34 international leading researchers have been able to come to the Netherlands via the Tulip Fund. They will work on issues of urgent importance to the Netherlands. Their arrival will enrich and strengthen our knowledge landscape.
About the Tulip Fund
The Tulip Fund, established in 2025 by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Dutch Research Council (NWO), offers leading international researchers the opportunity to continue their research in the Netherlands: on the one hand, because academic freedom is under pressure worldwide; on the other hand, because their knowledge and expertise provide a huge boost to the Netherlands’ capacity for innovation.
Total budget of € 50 million
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science made € 25 million available for the Tulip Fund. The Dutch Research Council doubled that amount, bringing the total available to € 50 million. Institutions can receive up to € 1 million per researcher for the next five years. This may involve fundamental, applied or practiced-oriented research.
Tulip Fund: a major draw for researchers from the US
Although the Tulip Fund is intended for all researchers currently working outside the European Union, it is clear that the fund holds a great appeal for researchers from the US who would like to work in Europe because of the favourable academic climate. 29 of the 34 awarded researchers come from or work in the US, for example at renowned institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, Columbia and Yale, and federal research institutes such as the National Cancer Institute. Other researchers work in countries including Israel, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Singapore.
Future grants expected in 2027
With 34 researchers awarded, there is still budget left within the Tulip Fund. Further grants will be awarded in 2027 with the current budget. Keep an eye on the website of NWO for news on the Tulip Fund.