Frequently asked questions

If you have a project that aims to improve social safety, you can apply for a subsidy as a student, PhD candidate, postdoc or employee of a university or University of Applied sciences. Applications must be submitted via one of the following organisations:  

• Student organisations: for example, a student or study association that has received financial support from an educational institution or the minister for at least three years.  
• PhD and postdoc organisations: such as the PhD Network Netherlands (PNN), which also represents PostdocNL.  
• Employees’ organisations: such as FNV/AOb or LNVH, which represent employees in higher education and receive financial support from an educational institution or the minister for at least three years.  
• Higher education institutions: universities and Universities of Applied sciences as defined under Dutch law.  
• Collaborative partnerships: a lead organisation within a group of organisations may submit an application on behalf of the partnership.  

You can apply for funding for a wide range of projects that promote social safety. Examples include:  

• Short-term activities, such as workshops, training sessions, conferences, or awareness campaigns.  
• Long-term projects, such as research into effective Interventions to social safety or initiatives to drive cultural change within your institution.  

Your project should be work or study related and have an impact on the work and study place. For instance, in lecture halls, on campus or within student organisations. Your plan must align with at least one of the three pillars of cultural change:  

1. Workplace culture: fostering respectful interactions and a positive environment.  
2. Organisational structure: strengthening policies and frameworks to support social safety.  
3. Complaint handling and prevention systems: developing effective mechanisms for reporting and addressing misconduct. 

The total annual budget is €2.25 million for organisations and €2.25 million for steering group projects, available from 2025 to 2027.  

 Minimum grant:

• €10,000 for higher education institutions or collaborative partnerships.
• €5,000 for student, PhD or employees’ organisations.  

Maximum grant: €450,000 per application. 

Applications can be submitted during the following periods:

• 2025: 16 June – 3 August
• 2026: 2 February – 1 March and 15 June – 2 August
• 2027: 1 February – 28 February

Be sure to submit your application before the deadline, as late submissions cannot be accepted.

Applications are assessed based on a defined evaluation framework:

• Sector applications: the steering group advises the minister based on the evaluation criteria.
• Steering group applications: DUS-I advises the minister for projects submitted by the steering group.

The minister makes the final decision on all applications.

If your project is approved, the funding will be paid out within 18 weeks after the deadline.

Yes, you can apply for projects that span multiple years. However, all activities funded by the subsidy must be completed by 31 December 2027.

No, changes to your application are not allowed after submission. However, if additional information is needed, the committee may request it. You will then have two weeks to provide the requested information. 

The steering group consists of representatives from six covenant partners: Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (VH), FNV/AOb (General Education Union), National Student Union (LSVb), Dutch National Student Association (ISO) and PhD Network Netherlands (PNN), which also represents PostdocNL.  

In addition, five independent experts participate in the steering group. They bring specialised knowledge on topics such as social safety, diversity and inclusion, integrated safety, organisational change and addressing sexual harassment.  

The steering group is chaired by an independent chairperson and supported by a programme team seconded from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW).

The leading partner of the steering group is the Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) bureau. This organisation is responsible for the administrative and financial handling of the steering group’s subsidy applications.

The steering group is active from 2024 to 2027. After this period, the outcomes and lessons learned will be evaluated and incorporated into future initiatives to ensure long-term impact. 

The steering group aims to develop and implement a national programme to enhance social safety in higher education and science. Its key focus is to create a safe, inclusive and respectful learning and working environment.  

The steering group’s four main objectives are:  

1. 1. Encouraging dialogue about structural problems related to social safety within institutions and across organisational and governance levels.  
   2. Developing and sharing knowledge and best practices so institutions can learn from effective strategies and apply them in their own contexts.  
   3. Strengthening existing initiatives and launching new projects through the social safety subsidy scheme.  
   4. Connecting with related policy programmes on themes like diversity, inclusion and student wellbeing.  

The steering group plays a central role in the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science’s (OCW) integrated approach to improving social safety. This strategy consists of five action lines:  

1. Introducing a legal duty of care for student social safety under the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (WHW).  
2. Expanding reporting and consultation requirements for sexual offences and exploring a ban on non-disclosure agreements.  
3. Improving complaint and reporting systems for students and staff.  
4. Strengthening oversight of social safety policies.  
5. Launching a national programme to foster collaboration within the sector to enhance social safety.  

The steering group is responsible for implementing the fifth action line, which includes coordinating and supporting initiatives within the sector.