Open eScience Call 2026 (OEC 2026)

Summary of this call

  • Open to researchers from all disciplines.
  • Receive in-kind support from eScience Center research software engineers (RSEs) on state-of-the-art research needing research software.
  • Maximum in-kind investment of 3 PYR of RSE expertise.
  • Two rounds: lightweight project proposition and full proposal.
  • Timeline
    • 5 March 2026: Information Event
    • 30 March 2026, 14:00 CET, Deadline Project Propositions
    • 18 June 2026, 14:00 CET, Deadline Full Proposal (extended!)
    • November 2026, Applicants informed of final decision

Purpose of this call 

This call for proposals supports research that requires the development and application of advanced research software. Each proposal should address an urgent methodological research challenge that can count on broader support from the research community in which the applicants are active. 

In this call, ‘research software’ refers to digital tools (for example code, scripts, packages, libraries, programmes, etc) that contribute to answering research questions by creating and/or analysing research data and research results. Applicants are invited to propose a concrete research problem that requires a digital solution of this kind. 

What can be applied for?

Projects receive in-kind funding. This means that a team of research software engineers (RSEs) from the eScience Center will work together with the applicants to improve, build, and apply research software within the context of a larger research community, and as integral members of a research team. You can find more information about what working with the eScience Center entails here.  

You can apply for projects with a maximum in-kind investment of 3 PYR (person years) of RSE expertise. The project duration should be between 3 and 3,5 years. There is funding available for 2 projects per research area and thus for 8 projects in total.  

To maximise the added value and impact for applicants, the technological needs and requirements of the project should match with the Center’s expertise. Its current expertise areas are: 

  • Software quality: workflow technologies, software practices, software sustainability, optimisation 
  • AI: machine learning, AI image processing, Natural Language Processing, responsible AI 
  • Analytics: big data analytics, text and image analysis, visualisation 
  • Data processing: accessible and searchable data, real-time data analysis, interoperability 
  • Computing: hardware accelerators, high-performance computing, cloud computing combining simulations 

Who can apply?

Each proposal is to be formally submitted by a single named researcher (henceforth the ‘Lead Applicant’ or LA), employed by a Dutch research-performing organisation. An overview of all eligible organisations is included in the full call document. The LA will act as the primary contact for the eScience Center. 

The Lead Applicant must:

  • be in possession of a PhD;
  • hold a contract for at least the duration of the requested project;
  • have demonstrable knowledge and experience (relative to the LA’s academic seniority) in applying digital methodologies to research;
  • ensure a minimal personal commitment to the project work for half a day per week on average for the duration of the project.

Submitting the application

The extended closing date for the submission of full proposals is 18 June 2026, 14:00 CET.
They can be submitted only via ConfTool https://www.conftool.org/escience/ .

Downloads and Links

For more information about this call for proposals, download the full call below.

Download all

OEC 2026 – Full call details: Open eScience Call 2026

OEC 2026 – Template Project Proposition

OEC 2026 – Template Full Proposal

OEC 2026 – Template Software Management Plan

Bijzondere voorwaarden NLeSC subsidies 2026

Policy concerning the use of Generative AI at the Netherlands eScience Center

Intellectual Property Rules for Netherlands eScience Center Projects

Online information event 5 March

To inform interested applicants about the specific aims of the Open eScience Call 2026, please view the information event.

For applicants who are new to the eScience Center, it is strongly recommended that they watch the Information Event.

Contact details

Peter Kalverla, Programme Officer Netherlands eScience Center

Tel.:          +31 (0)20 460 4770

Email:     

Other opportunities

We are always open to opportunities for collaboration! Want to work with us? Visit www.esciencecenter.nl/collaborate-with-us.

Frequenty asked questions

Eligibility

  • Can a previously rejected proposal be resubmitted?
    If feedback has been implemented since the rejection, you are welcome to resubmit your project.
  • My institution does not appear in the list of eligible research institutions; can I still apply?
    The lead applicant must be employed by an institution from the list. If you do not meet the requirement, you are encouraged to collaborate with colleagues from an eligible institution. If your contract is about to expire, a state of intention to extend from your HR office is also valid. Please contact us if you have specific questions.
  • Is there restriction on the project team affiliation? Do you require that more people are involved?
    You are welcome to add any national or international collaborators to the project team. Organizational eligibility criteria apply only to the lead applicant. However, at least one collaborator must be an active researcher from a Dutch research-performing organization other than the LA’s institution. Since we want to enable collaboration, it is not possible for the project team to have only one member.
  • Is it necessary to include at least one research team member who is an active researcher at a Dutch research-performing organization other than the LA’s institution? It is very restrictive.
    Yes, the requirement is in the call text (but phrased differently in the proposal form). Its purpose is to promote collaboration and engagement with this research topic within the Netherlands. We recognize that this adds a restriction, but it reflects our best practices for fostering effective collaboration on the national level.
  • Could I apply for both OEC26 and OSS26?
    We strongly encourage to only choose which call fits best for your project. If your OEC26 proposition makes it to the full-proposal phase, that would render you ineligible to act as lead applicant in the OSS26. We encourage to consider a possible partnerships so that you are not applying as lead applicant for both.

