Open Science Infrastructure Grant Programme (Netherlands)

Open Science NL is offering a call for proposals to improve and further develop existing digital open science infrastructures. The call is broad in scope and supports projects across the spectrum of open science, including generic and domain-specific infrastructure. Key dates include a mandatory preparatory workshop on 2 December 2026 and a full proposal deadline of 13 April 2027, before 14:00:00 CEST. Opportunity at a Glance

- Funding organisation: Open Science NL

- Opportunity type: Call for proposals (research funding programme: Open Science Infrastructure)

- Total budget: €17,000,000

- Maximum per project: €1,700,000

- Eligible applicants (minimum consortium requirements): - At least three applicants total (main applicant + two co-applicants) - Applicants must be from at least three different organisations

- Mandatory requirement: Main applicants must attend the compulsory preparatory workshop

- Compulsory preparatory workshop date and location: Wednesday 2 December (in Utrecht) - Workshop registration and Letter of Intent (deadline): 3 November 2026, before 14:00:00 CET

- Full proposal deadline: 13 April 2027, before 14:00:00 CEST

- Submission system: Proposals must be submitted through the ISAAC application and reporting system

About the Opportunity

This call supports the improvement and further development of existing open science infrastructures, specifically digital facilities that enable the practical application of open science. The call covers the full spectrum of open science and is intentionally broad to reflect diverse community needs for digital infrastructure.

Projects may focus on:

- specific types of infrastructure, - research results, or - open science practices. Both generic (domain- and discipline-agnostic) and domain-specific proposals are eligible. Funding and Benefits

- Total budget for the call: €17,000,000

- Maximum budget per project: €1,700,000

- The source does not specify further details on co-funding, in-kind contributions, cost categories, or restrictions beyond the budget limits and submission rules. Who Is Eligible? To be eligible, a proposal must meet all the following consortium and participation requirements:

- Consortium size: Submit a proposal with at least three applicants:

- 1 main applicant - 2 co-applicants

- Organisation diversity: Applicants must be from at least three different organisations

- Proposal role limit: An applicant may submit only one proposal as a main applicant or co-applicant

- Mandatory workshop attendance: The main applicant (or their representative) must have attended the preparatory workshop to submit a complete proposal

Mandatory preparatory workshop - A preparatory workshop is scheduled for Utrecht on 2 December. - Participation in the preparatory workshop is mandatory for all main applicants. - Open Science NL will facilitate and advise collaboration exploration during the workshop, but consortium formation decisions remain with the participants. Eligible Activities or Priority Areas Supported projects focus on improving existing digital open science infrastructures that support practical open science activities. The call is described as covering: - the full spectrum of open science, and - infrastructure needs across open science communities. The source also lists specific interest areas (for this call) including: (Exact selection emphasis among these areas is not specified; proposals must align with the overall scope of the call.) Why This Opportunity Matters Open science depends on usable, reliable, and evolving digital infrastructure. This call is designed to fund improvements to existing infrastructure—so that open science practices (such as data sharing, software use, and scholarly communication) can be applied more effectively. Because the call covers both generic and domain-specific infrastructure, it can support a range of technical and operational infrastructure needs across the open science ecosystem. How to Apply - Register for the preparatory workshop and submit a Letter of Intent (LoI).

- Deadline: 3 November 2026, before 14:00:00 CET

- In preparation for the workshop, a letter of intent must be submitted in addition to standard registration. - Attend the compulsory preparatory workshop.

- Date: Wednesday 2 December 2026

- Location: Utrecht

- Participation is mandatory for all main applicants. - Prepare and submit the full proposal through ISAAC. - Proposals must be submitted through the Isaac application and reporting system. - If you do not yet have an ISAAC account, create one at least one workday before the submission date. - Download and use the application forms provided in ISAAC (forms are also listed as downloadable files on the call page). - Submit by the full proposal deadline.

- Deadline: 13 April 2027, before 14:00:00 CEST

Where to apply

- Official submission system: ISAAC (ISAAC application and reporting system)

- Official call materials and guidance: The call page provides downloadable documents and states that applications must be submitted through ISAAC.

- Source URL: https://www.openscience.nl/en/calls/open-science-infrastructure

- Call for proposals PDF: “Open Science Infrastructure | call for proposals PDF” (download available on the page)

- Application forms: “Open Science Infrastructure | application form DOCX” and other listed forms (downloads available on the page)

Application Tips or Common Mistakes - Do not miss the mandatory workshop requirement: Main applicants (or their representatives) must attend the compulsory workshop to submit a complete proposal. - Respect both deadlines: The LoI/workshop registration deadline is 3 November 2026 (before 14:00:00 CET) and the full proposal deadline is 13 April 2027 (before 14:00:00 CEST). - Follow consortium rules: Ensure the proposal includes at least three applicants from at least three different organisations, and that no applicant exceeds the one-proposal limit in the specified roles. - Use the correct submission system and formats: Subm