FWO - SofinaBoël Fellowships

Research

Funding organisation:

Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen

What?

With the help of the King Baudouin Foundation, acting on behalf of the SofinaBoël Fund for Education and Talent, FWO and F.R.S.-FNRS may grant the SofinaBoël Fellowships to talented PhD students for a research and/or training stay abroad.

The SofinaBoël Fellowships consist of a fixed allowance of 1 650 euro per month and travel costs, i.e. a lump sum of 1 000 euro. Candidates may go abroad to a host institution of their choice in all countries worldwide except the United States of America.

Candidates may go abroad to a host institution of their choice in all countries worldwide except the United States of America. The quality of the host institution is an important criterion in the selection procedure, since the SofinaBoël Fund for Education and Talent aims at promoting excellence through training at the best educational institutions abroad. The Fund encourages candidates to look for a host institution where they have not been staying for a significant period prior to the SofinaBoël Fellowship research stay, in order to establish a global network of talent and develop new contacts abroad.

NEW from this call on: the jury will assess whether and to what extent the project contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. More information can be found in the application form and Frequently Asked Questions document the FWO website.

Who?

The following eligibility criteria apply for candidates who are seeking a SofinaBoël Fellowship:

• You are a PhD student with a paid affiliation at a Belgian university at the deadline of the call and when leaving for your research stay abroad; beneficiaries of clinical PhD fellowships, as well as candidates from the Royal Military Academy, are eligible
• You have obtained a MA or MSc after November 1, 2021
• You have a clear attachment to Belgium; you have been affiliated to a Belgian university for at least one full year prior to the submission deadline and will be affiliated to a Belgian university for at least the entire duration of the research stay.
• Your stay abroad will last either 6 or 12 months and should fall within the academic year 2026-2027.

Applicants should have an outstanding academic record (study results; academic results in your PhD research if already started) as well as an excellent command of the language which will be used at the host institution.

Application?

Applications can be submitted as a single pdf at the latest by November 17, 2025 midnight CET by email to prijzen@fwo.be.

More information?

More information, the application form and regulations can be found on the FWO website.

Deadline

17.11.2025

Contact Hasselt University?

E-mail brecht.vanhoof@uhasselt.be

Tel. +3211268744