Access to compute services

We provide researchers with capacity and expertise for high performance computing, data processing and cloud computing. Find out how you can request access and support from SURF.

Straight to request portal

Small Compute applications (NWO)

Researchers can apply for limited amounts of computing time, data services and support. Applications are done through SURF, but funded by NWO.

Request portal

Researchers may submit an application if they have a tenured position (and therefore a paid position for an indefinite period) or a tenure track agreement at one of the following research organisations:

Universities and Universities of applied sciences, as referred to in section 1.8 of the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (WHW) and the universities listed in the Policy Rule Universities located in the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
University medical centres, by which is meant academic hospitals as referred to in section 1.13 paragraph 1 of the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (WHW);
KNAW and NWO institutes;
Netherlands Cancer Institute;
the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen;
NCB Naturalis;
Advanced Research Centre for NanoLithography (ARCNL).
Princess Máxima Center.
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM);
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI);
Wageningen University (WUR)/Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek (DLO);
Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR);
Deltares;
Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Marin);

If the main applicant does not have a permanent employment contract, his/her appointment must be at least as long as the duration of the project for which an application is submitted.

Those with zero-hours contracts are excluded from submitting proposals.

It could be the case that the applicant’s tenure track agreement ends before the intended completion date of the project for which funding is applied for, or that before that date, the applicant’s tenured contract ends or ends due to the applicant reaching retirement age. In that case, the applicant needs to include a statement from their employer in which the research organisation concerned guarantees that the project and all project members for whom funding has been requested will receive adequate supervision for the full duration of the project.

Applicants with part-time employment contract must guarantee adequate supervision of the project and of all persons working on the project for whom computing time is requested.

Additional requirements apply to researchers from the following institutions:

Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO);
IHE Delft Institute for Water Education;
Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI);
The following institutions participating in SURF cooperative: National Archives (NA), Royal Library (KB), University for Humanistics (UvH), Police Academy and Integral Cancer Centre of the Netherlands (IKNL).

The organisation should be:

Based in the Netherlands;
A foundation, association or public-law legal entity;
Principally engaged itself in conducting fundamental research, industrial research or experimental development in an independent manner;
Be able to declare that the organisation keeps separate accounting regarding economic/non-economic activities and that companies with decisive influence over the organisation are not given preferential access to the organisation's research results.

Please note: Prior to submitting an application, NWO checks on the basis of the above conditions whether an organisation complies with Article 1.1(4) of the NWO Grant Rules and may therefore participate as an applicant. NWO carries out this check partly to make sure that there is no question of granting prohibited State Aid. This check should also be carried out if an organisation already has been assessed within another NWO programme and was permitted as an applicant.

For the purpose of this check, the organisation of the intended applicant shall provide the following documents by email to rekentijd@nwo.nl at least 10 working days prior to submission:

A recent extract from the Chamber of Commerce;
The deed of incorporation and/or current statutes;
The latest available financial statement provided with an audit report;
The completed Declaration research organisation, available on the Call for proposals webpage.