RIS Call 2025-I now open

What can be applied for?

The Fund is used to temporarily increase the research time for employees to enable them to:
a. prepare applications for personal grants;
b. strengthen their publication list, to have a better chance of receiving funding when applying for personal grants in the near future.

For advice about eligibility and strategic planning, candidates are recommended to contact the Grant Team (subsidie-fgw@uva.nl).

The increase of research time (and hence decrease in teaching duties) is 0.2 FTE for 6 months or 0.1 FTE for 12 months. It can take effect in the 2025/2026 academic year (September 2025-June 2026).

Applications can be prepared for following grants, followed by the application deadlines (please see Annex II - the factsheet below):
• ERC Starting Grant: October 2025/2026
• ERC Consolidator Grant: January 2026
• ERC Advanced: August 2026
• NWO Vidi: October 2025/2026 (pre-proposal)
• NWO Vici: March 2026 (pre-proposal)

Application deadline

The deadline for application is 31 January 2025. Candidates will be notified of the result no later than 6 weeks after the deadline.

Who can apply?

Applicants are researchers employed by the Faculty of Humanities of the UvA as UD, UHD or full professor, with a permanent position. UD’s (assistant professors) who receive a ‘Startersbeurs’ in 2023 or 2024 cannot apply. Applicants need to obtain the written consent of the department chair and the director of the research school before a RIS grant can come into effect (see parts 3 and 4 of Annex I - the guidelines). It is possible to apply for a RIS Fund grant more than once, but not until two years after receiving the previous grant. It is not possible to use a RIS grant twice for the same proposal, i.e. to first strengthen the publication list and then write the actual application.

Application requirements

a. For the preparation of a grant application:

• Applicants should conduct the research project at the FGw of the UvA upon being awarded the NWO/ERC grant.
• Applicants should meet the eligibility criteria of the grant they intend to apply for.
• Applications are drawn up in accordance with the guidelines provided below and contain a description of the research, the type of grant being applied for, an academic CV, and a work plan.
• The intended research project fits the profile of the research school and/or a research priority area.
• Applications are accompanied by a statement of consent from the Department Chair, ensuring release from teaching duties should the RIS fellowship be awarded.
• Applications are accompanied by a statement of consent from the director of the Research School, stating that the intended proposal fits within the school’s research profile.
• Applicants commit to writing the intended grant application.
• Applicants commit to following the step-by-step instructions for individual grants provided by the Grant Team Humanities.

b. To strengthen the list of publications:

• Applications are drawn up in accordance with the guidelines provided below and contain a description of the publication(s), the intended publisher of journal/book, an academic CV, and a work plan.
• The publication(s) fit within the profile of the research school and/or research priority area.
• The publication(s) should be submitted (to the publisher/journal) by the end of the fellowship period.
• Applications are accompanied by a statement of consent from the Department Chair, ensuring release from teaching duties should the RIS fellowship be awarded.
• Applications are accompanied by a statement of consent from the director of the Research School, stating that the intended proposal fits within the school’s research profile.
• A clear indication is given of the ERC/NWO grant that the applicant intends to apply for when the publication list has been strengthened.
• Applicants commit to following the step-by-step instructions for individual grants provided by the Grant Team Humanities.

Applications assessment

The Board of the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research will consider the applications based on grant-specific criteria and indicators, viz. the quality of the cv and the research plan. The Board is advised by the Grant Team Humanities and the Board of Research Directors (Onderzoeksraad).

Submitting an application

Applications are submitted by e-mail to Sarah Randeraad via AIHR-fgw@uva.nl as one file in PDF format.