Research Semester Programmes

The main means to strengthen our national role is the organization of semester programmes, which enable breakthroughs in current research topics, generate new ideas and topics and create the intensive collaboration needed to ultimately turn ideas into concrete contributions to science and society.

Find an overview below.

Upcoming programmes 2025 - 2026

2025

• Control Theory and Reinforcement Learning
• Truth is in the Eyes of the Machines
• Learning Enhanced Optimization
• Synergies in Numerical Linear Algebra and Machine Learning

2026

• PhaseCAP: Phase Transitions in Combinatorics, Algorithms, Probability
• Democratising Real-World Problem Tailored Optimisation
• Quantum Algorithms and Quantum Error Correction

Past programmes

2024

• Uncertainty Quantification for high-dimensional problems
• Spring School on Social XR (2nd edition)
• AI's Impact on Society, Media & Democracy

2023

• Machine Learning theory
• Scientific Machine Learning
• Spring School on Social XR

2022

• Data-driven methods for inverse problems
• Polynomial Optimization and Applications

National research collaborations

A scientific semester programme facilitates joint national research collaborations and brings together scientists on interesting, current topics that preferably fit within our focus areas. A group of researchers will be invited to work together on a regular basis over several months on a specific scientific subject. Such semester programmes will also include a series of satellite events that appeal to young talents and will also be used to bring in international experts. Examples are a mini-symposium, masterclass, hackathon or data challenge. As stated earlier, the semester programmes are the main means to create dynamics in the research portfolio of CWI and its Dutch communities within the scope of the four research focus areas. These semester programmes should yield submissions, together with university researchers, of medium- and large-scale research projects funded by NWO and the European Commission. By 2027 we aim for participation in three NWO Gravitation programmes (or programmes of a similar scale).

Are you interested in learning more about the experience of participants of our semester programmes? Read the testimonials!

Do you want more information about CWI research semester programmes? Read our flyer.