Grants
Are you looking for resources or support for collaborative project or research in the field of colonial collections? On this page you will find an overview of relevant scholarships and grants. The page will be updated regularly, so make sure to come back shortly.
NIAS – NIOD – KITLV
Fellowship: Moving objects, Mobilising Culture in the Context of (De)colonisation
The fellowship enables researchers and heritage professionals from former colonized countries to conduct five months of research into ‘colonial collections’: objects and collections from those countries that arrived in the Netherlands in a context of colonialism.
Applications for the fellowships are now closed. Early 2025, the Call for Applications will reopen for two fellows.
NWO
Research on collections with a colonial context
NWO offers grants for two types of research:
- Grants for research within researchers from the countries of origin carry out short-term research (research exchange) in the collections of Dutch museums and institutions. This could include short-term provenance research, for example.
- Grants for larger projects that aim to create sustainable networks (consortium grant). This type of grant can be used to set up a comprehensive programme of research and exchange between a country of origin and (European) the Netherlands, including activities such as setting the agenda and obtaining an overview of the objects in the collections, researching the provenance and significance of the collections throughout history and in contemporary society, and how knowledge about these collections and objects can be made accesible.
Both types of research will be led by scholars from the countries of origin or special municipalities.
The Call for Proposals is currently closed. It may reopen.
Nuffic
Cultural Heritage scholarship programme
Nuffic offers students and young professionals from Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Suriname the opportunity to follow a one-year master’s programme in the Netherlands related to their cultural heritage, specifically related to collections that got involuntarily lost during the Dutch colonial era. The programme offers 15-20 scholarships to students from participating countries for one-year master’s programmes in the Netherlands, starting in September 2024. The offered specialisations include programmes such as Applied Museum and Heritage Studies, Colonial and Global History or Cultural History and Heritage, and other related fields that closely align with the needs of the participating countries.
Applications for the scholarhips are currently closed. They may be reopened.
Other relevant grants
Below you will find an overview of other relevant grants. Not all these grants are directly related to collections from a colonial context, but can support and encourage international cooperation, and the digitalization of and research into these collections.
Digitalization
Network Digital Heritage (NDE)
Versnellen 2024
Aim: The National Strategy Digital Heritage is based on the wish to make it as easy as possible for visitors to navigate through our heritage. To make this possible, we need to make use of linked open data where we can. Versnellen 2024 supports heritage organizations that wish to disclose their collections as linked open data, for example by providing a financial contribution to purchase an NDE-compatible collection registration system.
Who: The financial contribution is meant for organizations that manage collections and for heritage platforms that want to make digitally connected heritage accessible to the public.
Period: Project proposals for speeding up the NDE-compatibility process can be submitted year-round, with 15 December 2024 as the final deadline. It is possible that a new funding scheme will be put in place for 2025.
Mondriaan Fund
Digitising Heritage
Aim: There is a great need within the heritage sector to make collections more accessible, even though there have been several processes aimed at further digitisation, such as making collections accessible with linked (open) data. Digital innovation is important, but it can only take place if objects are sufficiently available digitally. Many collections still need to be scanned, photographed and described and that is ultimately not so much digital innovation, but mainly manual work to be able to input the many objects digitally. A contribution can be requested for:
- A plan for digitising collection(s) or improving the quality of digital heritage collection(s) in order to lay a good foundation for using and experiencing digital heritage and telling new stories. The result must be sustainable in kind and contribute to a stronger, usable digital infrastructure.
- A development contribution aimed at drawing up a plan for digitising collection(s) and/or improving the data quality of digital heritage collection(s).
Who: Museums, archives and other collection-managing heritage institutions with a public function in the Netherlands and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, for whom digitization of collections was not yet possible or to a lesser extent.
Period: The deadline for applications for the open call for Digitising Heritage is October 3, 2024, before 4 p.m. (Netherlands time zone) / 10 a.m. (Caribbean time zone).
Collections
Mondriaan Fund
Collection Mobility
Aim: Collection Mobility of the Mondriaan Fund helps to boost the quality and visibility of the Dutch State Art Collection for the public. The grant is intended for museums and other cultural heritage institutions that wish to select, discard or relocate parts of their collection in order to increase the quality of those collections, raise their profile and improve the focus of their collection profiles.
Who: Collection managing institutions in the Netherlands that wish to select, dispose of or relocate collection components. The application procedure is only open to publicly accessible Dutch institutions that manage museum collections of national and international significance.
Period: Continuous. Due to the long processing time, submitting an application long before the envisioned start date.
Cultuurfonds
DNB Fund
Aim: The DNB Fund was established by the Dutch National Bank (DNB) to contribute to initiatives that work to reduce the continued influence of trans-Atlantic slavery in the daily lives of descendants of enslaved people in Suriname, the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and the Netherlands. These projects and initiatives could be focused on strengthening culture, heritage and nature; improve access to education and talent development; or encouraging economic independence.
Who: Cultural or societal institutions and individuals in Suriname, the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and the Netherlands. The location of the project decides who submits an application.
- Netherlands: cultural or societal foundations can submit an application
- Suriname and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom: individuals, citizen initiatives and cultural and societal foundations can submit an application
- Suriname: in some cases, governmental institutions can also submit an application
Period: Continuous. Applications under EUR 5000 are assessed four times a year.
