Research Foundation – Flanders - PhD Fellowship Strategic Basic Research (FWO)

PhD Fellowship Strategic Basic Research (FWO)

You receive about 2,700 EUR per month to do a PhD in Flanders, Belgium, on a project that could later lead to real economic or social applications. You also get a bench fee of 3,720 EUR per year to cover research costs and materials. The grant is tax-free and falls under the Belgian social-security system. It runs for 4 years if you finished your master's recently. It runs for 3 years if you got your master's more than 12 months before the deadline and have since done over 6 months of full-time paid research related to your PhD. The money comes from the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO).

Who can apply

• Where you study: You do your PhD at a university in the Flemish Community of Belgium, with a supervisor there who helps you prepare the project.
• Degree: You hold at least a master's degree from a recognised institution in the European Economic Area or Switzerland. A degree from elsewhere (including the UK) needs recognition from NARIC-Vlaanderen or confirmation from the Flemish university. A master-after-master degree does not count.
• How recent your degree is: No more than 2 years between your master's and the 1 March 2027 deadline. Parental leave, sick leave or military service can extend this. Your first master's must be no more than 5 years old.
• Field of study: Any field of research.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply, as long as you meet the degree and university requirements.
• How often you can apply: At most twice in total, counting both this fellowship and the Fundamental Research one, and only once per call.
• Not used before: You have not held this fellowship before.
• Language: You write and defend your application in English, because an international panel reviews it.

How to apply

You develop your research project with a supervisor at a Flemish university and submit it through the FWO E-portal. The call for 2027 opens on 3 December 2026 and closes on 1 March 2027 at 17:00 CET. Your supervisor must send a recommendation letter. If you are shortlisted, you defend your proposal in person before an expert panel in Brussels. Results come on 7 October 2027.

You can find more scholarships in our guide Scholarships in Belgium.