Young Investigator Grant

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Exclusive opportunity for young research talents

KWF offers young researchers the opportunity to initiate an independent oncological research line. Talented young researchers have the opportunity to submit their research proposals, which are reviewed in a separate competition known as the “Young Investigator Grant” (YIG).

The Young Investigator Grant is intended as a stepping stone for young researchers towards their own niche within the field of oncological research. The review procedure involves an interview to review whether the candidate is capable of taking on the responsibilities of a project leader and carrying out the project independently.

Eligibility conditions for a Young Investigator Grant:

  • The line of research should be new, not a project within an existing line of research.
  • The Young Investigator Grant consists of a hypothesis-driven research question and has a defined duration as well as defined final analyses in which the hypothesis is confirmed or rejected.
  • The suggested duration of a Young Investigator Grant project is 4 years. A project aimed at a longer period needs to be properly substantiated.
  • A proposal for a Young Investigator Grant has to be submitted within 5 years after obtaining a PhD. This period can be extended by the total amount of time spent on training to become a clinical/medical specialist after obtaining a PhD. The request for an extension should be submitted to KWF at least 6 weeks prior to the deadline of the call.
  • If a candidate has another valid reason for an extension of the deadline for the submission of a project proposal (s)he can contact KWF. The request for an extension has to be submitted to KWF at least 6 weeks prior to the closing date of the call. The candidate must be able to substantiate the reason for the extension with official documents. If KWF considers the reason to be valid, extension is granted for the upcoming call. The maximum extension allowed is 2 years.
  • The project leader (=young investigator) is required to work a minimum of 0.5 FTE per year during the entire project.
  • The project leader must hold a PhD at the start of the project and be employed by a Dutch institute during the term of the project.
  • The main focus of the execution of the project has to be in the Netherlands. Parts of the work plan can be carried out in other countries, on the condition good reasons can be provided to explain why this is necessary for the realization of the work plan.

Please check the KWF guidelines for all criteria for the Young Investigator Grant and other funding types.

The Young Investigator Grants financed from the proceeds of Alpe d'HuZes (theme Ambition) remain known as Bas Mulder Award.