Support needed?

For more information on the different types of research grants - and which would fit your research project and career - please contact your local grant advisor.

Individual research grants

Individual research grants usually provide funding for curiosity-driven, bottom-up topics. These grants are made based on the excellence of both the researcher and the research. They vary from small travel and visiting grants to large grants that cover the salaries and material budget for a whole research group. 

Prizes

Prizes and awards are given out to acknowledge demonstrated research achievements and impact. Sometimes self-nomination is possible. Prizes are cash payouts. They can be small or substantial (millions of euros). 

Collaborative research grants

Collaborative research project grants require cooperation between two or more applicants.  Depending on the call, they can be intended for top-down thematic or fixed topics, but may also offer opportunities for curiosity driven research. Collaborative research projects can focus on fundamental research, but can also have a more applied focus, having strong links to, or partly incorporating the making of research results available for economic development and/or societal benefit. 

Potential partners include other research organisations, governmental bodies (e.g., cities, provinces, government ministries), NGOs and museums. Collaborative research project grants can vary in size and complexity (from bilateral collaborations to pan-European consortia). Collaborative grants can be interesting for all career stages. In some cases, recipients may also need to contribute towards the costs of the research project, also called co-funding.

Research training grants

These focus on the personal career development of individuals (e.g., postdocs or visiting fellows) or groups. An example of a group would be a consortium of researchers applying to set up a program consisting of multiple individual grant opportunities for individuals (e.g., PhD networks).

Contract research

Research for companies is very narrowly defined. It involves research laid out in a specific project description, with exact deliverables set by the company. Furthermore, the contract usually specifies that the company owns the results of the research. For more information, please contact Luris Business Development. 

Funding for education development

The grants discussed above all focus on research. There are also grants that combine research, education and innovation, and offer opportunities for improving the quality of education or setting up international cooperation. For more information and support on education grants, such as Erasmus+ and Comenius, please contact the EduGrants team at the International Relations office.

Funding for valorisation and/or starting a company

If you have great research results that can be further developed for societal applications and/or commercial products, there are proof-of-concept and seed funds available. For more information and support on valorisation grants, please contact Luris.