Small Grants Scheme

Funding

The ELS Academy launches a Small Grants Scheme through which early-career scholars interested in Empirical Legal Studies can apply for financial support for their empirical legal research projects and activities. With this funding scheme, we aim to stimulate empirical legal research and research-related activities that contribute to the mission of the ELS Academy.

Purpose and objective

The ELS Academy’s Small Grants Scheme is intended to help early-career scholars working in the field of Empirical Legal Studies in their ambitions to conduct empirical research, strengthen their CVs, establish (inter)national and interdisciplinary research networks, and increase impact-oriented activities, while at the same time contributing to the mission of the ELS Academy.

We invite grant applications that support the undertaking of research activities that empirically explore questions that are relevant for legal scholarship. We invite applications that cover all areas of Empirical Legal Studies.

Funding of up to €5,000 is available for research, workshop organisation, impact activities, or networking. We are particularly appreciative of activities that foster relationships between researchers of the ELS Academy partner universities and beyond.

The funding can be used for the following purposes:

data collection (e.g., fieldwork, survey panel services, incentives for respondents);
data analysis (e.g., buying data analysis software);
organising research meetings and impact activities (e.g., expert workshops, symposia, or conferences);
science communication (e.g., webcasts, infographics);
other activities that fit the mission of the ELS Academy.

Please note that funding through the ELS Academy’s Small Grants Scheme cannot be used for the following purposes:

paying for one’s research time in FTEs
hiring a research assistant
conference fees and conference travels
open access publishing (APCs)

The grants are available only for staff from Dutch universities or research groups with a main applicant being based at a Dutch university. Priority is given to early-career scholars (PhDs, Postdocs, and Assistant Professors).

Grant

How to submit your grant application

You can download the application form here. Please send your completed application form, together with your CV, to contact@elsacademy.nl with “ELS Academy Small Grants Scheme Application” as subject line to your e-mail.

Budget and lead time

The ELS Academy has launched the Small Grants Scheme in 2024 and it will run until the end of 2025, currently with a total available budget of €60.000. A maximum of €5.000 euros is available per project. Only actual costs made will be reimbursed. Any awarded grant needs to be utilised (read: spent and costs reimbursed) by the end of 2025 (31/12/2025).

Selection committee and procedure

The selection committee of the Small Grant Scheme consists of the following members:

Monika Glavina, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Sonja Bekker, Utrecht University
Anja Eleveld, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Marc Hertogh, University of Groningen
Rowie Stolk, Leiden University

We aim to review all grant applications promptly. Upon submission of your grant application, you can expect to receive a response from us within a month. In case the grant is awarded to you, we will communicate the practical details in due course.

Questions?

Please contact Monika Glavina (glavina@law.eur.nl), who is coordinator of the research school of the ELS Academy.