ZORGONDERZOEK NEDERLAND ZON

Their core work

ZonMw is the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, a national funding body that coordinates and aligns Dutch health research programs with European joint programming initiatives. They manage transnational research calls, align national funding strategies with EU-wide agendas, and broker collaboration between national research funders across Europe. Their core function is not performing research themselves but orchestrating how research funding flows — designing joint calls, harmonizing evaluation criteria, and ensuring national programs connect to broader European disease-specific initiatives.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2014-2018), ZonMw focused broadly on establishing ERA-NET infrastructure across multiple disease areas — systems medicine, cardiovascular diseases, translational cancer research, and ageing — essentially building the plumbing for transnational health research funding. From 2019 onward, their portfolio sharpened toward antimicrobial resistance (EXEDRA, VALUE-Dx, JPIAMR-ACTION), rare diseases (the large EJP RD programme), and the diet-microbiome-health nexus. This shift reflects a move from broad infrastructure-building toward deeper engagement in specific high-priority health challenges where joint programming has matured.

ZonMw is concentrating on antimicrobial resistance and rare diseases as their flagship joint programming areas, making them an ideal partner for consortia targeting these EU health priorities through 2027.

How they like to work

ZonMw operates almost exclusively as a participant (17 of 19 projects), which is typical for a national funding agency — they join consortia of peer funders rather than leading the research. Their network is exceptionally broad: 270 unique partners across 40 countries, reflecting their role as a hub connecting national funding organizations across Europe. Working with ZonMw means gaining access to the Dutch national research funding landscape and their extensive network of fellow funders who co-invest in joint calls.

With 270 consortium partners across 40 countries, ZonMw has one of the broadest networks among health research funders in Europe, connecting to virtually every national funding agency on the continent and beyond.

What sets them apart

ZonMw is not a research performer — they are the Dutch national gateway for health research funding alignment with Europe. Partnering with them gives a consortium direct access to Dutch co-funding mechanisms and credibility with other national funders. For anyone building a joint programming or ERA-NET proposal in health, having ZonMw on board signals that the Netherlands will co-invest, which is a powerful draw for other countries to join.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EJP RD
  By far their largest project (EUR 2.9M), a flagship European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases integrating funding, data sharing, and training across the continent.
• JPIAMR-ACTION
  Their most recent project (2021-2026) on antimicrobial resistance transmission, signalling continued commitment to the AMR agenda into the next framework programme.
• CSA JPI HDHL 2.0
  One of only two projects ZonMw coordinated, leading the strategic agenda for the Joint Programming Initiative on Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life.