FWO - PhD fellowship

FWO PhD Fellowship (Fundamental Research)

You will receive a net grant of at least 2,700 EUR per month to carry out your own PhD project in Flanders, Belgium. In this context, a scholarship refers to financial support for PhD research. You design the project yourself around a research question that you wish to address, and it culminates in a PhD. The funding runs for 4 years years if you are new to research, or for 3 years if you already have extensive research experience (see eligibility criteria). It is paid out in two instalments, with an extension following the first 2 years based on a progress report. You will also receive an annual research budget of 3,720 EUR to cover costs related to your work. The grant is exempt from Belgian income tax. It is funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), the organisation that supports researchers in the Flemish part of Belgium.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold a Master’s degree (or are about to graduate) following a Bachelor’s degree. A degree obtained outside the European Economic Area or Switzerland must be recognised as equivalent by the Flemish authorities or your host university.
• How recent your degree is: As of the December intake 2026, your Master’s degree must not have been awarded more than 2 years prior to the application deadline.
• Length you qualify for: You are eligible for 4 years if you have not yet completed your Master’s degree, completed it less than 12 months ago, or have been engaged in full-time paid research for less than 6 months since graduating. You will be granted 3 years if you completed your Master’s degree more than 12 months ago AND have already spent more than 6 months engaged in such research work.
• Where you study: You must be affiliated to a university in Flanders or to one of the two recognised Protestant theological faculties in Leuven and Brussels.
• Supervisor: You work with an academic supervisor who holds at least a half-time professorship at a Flemish university.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Language: You must draft and justify your application in English so that international experts can assess it.
• Attempts: You may apply a maximum of twice and must not have previously received this type of FWO scholarship.

How to apply

You will develop your research project in collaboration with a supervisor at a Flemish university and submit it via the FWO e-portal. The deadline is 1 March at 17:00 (CET). Expert panels will assess the written applications. If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview at the FWO’s offices in Brussels before the final decision is made.