vs. Vidi vs. Vici Compared
NWO's Veni, Vidi, Vici grants compared: PhD-year eligibility windows, funding up to €1.5M, project duration, and application deadlines, per nwo.nl.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Veni | Vidi | Vici |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career stage | Recent PhD graduates transitioning to an independent researcher | Postdoctoral researchers developing their own line of research | Senior researchers with established leadership and mentorship skills |
| PhD eligibility window | No more than 3 years since PhD | No more than 8 years since PhD | No more than 15 years since PhD |
| Maximum funding | €320,000 | €850,000 | €1,500,000 |
| Maximum project duration | 3 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Annual pre-proposal deadline | September | November | March |
| Application process | Two-stage: pre-proposal, then invited full proposal | Two-stage: pre-proposal, then invited full proposal | Two-stage: pre-proposal, then invited full proposal |
Common questions
FAQ
Can the same researcher apply for Veni, Vidi, and Vici over a career?+
Yes. The three grants are designed as a sequential career ladder, and it is common for a researcher to hold more than one across a career, applying to each as their PhD-year eligibility window opens — Veni first, then Vidi, then Vici, though holding an earlier grant is not a prerequisite for the next.
Does the PhD-year eligibility window ever get extended?+
NWO's annual Call for Proposals for each grant and domain specifies current-year extension rules (for example, for parental leave, illness, or part-time employment) that can shift the benchmark calculation. Research offices should check the current call text on nwo.nl rather than assume a fixed rule, since these provisions can change between rounds.
What is the overall NWO Talent Programme success rate?+
NWO does not publish one uniform figure across all grants, domains, and years — rates are announced per round after it closes. The most recently published figure at time of writing was the Vidi 2024 round: 149 grants awarded from 778 preliminary applications, an overall rate of roughly 19%.
Are Veni, Vidi, and Vici open to non-Dutch researchers?+
Yes, applications can be submitted by eligible PhD holders regardless of nationality, including those currently working abroad, provided the eligibility criteria in the relevant year's Call for Proposals are met.
