BOF (Special Research Fund) - Support for postdoctoral researchers
Every year, with support from its “Special Research Fund” (BOF) Ghent University assists excellent individual researchers through Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Duration
Postdoctoral Fellowships (BOF): allocated for maximum 3 years
Who can apply?
The candidates for a BOF-postdoctoral fellowship are recruited from the pool of applicants for FWO (Research Foundation Flanders) Postdoctoral Fellowships, and therefore cannot apply directly to the Special Research Fund (BOF). Candidates that are not successful with the FWO, enter the competition for a Postdoctoral Scholarship from the Special Research Fund (BOF) under the express condition that candidates can submit a new application for a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the FWO Flanders in a next application round.
In 2011 the FWO Flanders took several new measures in order to reduce the number of applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship. Since the application round of 2011 it is no longer possible to apply more than 2 times for the same fellowship.
Therefore only candidates who apply for the first time at FWO are eligible for a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship. Holders of a BOF fellowship are still obliged to submit a new application at the FWO but they can choose whether they do so in the first or the second year of the BOF fellowship. An exception is made in case of long-term illness or pregnancy, where an FWO application in the third year of the BOF fellowship is allowed.
Make sure however that if you would decide to apply in the second year of your BOF-fellowship you are still eligible to apply at the FWO:
“Researchers can only apply for a postdoctoral fellowship within six years of obtaining their PhD, calculated on the start date of the fellowship (1 October). This time limit is postponed by one year in the case of pregnancy or parental leave, calculated from the time of the application. This does not apply to candidates who have not yet reached the age of 36 at the beginning of the fellowship (1 October). (http://www.fwo.be/Postdoctoraal-onderzoeker.aspx)
How does it work?
Candidates applying for the first time at the FWO for a Postdoctoral Fellowship are automatically eligible for a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Special research Fund (BOF).
If you want to apply for a Postdoctoral Scholarship with the FWO (Research Foundation Flanders), you first need to find a professor from Ghent University who is willing to act as the supervisor (promoter) of your postdoctoral research. The best way to do this is to browse the faculties of Ghent University . Once you have found a supervisor, you can apply for a postdoctoral scholarship with the FWO. There is one FWO call per year (deadline in February).
How much funding is involved?
The fellowships are monthly allowances, the value of which depends on a.o. the researcher’s academic experience and his/her family situation. The promoter receives a bench fee of €5.000/year.
More information
- More information on eligibility criteria and application procedure for the FWO postdoctoral scholarship can be found here, or contact Mrs. Lieve Huys, Lieve.Huys@UGent.be, tel: 09 264 30 28.
- Or on the FWO website
- More information on BOF: contact BOF@UGent.be
- See also the Special Research Fund - Grants for Visiting Postdoctoral researchers
