Faculty of Sciences logo faculty

Odysseus 2024

Context

In April 2024, the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) will initiate a new call for the Odysseus program. This program is designed to support outstanding postdoctoral researchers who have cultivated their careers outside of Flanders, assisting them in establishing a research line and group within Flemish universities like Ghent University. Successful candidates are awarded substantial research funding, ranging from €500,000 to €3,500,000. For comprehensive details regarding eligibility and funding, please visit the FWO website.

In addition to financial assistance, Odysseus mandate holders are also granted a permanent professorship at Ghent University.

  • Type I mandate holders are appointed as full professors or senior full professors, based on their seniority.
  • Type II mandate holders assume a tenure track professor position. Upon a positive evaluation after five years, they are subsequently granted an associate professor position.

Given the significant impact of this program, all applications must be approved by the faculty to ensure candidates meet the necessary criteria. To facilitate a smooth application and approval process, the Faculty of Sciences has established the following clear procedure.

 Faculty approval process

To visually guide you through each step of the approval procedure, please refer to the image provided below.

Odysseus2024externen

To locate the department pertinent to your research domain, consult the list of departments and the contact information of each department head on the following webpage. The department head will serve as your initial point of contact for initiating your application.

Only with their initial consent can you commence preparing your application for approval. Follow the outlined steps and complete the applicant form (provided as a Word document), then submit it to the department head. You can expect to receive the result of the faculty approval procedure by May 22, 2024, at the latest.

 Subsequent application procedure

If you have obtained approval from the faculty, you will be able to finalize your application. The complete application file must be filled out and submitted to the faculty coordinator by June 17, 2024, at the latest, and should include the following elements:

  • Your Curriculum Vitae; including a bibliography (you should also update this information in the FWO e-loket);
  • A written confirmation in which you state your intention to come over to Ghent University to continue your research career;
  • A research plan (maximum of 12 pages, following this template);
  • A detailed budget proposal for five years.

Note that most elements of the application have already been prepared by completing the faculty applicant’s form. You only need to expand your research plan to its full length instead of the brief summary provided in the faculty applicant’s form.

Final administrative steps 

Ghent University must adhere to a gender balance among its Odysseus candidates, with a maximum of two-thirds of the candidates being of the same gender. Therefore, a preselection of candidates may be necessary based on all the files submitted to the institution by June 17. Ghent University’s Research Council will conduct this preselection if required.
Once the gender balance is confirmed, Ghent University’s Research Coordination Office will provide you with a unique web link to access the online application file. Additionally, you will receive a binding declaration of commitment, signed by the rector, which must be included in your application for FWO. The deadline for submission via the online web link to FWO is September 30, 2024, at 5 PM Belgian time.

Contact

For any inquiries regarding this procedure, please reach out to the faculty coordinator.