Content and Structure

  • To what extent should I go in depth about the research idea and the technological solution?
    We ask you to be specific about the research question. The ultimate goal is to make scientific progress. The research question serves to guide the development of the software, and we ask you to be involved in the project to carry out that research as we develop the software to support you. The technological solution does not have to be completely fleshed out in the proposal. That’s leaves room for our expertise and creativity. However, you should make a credible case that the proposed work is feasible, and for that you will probably need to elaborate on the proposed solution to some extent.
  • Does the research question have to be scientifically beyond state of the art in one of the expertise domains of the eScience Center i.e. AI, advanced computing, etc.?
    No. We’re looking for research questions that require a software solution. Whether that solution pushes the state of the art (“squeezing even more performance out of this GPU”) or reuses existing technology in a novel way (“modifying an existing CPU code so it can run on GPUs”) doesn’t matter. The point is that this innovation enables you to answer new research questions that you couldn’t answer before.
  • Is improving the quality of my research software in scope for this call?
    Proposals submitted to the OEC call must include a strong research component, with 25% of the score based on the research idea. Proposals focused only on software quality, without additional features to address a substantive scientific question, fall outside the scope of the Open eScience programme. You may consider applying to the upcoming call for open and sustainable research software.
  • Is software development geared towards policy support in scope?
    The primary objective of this call is answering research questions through innovative research software. If a policy dashboard (for example) contributes to that purpose, that is in scope. It could also be developed alongside the main project outcome, e.g. to broaden its applicability. What’s not in scope is software that’s purely intended to disseminate existing research outputs, such as a project website.
  • What expectations do you have about the software status or maturity in this call?
    The focus of this call is on research innovation. Software development in the ensuing projects should focus on enabling new research, so it should go beyond routine maintenance or incremental updates of existing software. Adding substantial new features or incorporating state-of-the-art technology into existing, mature software are in scope. Developing new prototypes is also in scope, although we find it is typically useful if we don’t have to start from scratch.
  • Do you have expertise in …?
    While we foster a broad range of expertise, we not living encyclopaedias. Usually, the initial stage of the project is partly dedicated to learning about the domain, specific applications, or programming language. When it comes to programming languages, we try to align with what’s used by our project partners. Many researchers use Python, R., Fortran, C++, or Julia, so consequently we can get up to speed quickly with these languages. That said, we like to figure things out with you!
  • Is the use of Generative AI allowed?
    The use of GenAI in the writing of the proposals applications is permitted, but – given the many technological, ethical, social and legal uncertainties and pitfalls – not explicitly encouraged.
    The LA is ultimately responsible for the content of the proposals, its truthfulness, and its delivery. Any use of GenAI in the proposals should be properly referenced as per the eScience Center’s Policy concerning the use of Generative AI; failing to do so may be considered plagiarism or fraud.

Logistics and Timeline

  • When will be notified that our project was selected?
    We aim to announce the outcome of the project proposition phase by the end of April. The outcome of the full proposal round is expected in November.
  • What is the success rate between proposition stage and full proposal stage?
    We aim for an acceptance rate of 25% in the full proposal stage. Since there is budget for 8 projects, we aim to let 32 projects propositions two. In the past we’ve received about 100 propositions, but this statistic is based on a small sample.
  • Can the material budget be used for instrumentation to test the software?
    The material budget should be spent in a way that benefits the project (most). This can be workshops, trainings, but also include specialized equipment. For example, we have used it to buy smartwatches in the past. When it comes to basic/generally available equipment like laptops or GPUs, this is typically provided by your employer or parties like SURF. You should always get our approval before spending any of the material budget.
  • Do you accept any other licenses than Apache 2.0?
    Our license policy is intended to facilitate uptake and reuse of the software, which is why we prefer permissive licenses such as Apache 2.0 or MIT. Copyleft licenses such as GPL3.0 are also acceptable as they permit reuse, although they can be less attractive for certain user groups. Specific cases should be discussed with the Center.