PERMANENT CALL (2025) - BOF SABBATICAL LIGHT

Research

Funding organisation:

Bijzonder OnderzoeksFonds

What?

The BOF programme Sabbatical Light (co)finances outgoing international research stays at international universities and/or research institutions for periods of min. 14 weeks to max. 24 weeks to be realised within a time span of 12 months. This way the stay can be planned in a non-consecutive way while still spending a substantial period abroad (min. 2 stays of 7 consecutive weeks with an academic partner/academic partners or at least 1 stay of 14 consecutive weeks with an academic partner/academic partners). Stays can be planned in periods in which the teaching assignment is less demanding or in which this has less impact on the family and/or when family members can travel along.

This programme aims at facilitating the stay abroad by providing (co)financing of costs for accommodation, operational costs directly linked to fundamental research and an intervention in the travel cost which cannot be claimed from FWO.

The costs for replacing the ZAP member in the faculty are not eligible in this programme, but can be requested with the personnel department through FINTRA, provided that this BOF-application was approved and the teaching assignment cannot be covered by other funding. You will be asked to indicate in the application form the volume of the teaching assignment that needs to be covered in your absence.

A BOF application must be accompanied by an FWO application for a sabbatical bench fee.

If other external grants (ex.Fulbright, …) are acquired/applied for for a sabbatical leave for research purposes, BOF@uhasselt.be can be contacted to evaluate possibilities of cofinancing through BOF.

In certain regions, there is a concern about the involvement of research institutions and universities in human rights violations. Hasselt University urges its staff to exercise particular caution when collaborating with partners from these regions.

Who?

• The applications must be submitted by the ZAP member of Hasselt University with the same minimum % of employment as required in FWO regulations with 60% as an absolute minimum.
• Applications can be submitted from Associated professor level onwards.

Application?

• The proposals must be submitted using the application form.
  
  • Please add the FWO application.
  • Please explain your future research ambitions and how this Sabbatical Light will add to that.

• Budget that can be applied for with BOF:
  • Lump sum of €2,000 for accommodation costs or operational costs directly related to the fundamental research and not covered by FWO.
  • Travel cost of max. €500 within EU and max. €1,000 outside EU, if not provided by FWO.
• Provide a breakdown and justification of the costs applied for with BOF and FWO.
• The stay must be focused on strengthening the (strategic) basic research within the researcher’s research group/institute/centre.
• The scientific added value of the Sabbatical Light must be motivated.
• The positive advice of the faculty and capacity group (vakgroep), should be included in the application. If the applicant is affiliated to a research institute/centre, a positive advice of the research institute/centre is required.
• The completed application form (in English) should be submitted electronically to BOF@uhasselt.be.

Conditions

• Only applications for research stays of minimum 14 weeks to maximum 24 weeks outside Belgium to be taken up within an 12-month period, either consecutively or in different periods. It is required to have at least two periods of minimum 7 consecutive weeks with an international academic partner/partners within this 12-month period or at least 1 stay of 14 consecutive weeks with an academic partner/partners.
• The research stay can take place with several international partners if motivated, as long as the minimum stay of 2 periods of 7 consecutive weeks or 1 stay of 14 consecutive weeks with the same international academic partner is respected. The remaining weeks can be planned with other international partners, respecting a minimum duration of 1 week per stay.
• The funds can be granted only one time per person.
• Min. appointment of 60% at UHasselt.
• Min. associated professor.

Timing

BOF applications should be submitted in parallel with the FWO application for a sabbatical bench fee no later than 3 months prior to the departure date. The FWO application should be attached to the BOF application.

Applications will be discussed in the subsequent meeting of the Research Council following the submission, provided that the application is received by BOF@uhasselt.be at minimum one week prior to the meeting of the Research Council (meeting calendar of the Research Council is available here).

Please take into account that applications received in June can only be discussed in the Research Council meeting of September.

Regulations?

• BOF Sabbatical light
• BOF Regulations (incl. information on insurances)

Contact Hasselt University?

E-mail lieve.tulleneers@uhasselt.be

Tel. +3211269041