FWO Postdoctoral Fellowships (jr./sr.)

Important dates

17/09/2026  Opening call
17/09/2026, 10 a.m.  Info session: https://event.ugent.be/registration/FWOpostdoc2026 
16/11/2026  Deadline

New

  • Strict resubmission policy: the FWO is trying to keep the number of applications within limits. From this call onwards, resubmission for the same mandate will be conditional. This means that anyone who wishes to submit a new application for the same mandate must be among the top 50% of candidates during the first submission. This 50% ranking is based on the pre-selection (not the interview) and is done per panel, not generally. Candidates will be able to see in their feedback report whether or not they belong to that group. The junior mandate and the senior mandate are considered as two separate mandates by the FWO.
  • Mandatory letter of recommendation from the supervisor: the supervisor’s letter of recommendation will play a more significant role in the evaluation process. This letter must be submitted by the supervisor directly via the FWO e-portal and is an essential part of the application.
  • Maximum number of applications per supervisor: to ensure the quality of supervision, the number of applications per supervisor is limited to a maximum of five per call. This limit applies to the total number of applications (junior and senior postdoctoral grants combined).

Basic information

  • The junior postdoctoral fellowshipis a three-year, individual grant designed to support researchers who have only recently obtained a PhD in developing an independent, international research career.

  • The senior postdoctoral fellowship is a three-year, individual grant designed to provide further support to researchers who have held a doctoral degree for several years as they develop an independent, international research career.

If the postdoctoral fellowship is awarded, the FWO becomes the employer and Ghent University acts as the host institution. The postdoctoral grant includes a salary (junior or senior) and a flexible bench fee of between 4,000 and 10,000 euros per year.

Eligibility

Junior: You can apply for a junior postdoctoral fellowship if your PhD was obtained no longer than 3 years before October, 1 of the year in which the fellowship would start, or will be obtained at September 15 of that year at the latest (in the latter case you need to inform the FWO of the date of your public defence - or equivalent form of assessment - by 1 July of that year at the latest).

Senior: You can apply for a senior postdoctoral fellowship if your 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 commences. You can always apply for a senior postdoctoral fellowship if you have previously enjoyed a junior postdoctoral fellowship. In that case, the senior postdoctoral fellowship must immediately follow the junior postdoctoral fellowship.

Procedure

To be determined.

Extra information

An information session for new postdoctoral researchers will be held in mid-November. Further details will be provided later via email (and on this webpage).

The complete regulations, the regulations governing the use of the operating grant, and the page titled “Employed as a Mandate Holder” contain a wealth of relevant information.

Info session

  • Recording of the info session on the 17th of September will be added once available.

Contact

Team Flemish, Federal & BOF Projects