Coronavirus: measures BOF-funding
To address the difficulties caused by the coronavirus, the Special Research Fund (BOF) has taken the following measurements.
Postponing the end date
Ongoing BOF projects and mandates
- Projects
If researchers experience delays and/or other difficulties in the execution of their research project as a result of the situation caused by the coronavirus, for the projects that are already in progress, one can make use of the possibility foreseen in the regulations to postpone the formal end date of the awarded BOF funding by 2 years. If you want to make use of this possibility, please contact the BOF-team via BOF@ugent.be.
- Bench fee mandates
For ongoing BOF mandates, the formal end date of the operational funds (bench fee) may be postponed by 10 months. Please contact the BOF team on this via BOF@UGent.be.
New projects and mandates (awarded as of 1/1/2021)
- Projects
For recently awarded BOF projects, funding for projects in SAP is automatically made available for the duration of the project plus 2 years.
- Bench fee mandates
For these mandates, the operational funds (bench fee) are available for an extra 10 months. Mind that this does not imply extra budget, but only extra time for spending the budget.
BOF Sandwich scholarships for candidates from developing countries
Promoters of PhD scholarships for candidates from developing countries awarded before 2020 can, if the PhD is seriously delayed, contact the BOF team via BOF@ugent.be to extend the end date of the available funds if necessary.
For PhD scholarships for candidates from developing countries granted as from 2020, this period has already been extended to 60 months (instead of 48 months).
Exceptional extension of a PhD trajectory that was delayed due to COVID-19
This exceptional call is intended only for PhD students whose doctoral research is seriously delayed because of COVID-19 and for whom there are absolutely no alternative funding possibilities available with the promoter or the organisational unit (e.g. department, research group, etc.) of which the promoter is a member.