Funding opportunities - aligning our Exploration & Development calls with targeted funding
To maximize the impact on our focus areas KWF will shift to a more targeted funding approach for research in thematic tracks. These tracks were developed with all relevant perspectives from the oncological field. The tracks allow us to invest in unmet needs in health care, that align with the (research) infrastructure already in place.
More information on the how, what and why of these tracks can be found on our Research strategy page.
Implications for Exploration & Development calls
Our approach to targeted funding has specific implications for the funding available in our open Exploration and Development calls. Funding in tracks will mainly have an impact on the Development call. We are committed to launch our open Development call once a year, to allow researchers to submit proposals outside the track themes. The open Exploration call will maintain its frequency of twice a year. This way, we can build a research portfolio where both our targeted and open funding contribute to maximal impact for the patient.
It is important to emphasize that these open calls will continue. However, when a funding opportunity within a specific track (e.g., a thematic call) is available during the same time frame, topics covered by the track will be excluded from the open call. This policy is designed to avoid the simultaneous submission of research applications to both targeted and open calls, ensuring that open calls remain focused on topics not addressed by tracks, and vice versa. This approach aims to maximize the effectiveness of the funding instruments by maintaining clear distinctions between the two.
Allowing projects related to track themes to be submitted through the open calls would undermine the integrated and targeted approach envisioned for the tracks. To further streamline the process, this policy will ensure that projects are submitted to their designated program, reducing ambiguity and minimizing administrative challenges for all parties involved.
To support this effort, we are committed to providing timely and clear communication about any topics excluded from our open calls. This will help researchers avoid investing time and resources in proposals that do not meet the criteria for inclusion.
In and out of scope: up-to-date information
For a comprehensive list of funding possibilities in 2025, please visit our website www.kwf.nl/calls
Here you will find all the calls that are currently open for application, or that will open in the near future: both the open calls and the targeted funding possibilities within tracks.
The following research topics will be excluded from the open calls that are launched in 2025:
Cluster Prevention
Adopting a healthy lifestyle during cancer treatment can boost recovery, influence disease progression, and enhance quality of life for patients. Key lifestyle factors include physical activity, smoking cessation, responsible alcohol use, balanced nutrition, and stress management.
To ensure that multimodal lifestyle support tailored to patients’ needs are reimbursed, implemented, and sustained, KWF will fund a program on this topic in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
This program will be set up with targeted network funding, from 2025 to 2030.
Consequently, projects focused on the development, evaluation, and implementation of multimodal lifestyle programs will not be eligible for submission through KWF's open calls. However, projects exploring the (biological and/or molecular) mechanisms that make lifestyle programs effective for cancer patients are welcome to submit proposals under the Exploration open call.
Cluster Early Detection & Minimally Invasive Techniques
In this cluster, several topics will be excluded for funding in open calls:
- Risk-based breast cancer screening
(Track opened in Q1 2025 and focuses on both research and infrastructure; research on risk based screening for other tumor types can still be submitted in our open calls.)
- Biomarkers (TRL 5-9)
Our research portfolio includes a vast amount of biomarker research projects, scattered over all research phases from exploration (TRL 1) through implementation (TRL 9). Our ambition is to maximize the potential of promising biomarkers. Therefore we will invest in validation and implementation of biomarkers in our track ‘Advancement of Biomarkers to Daily Practice'. In this track we stimulate biomarker research through a bi-annual thematic call for biomarkers TRL 5 & 6 and a longterm programme that aims to advance a validated biomarker up to implementation (TRL 7, 8, 9). The consequence of this strategic choice is that we will exclude biomarker research (TRL 5-9) in our open Development call.
Which types of biomarker research are in and out of scope of the open calls, is also visualized in this infographic.
Cluster Cancer drugs
In the cluster Cancer drugs, we aim to improve drug treatment for cancer patients with unmet medical needs, which would not reach cancer patients without academic efforts. Therefore KWF specifically funds clinical drug development by academia, possibly in collaboration with partners, in the PIPELINE and ATTRACT call.
The PIPELINE call is open for the development and validation of a GMP manufacturing protocol, phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials on new cancer drugs.
The ATTRACT call is open for multinational phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials on rare cancers. The development of new drugs and the repurposing of existing drugs for rare cancers are both included in ATTRACT.
In our open calls, the development and validation of a GMP manufacturing protocol, phase 1-3 clinical trials on new drug development (PIPELINE) and on phase 2-3 clinical trials on drug development for rare cancers (ATTRACT) are out of scope. Preclinical research applications on drug development can be submitted in our open calls.
