A pop-up funding program for corona research, organised by The Dutch Research Council (NWO), was so popular that the science funder closed the application process after a couple of days. Scientists are not amused.

Scientists complain about the extremely short period in which they could apply for a call for funding applications, in a special NWO programme for corona research. Within a week, applicants hear if the funder grants them the money. Usually, this process takes months.

The pop-up funding program (‘Corona: fast track data’) turned out to be immensely popular. Within a few days after it was opened, last Friday, NWO had received much more applications than the thirty projects it thinks it can fund with the available 1,5 million euro budget. The response was a lot bigger than expected, says the grant organisation.

More calls

On Thursday, NWO abruptly closed the application system. It was supposed to be opened until September 1st. This caused scientists to complain, like Belle Derks, chairwoman of The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Young Academy. She tweeted: ‘Well, this is nice: I try to combine my care tasks with writing a @NWO_SSH application; no longer necessary. This was exactly our topic: who gets to prioritise work during covid19 and who doesn’t? What is the effect of work culture? What are the short-term and long-term consequences?’

Don’t worry, writes NWO chairman Stan Gielen in a statement: ‘Shortly, there will be more calls, with a total budget of 27 million.’ Researchers who missed their chance this time around, will have a chance to apply very soon, within a different, new funding programme: ‘Covid-19, second wave’.

Minister De Jonge, of public health, did announce that he makes a total of 42 million euros available for corona related research – from virology to behavioral research into the one-and-a-half-meter society. 27 million of that is already available, through NWO. Part of the budget comes from the central government, another part is paid out of the pocket of NWO.