Postdoctoral Fellowships

Duration and starting date

These positions start on 1 October 2020 at the earliest and last for a period of maximum 3 years.

Who can apply?

Candidates for a BOF-Postdoctoral Fellowship are automatically recruited from the pool of applicants for a Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship or a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) when the following conditions are met:

  • candidates must be eligible to submit a new application for a Junior or Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship at the FWO Flanders in a next application round;
  • Note that candidates for a Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship who can no longer apply for a junior-fellowship in a next application round, but who can apply for a senior fellowship , are still eligible for a BOF-Postdoctoral Fellowship.
For junior candidates and senior candidates who currently are not holding a postdoctoral fellowship of the FWO, the BOF selection will be limited to those candidates that are preselected by the FWO for the second application round (with interview). Applicants who are not preselected by the FWO will no longer be taken into account for a BOF fellowship.
  • Exception: For candidates of a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship who are currently holding an FWO-postdoctoral fellowship and are applying for a prolongation of their FWO postdoctoral fellowship the rule mentioned above does not apply: in this category all applications that are not selected by the FWO will be evaluated with the possibility of receiving a BOF fellowship.
  • Candidates can obtain a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship only once in their career, either after applying for an FWO Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship, or after applying for an FWO Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship. If a candidate has obtained a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship after applying for an FWO Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship, this candidate can no longer obtain a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship after applying for an FWO Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship.Reapplying at the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)

Reapplying at the FWO

  • Candidates are obligated to reapply at the FWO. When reapplying. Candidates must take care that at the moment of the chosen deadline, they can still submit an eligible application at the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). 
  • Candidates who obtain a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship after applying for a Junior/Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship at the FWO on 2/12/2019 must reapply for a Junior/Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)at the latest on 1/12/2021*  
  • For candidates who already have a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship the following deadlines for resubmitting at the FWO will be applied:
    • holders of a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship who received their fellowship after applying at the FWO on 3/12/2018 must reapply at the FWO on 1/12/2020 at the latest;
    • holders of a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship who received their fellowship after applying at the FWO on 1/2/2018 must reapply at the FWO on 1/12/2020 at the latest;
    • holders of a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship who received their fellowship after applying at the FWO on 1/2/2017 must reapply at the FWO on 1/12/2019 at the latest.
Basic Rule: Researchers can apply for a Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship if their PhD degree, with as reference point the date mentioned on the PhD degree, was awarded maximum three years before the first of October of the year in which the fellowship starts. Researchers can apply for a Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship if their PhD degree, with as reference point the date mentioned on the PhD degree, was awarded minimum three years and maximum six years ;before the first of October of the year in which the fellowship starts. Candidates for a senior fellowship must submit a declaration issued by the main host institution that they have at least two years' postdoctoral research experience on October 1st of the year in which the fellowship begins.  Exceptions and details: see Art. 6 Regulations FWO for Postdoctoral Fellows

* 1/12 is a target date, the effective date may differ some days

How does it work?

  • Candidates who want to apply for a Junior/ Senior Postdoctoral Scholarship at the FWO (Research Foundation Flanders), first need to find a professor from Ghent University who is willing to act as the supervisor (promoter) of the postdoctoral research. The best way to do this is to browse the faculties of Ghent University
  • The application for a Junior/ Senior Postdoctoral Scholarship at the FWO will be used for the BOF selection. This means there is no separate application form or deadline. In case the application at the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) is not rewarded, a copy of the application will automatically be sent to the administration of the Special Research Fund (BOF)

How much funding is involved?

The fellowship consists of a monthly allowance, depending on a.o. the researcher’s academic experience and his/her family situation. The researcher also receives a bench fee of €3.500/year.

More information