BCN Seed Grants 2025

BCN provides research projects and training for MSc and PhD students in an interdisciplinary environment to nurture skilful T-shaped researchers. This refers to scientists who are specialised and knowledgeable in their field (the leg of the T), and at the same time integrated into broader interdisciplinary collaborations to enable novel connections and ideas (the horizontal part).

To further stimulate interdisciplinary skills and collaborations for early career researchers (i.e., MSc students, PhD-students, post-docs, and other scientific staff within the first ten years after receiving their PhD), BCN awards several seed grants every year. These BCN seed grants, with a maximum of €10.000 each, are awarded to stimulate new interdisciplinary projects and ideas and to facilitate long-lasting multidisciplinary collaborations leading to further interdisciplinary grant applications and/or PhD trajectories. The seed grant program is financed by the BCN Office (Medical Faculty), with a budget for 2025 of €30.000.

Project description and criteria:

The topic of the proposed project should concern “behaviour and/or cognition and/or neuroscience” (at least 2 of these research domains) and should aim to bridge the interests of the different researchers/research groups involved in the project.

• The project should be written by early career researchers. These applicants cannot be affiliated with the same BCN-associated faculties. This means that at least 2 different BCN-associated faculties have to be involved in the project proposal.

• Applicants should be involved in the BCN through either the ReMa, Graduate School, or as BCN members.

• The BCN seed grant can be used to cover salary, travel costs, lab work, or equipment to enable a pilot study or a small research project fitting the above goals.

• Note that the BCN seed grant is not meant for financing ongoing projects, (e.g., the salary of current PhD students) or open-access publications.

• Applicants should write a proposal with a maximum of 3 pages (A4; font size 10, including references) containing:
  - title;
  - aim of the project;
  - applicant information, including affiliations and career level;
  - short description of the project (research question, objectives, workplan) (500 words max);
  - interdisciplinary aspects, highlighting the specific contributions of the different applicants (150 words max);
  - fit to BCN objectives (150 words max) – please specify how the proposed project addresses a scientific question related to "behaviour and/or cognition and/or neuroscience" (at least 2 of these research domains);
  - innovative aspects (150 words max);
  - description of open science practices (if applicable; 100 words max);
  - budget, time planning, and its justification (150 words max);
  - an explanation why BCN-seed funding is needed for this collaboration;
  - perspectives for further funding (150 words max);
  - expected output in terms of publications and outreach (100 words max).
  - a public/lay summary of the proposal addressing the knowledge gap, urgency and proposed solution to the problem for the broad neuroscientific community (max 150 words).

• A short CV (max 1 page each) from all applicants should also be attached to the proposal.

The deadline for submission is on September 30, 2025. Please send all corresponding documents to: bcn umcg.nl

 A selection committee with BCN faculty will evaluate all proposals and select those who will be awarded the grant by November 1, 2025. All participants will be informed of the outcome at the beginning of November.