FNRS-Fund for Scientific Research (Belgium) - FRIA Grants

FRIA doctoral grant

For a 4-year PhD programme in Belgium, you will receive a monthly stipend of approximately 2,750 EUR. Your field of research must have a clear link to industry or agriculture. The exact amount is determined each year by the funding body. The stipend is tax-free, and you are covered by social security. Your supervisor will also receive an operating budget to carry out your research. Funding is provided in two phases: an initial grant of up to 27 months (longer if you have a disability), followed by an extension of up to 21 months. Your doctoral committee – the group of academics supervising your PhD – will review your research progress before the extension is granted. The funding is provided by the F.R.S.-FNRS, the research fund for the French-speaking part of Belgium.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold a Master’s degree comprising at least 120 credit points, or are about to obtain one.
• Where your degree is from: Your master’s degree was awarded by a higher education institution in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania. Other qualifications will be recognised if a French-speaking Belgian university admits you to its doctoral programme.
• How recent: You obtained your qualification within the last 7 years. This period is extended for each child (15 months per birth, 12 months per adopted child) and in the case of long-term foster care.
• Where you study: You are undertaking a PhD at a university in the French-speaking Community of Belgium (UCLouvain, ULB, ULiège, UMons or UNamur) under the supervision of a supervisor based there who holds a permanent or fixed-term academic post.
• Field: Your research fits one of the 20 ERC panels in life sciences, physical sciences or engineering, and could be applied in industry or agriculture.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. What matters is your degree and your host university, not your country of origin.
• Funding limits: You have not yet received an F.R.S.-FNRS grant for more than 24 months. You may apply a maximum of two times in total and may not apply for both FRIA and FRESH in the same year.

How to apply

You apply online through the e-space platform, in French or English. You submit a research project, CV, publication list and four reference contacts (two academic, two from industry or agriculture). For the 2026 call, you must validate your application by 25 August 2026 at 2 p.m. This deadline is fixed and cannot be extended. If you pass the written review, you attend a short oral exam of up to 30 minutes at the F.R.S.-FNRS premises in Brussels. The funding decision is made in December.