Deadline: March 15, 2026
Applications are open for the NATO Chief Scientist Grants Programme 2026. The goal of the NATO Chief Scientist’s Grants programme is to support S&T work at the strategic level and provide the scientific evidence-base for political or military senior leadership and policymakers.
The programme provides funding to support research and S&T initiatives across innovative topics. This programme is a framework developed by the NATO Science & Technology Organization (STO) Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) to:
- Support the mission of the NATO Chief Scientist in the provision of Science & Technology (S&T) advice to NATO leadership.
- Attract talented scientists towards NATO’s S&T activities with a view to widen the NATO scientific knowledge base.
- Promote NATO’s S&T through activities that augment and leverage the capabilities and programmes of the Alliance in support of NATO’s objectives.
- Facilitate the integration of national S&T representatives and scientists in the STO, its business models and Programmes of Work.
Grant
- This year, the programme will award €500,000 in total, with individual grants of up to €100,000, depending on the scope of the project.
Eligibility
The NATO Chief Scientist Grants programme is open to nationals from NATO Allies working for:
- Organizations affiliated with or part of a NATO Allied government.
- Organizations affiliated with research Institutes, NGOs or private or public companies etc. in a NATO country.
In addition, the applicants need to be resident in a NATO country.
Application
When drafting their proposal, applicants should address the following questions:
- How does the proposal contribute to the S&T themes and the NATO S&T Strategy?
- What is the scientific relevance of the proposal and what scientific objectives is it trying to accomplish?
- How does the proposal contribute to NATO’s core tasks?
- What will be the exploitation and impact of the activity expected results?
- What risks could make the proposal fail to deliver its expected results?
- What is the expected cost of the project?
For more information, visit NATO Chief Scientist Grants Programme.