International cooperation
DutchCulture
International Heritage Cooperation Matching Fund
Aim: The Matching Fund is meant for projects that contribute to the visibility of the history and heritage that connects the Netherlands with the partner and focus countries that are included in the Dutch International Cultural Policy.
Who: Legal entities established in the Netherlands can apply to a project. This may be a heritage institution or heritage professional and/or a cultural institution or cultural professional.
Period: Open for application two times a year.
Mondriaan Fund
International Collaborative Projects with Heritage Institutes
Aim: The grant for International Collaborative Projects with Heritage Institutes is intended to stimulate and improve the visibility pf research and new insights in the cultural heritage field. Grants are meant to support projects in which Dutch and international heritage institutions collaborate in internationally significant fields covered by both of their collections.
Who: Application can be submitted by a cultural heritage institution based in the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, who collaborates with a comparable foreign cultural heritage institution.
Period: Two application rounds per year. The deadline for the last round in 2024 is 3 October, 4 PM (CEST)/10 AM (AST).
Cultural Participation Fund
International Collaboration 2022 – 2024
Aim: International collaboration 2022-2024 is a subsidy scheme for collaborative projects on cultural participation, cultural education and/or heritage, with countries within or outside of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The subsidy scheme offers different grants, such as for exploration or collaboration.
Who: Applications are open for Dutch cultural foundations, or independent professionals in cultural education or participation if you can show that you have at least three years of relevant experience
Period: 14 February 2022 – 28 August 2024. It is possible that a new subsidy scheme will be installed for a period starting in 2025.
ICOM Netherlands
Travel grant, Research grant and Activities grant
Aim: Each year, ICOM Netherlands provides funding to facilitate international exchange and the cross-border sharing of museum expertise. Applications can be submitted for a travel grant, a research grant or an activities grant.
Who: This grant is meant for members of ICOM Netherlands
Period: Continuous. The board of ICOM Netherlands will assess the applications during the board meetings (six times a year).
Research
NICAS
Small Project Grants+
Aim: The Small Project Grants+ of the Netherlands Institute for Conservation, Art, Science (NICAS) supports research in and with Dutch heritage collections, by offering a permanent funding scheme to support small projects in which museums and other heritage collections collaborate with academic partners.
Who: Dutch cultural heritage institutions that manage collections and collaborate with academic partners.
Period: Continuous. Funding decisions are made twice a year. The deadline for the next review is 16 September 2024.
Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV)
Philippus Corts Fund
Aim: The Philippus Corts Fund supports and contributes to research focused on preserving original source materials and making these materials accessible (in local languages and in Dutch) in Indonesia and the Netherlands, pertaining to the shared history of these two areas in the period 1602 – 1949, with special attention to the periods of the VOC and the Second World War in Asia. Funding is available for research, translation, publication or disclosure.
Who: Applicants are students (MA or PhD phase) or graduated (MA or PhD) in a relevant discipline. They must be working in the Netherlands or in a joint Dutch Indonesian team, conducting specific research in collections in the Netherlands or Indonesia in line with the goals of the fund.
Period: Each year approximately EUR 15.000 is available. The maximum amount that can be applied for is EUR 7.500.
Rijksmuseum
Johan Huizinga Fellowship
Aim: This fellowship offers early career scholars the opportunity and support to conduct historical research into objects in the Rijksmuseum collection.
Who: MA graduates, PhD students and post-doctoral candidates of all nationalities.
Period: Duration of the fellowship is nine months, commencing in September, at the start of the academic year. Applications for 2025 are expected to re-open in September.
Migelien Gerritzen Fellowship
Aim: This fellowship enables early career scholars to conduct conservation and scientific research on art works and historical artefacts. The focus is on the collection of the Rijksmuseum or on an ideation that has been initiated at the museum.
Who: MA graduates, PhD students and post-doctoral candidates of all nationalities.
Period: Duration of the fellowship is twelve months, commencing in September, at the start of the academic year. Applications for 2025 are expected to re-open in September.
National Maritime Museum
Dr. Ernst Crone Fellowship
Aim: This fellowship consists of a one-time stipend to conduct maritime historical research relating to objects in the collection of the Netherlands Maritime Museum in Amsterdam.
Who: Open to academics holding a PhD degree.
Period: The fellowship may last a maximum of twelve months. At the moment, applications are closed.
Prof. J.C.M. Warnsinck Fellowship
Aim: This fellowship consists of a one-time stipend to conduct maritime historical research relating to objects in the collection of the Netherlands Maritime Museum in Amsterdam.
Who: Open to those who have (almost) completed their master’s degree, or an equivalent degree.
Period: The fellowship may last a maximum of six months. At the moment, applications are closed.
Travel
DutchCulture
Pilot Europe + Heritage Programme
Aim: The Europe + Heritage Pilot Programme facilitates (expert) meetings, knowledge exchange and cooperation in the heritage field. This grant is specifically for international collaboration between Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius and European countries (excluding the Netherlands). DutchCulture’s regular travel expense grant has been raised from EUR 250 to EUR 1500 for this pilot programme.
Who: Heritage professionals (in training) from Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius who want to visit a European partner to exchange knowledge. European heritage professionals can make use of the grant if they are invited by a heritage professional from the aforementioned regions.
Period: Continuous, 2021 – 2024.