Research disciplines

Since September 2018 the Flemish research area has been subject to a new classification system for research disciplines. Not only the main funding bodies such as FWO, BOF, and IOF but also the Flemish Research Portal (FRIS) use this classification to type people, organisations, and projects. Due to exchange agreements between GISMO (the Ghent University research information system) and FRIS, Ghent University researchers have been provided two public GISMO modules allowing them to manage these data themselves.

Full list of research disciplines

Preliminary remarks:

  • The list is in English. Please take this into account when searching for an apt code.
  • The list is updated yearly. Missing research disciplines may be added after consultation of an advisory committee.
  • An electronic support module will be gradually introduced into all GISMO applications.

Mapping between old and new codes

Up till now there were several lists to type research, being uses by different stakeholders. The university used the IWETO codes for all research projects barring FWO projects, which had their own classification. Besides these there were also classifications for VLIR, ECOOM etc. The Flemish government decided to integrate all these lists into one classification model. Matching and mapping exercises were also prepared.

The list of Flemish research disciplines has four levels. The first two levels are meant for reporting, level 3 is mainly used by FWO to decide on selection panel distrubition of project applications; level 4 provides detailed typology of people, organisations, and projects.

EWI expects Ghent University to:

  • provide a research discipline for every researcher (those active on 1/1/2019 to have at least a level 3 code).
  • provide a research discipline for every project
  • affiliate every researcher to an organisation, which in turn is characterised by a research area

Implementation at Ghent University

Ghent University will be obliging every researcher to have at least one research discipline code. The main challenge is minimising the administrative burden for the researcher while maintaining a high quality of data and following through on the mandatory nature.

  • For current researchers GISMO suggests research disciplines via mapping. Based on the available data a level 3 research discipline is offered which the researcher preferably substitutes with a level 4 code. Researchers who in the past filled out their research discipline via the Apollo application will be provided with a new level 4 code.
  • New researchers will be personally contacted at the time of their appointment and asked to complete their profile.

The information on research disciplines will be sent on to the Flemish Research Portal which is publically available online. But also the data will also be shown in the online phonebook of Ghent University (Autumn 2019).