KNAken Grant Programme
The KNA-RNAS Grant Programme KNAken
Call for 2026 - 2027
Deadlines: October 15, March 15
Award Dates: December 1, May 1
Activity Period: within 12 months of funding
Funding: max. 750 EUR per project, total scheme budget 3000 EUR per year
The Royal Netherlands Astronomical Society announces a programme of small grants, titled KNAken, for projects that have impact within the scope of the goal of the KNA-RNAS: "to promote astronomy in The Netherlands and in Belgium, including in elementary and secondary education, and maintain and stimulate contacts with, and between, astronomers, both inside and outside of the profession."
The total amount of funding available per call is 1500 euros. The maximum amount that can be requested per project is 750 euros, however, the preference is to issue more than 4 awards per year.
Co-funding is encouraged. The aim of the programme is to fund projects that are diverse in aim, financial scope, applicants, target groups and locations.
Examples of projects that might fit within this programme are star parties, educational activities, art and creativity, initiatives to increase Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, science communication, etc.
Process:
- A call for proposals will be issued twice a year, with deadlines on October 15 and March 15.
- Proposals can be submitted by KNA-RNAS members through the form at https://www.kna-rnas.nl/knaken-application at the KNA-RNAS website. You may download a template to prepare answers at: KNAken Grant Application.docx
- The KNA-RNAS Board will allocate funding within a month after the deadline, after having received advice by a Board-appointed assessment committee, and communicate this to the applicants before Dec 1 and May 1, respectively.
- Invoices will be reimbursed up to the grant amount after receiving the final project report. Other means of handling finances (e.g. through institutes) can be discussed to prevent individual burden.
Conditions for funding a project:
- The project adheres to the goals of the KNA-RNAS as described above.
- The project would not be expected to be covered by research funding.
- A proposal can be submitted by a single applicant or by a project team.
- The main applicant is a member of the KNA-RNAS or has applied for membership before the funding deadline, and remains a member at least until the end of the project.
- The project is executed and completed, including reporting, within a year of the funding allocation. Extensions can be requested to the KNA-RNAS board.
- At the end of the project, the proposer will write a short report to the KNA-RNAS board, detailing the project and its results. The report will be published on the website.
Questions can be addressed to grants@kna-rnas.nl