Welcome to the second blog post in the series: NWO Vidi grant application journey (#NWOVidi2025diaries). You can check out the first blog post here where I wrote about how I wrestled with whether to apply or not to apply. In this second blog, I offer a quick update on the process which can be summed up with the phrase: “revise and resubmit”.

I got a “revise and resubmit” verdict from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) following an administrative check on the eligibility of my application. There were two main points that I had to address before my application could be deemed as eligible for further consideration in the process. We could call them ‘minor revisions’. The first point was about some errors in the weblinks I provided in for some my research outputs. I needed to update/change these to appropriate links. The second point was about some phrases I had used in a short text section describing the specicial cicrumstances that underline my ‘net academic research time’. Those phrases were considered as likely to bias reviewers. It was also because those phrases alluded to circumstances that are already captured in the calculations of my ‘net academic research time’ since the completion of my PhD. These changes were not difficult to address. After a couple of email exchanges with the policy officers at the NWO we were able to agree on revisions that meet the requirements of eligibility.

I have to say that I really like the conscientious procedure of the NWO grant application process. They do their very best to provide a level playing fields to all applicants as much as possible. This is important because we need to remove as much bias in the grant process as possible while not simply chucking out applicants because they made administrative errors that can be easily rectified. There are still challenges in the process of leveling up the field but I would like to think that the NWO is trying really hard. It must not be an easy job screening the many applications that come in at end of every call. I doff my hat off to all the people work at the NWO.

I’ve managed to resubmit the application with the necessary changes. So now, there will be another administrative screening to check that I meet all the eligibility requirements. I will hear this confirmation of eligibility over the next 10 days. Once everything is checked to be in order, my application will be sent to a committe for assessment.

Let the adventures continue….see you for the next instalment of the #NWOVididiaries blog post.