CIIIC Start Call Launched: Investigative IX-Makers Wanted

Are you working with immersive experiences and want to understand the impact of your application? 

The new CIIIC Start-call offers funding of up to €50,000 for exploratory research. The scheme supports one-year exploratory research into the effectiveness and responsible use of immersive experiences (IX).

For researching creators and creating researchers

The CIIIC Start scheme is intended for consortia in which researchers from colleges or universities collaborate with at least two other parties: enterprises and/or social organizations. A typical consortium might consist of a creator providing the IX application, a social organization offering the testing ground where the research takes place, and a college conducting the research.

"Whether you work with VR, AR, XR, games, installations, or story worlds – if you're curious about the deeper workings and impact of IX, CIIIC Start offers an opportunity to systematically research it," says Heleen Rouw, program director of CIIIC. "In this way, you not only build on your own project but also on the further development of the Dutch IX community."

Research into effective elements of IX

Whether it's VR, AR, XR, games, installations, or story worlds – applied in healthcare, culture, education, heritage, journalism, or industry – CIIIC Start offers creators the chance to scientifically investigate the possibilities of their application. Not to develop new technology, but to find answers to fundamental questions about when and how IX works.

The scheme focuses on exploratory research that helps to better understand when and how immersive experiences can be effectively and responsibly used. Consider questions such as:

• What are the effective elements of different IX applications?
• How do people experience IX in different contexts, and what is the demonstrable added value in a specific sector?
• How can we reliably measure user experiences and effects?
• What ethical and public values play a role in responsible use?
• How do we make research results widely applicable to the sector?

“This provides valuable input for future research within the broader CIIIC program. Moreover, it also gives a direct boost to the further development of the sector,” says Ruth Timmermans, program manager CIIIC at Regieorgaan SIA.

Characteristics

• Funding: up to €50,000 per project
• Duration: maximum 1 year
• Applicant: a college, university, or other research institution submits the application

Work is being done on an information meeting where interested parties can learn more about the scheme and meet potential research partners. Details will follow soon.

CIIIC Start is the first CIIIC scheme to be implemented by Regieorgaan SIA, a part of NWO that funds practice-oriented research and stimulates collaboration between colleges, the business sector, and public institutions.

Important links

Since this scheme is implemented by Regieorgaan SIA, we refer you to the SIA website for more background information:

• read the news article from Regieorgaan SIA
• visit the CIIIC Start information page
• View the page 'Submission round January 2026'

Interested?

Do you want to be the first to know when the information meeting takes place? And are you interested in finding research partners? Sign up for our newsletter for all updates on CIIIC Start and other research opportunities within the CIIIC program.