Ghent University Special Research Fund Doctoral Scholarships 2026

Before anything else, it is worth understanding the philosophy behind this scholarship. Ghent University designed the programme to strengthen research capacity in the Global South by supporting talented researchers who will apply their knowledge and skills to the development of their home regions, rather than encouraging their permanent relocation to Belgium. It’s trying to strengthen research capacity exactly where it already exists, by funding a genuine “sandwich” PhD — half your doctoral research happens at Ghent, half happens back at your own partner institution in the Global South, with the explicit goal of helping that local research group or centre grow into a genuinely excellent one over time. This is a scholarship built around institutional development as much as individual opportunity.

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Applications for the 2026 call closed on 17 February, and Ghent University announced the final results on 19 May 2026. If you applied, you should already know the outcome of your application. Successful candidates are now preparing for their first research stay at Ghent University, which must begin between October 2026 and February 2027. This guide covers the full mobility structure, the mandatory co-funding requirement that makes or breaks an application, the actual monthly stipend figure the original call materials often leave out, and what to prepare for the next cycle.

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What the Ghent University Special Research Fund Doctoral Scholarship Involves

Funded through Ghent University’s own Special Research Fund (BOF), this scholarship exists specifically to support university research groups and centres in the Global South in developing into excellent research institutions, by helping upgrade the skills and international exposure of their own academic staff.

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Rather than funding a conventional study-abroad experience, the programme operates as a research partnership between Ghent University in Belgium (“North”) and a partner university in a Global South country (“South”). PhD candidates divide their research equally between both institutions over four years. Ghent University funds only the 24 months spent in Belgium, while the partner institution must provide full funding for the remaining 24 months of research conducted in the South.

This dual structure means every successful application is really a joint proposal involving three parties working together: the candidate, a Ghent University supervisor, and a local supervisor at the partner institution in the South.

Ghent University Special Research Fund Doctoral Scholarships Summary

What Makes You Eligible for This Scholarship

• You need to be a national of, and come from, one of Ghent University’s specifically selected Global South countries — check the current official country list directly, since this is a defined, published set rather than an open “any developing country” criterion
• Your application needs to be jointly submitted by three parties together: yourself, a Ghent University supervisor who agrees to support your candidacy, and a supervisor at your partner institution in the South
• You need to be a genuine degree student aiming for a full or joint PhD at Ghent University — exchange students aren’t eligible under this scheme
• You need to be at the beginning of your PhD journey specifically. You must have at least 36 months of doctoral research remaining when your fellowship begins (1 October 2026 for this cycle). Although the programme permits some preliminary research before the fellowship starts, it is intended for candidates who are still in the early stages of their PhD rather than those who have already completed a substantial portion of their doctoral work.
• Your research topic may fall within any academic discipline, although the selection committee gives preference to projects that demonstrate clear relevance to the North–South research context.
• You need mandatory co-funding secured for your 24 months of research in the South — your partner institution must provide a written statement confirming you’ll receive full-time local funding (a scholarship or salary) for this period, along with sufficient release from teaching or other duties to focus properly on your PhD research
• You need to meet the mobility scheme’s structural requirements, or formally request and receive approval for an exception ahead of a separate, earlier deadline

How the Mobility Scheme Actually Works

This is the structural heart of the scholarship, and it’s worth understanding in real detail. Across a total PhD span of up to 48 months, you need to start and end your PhD journey with a research stay at Ghent University, each lasting between 3 and 12 months.

Between these two Ghent-based stays, you complete at least 24 months of locally funded research at your partner institution in the South. For the current cycle, your very first Ghent research stay needs to begin sometime between 1 October 2026 and 28 February 2027 — giving successful candidates a genuine window of several months to organise visas, travel, and their transition, rather than a single fixed start date.

If your specific research or personal circumstances don’t fit neatly into this structure, exceptions are possible, but they require formal approval from Ghent University’s research administration, requested well ahead of the main application deadline.

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A Detail Worth Knowing: Gender Balance in Supervisor Nominations

Ghent University has built a specific structural incentive into this scheme to encourage more female researchers to apply: a single Ghent University supervisor can support a maximum of two candidates within the same call, but only on the condition that the two candidates are of different genders. This is a genuine, deliberate design choice worth being aware of if you’re approaching a Ghent supervisor who may already be considering another candidate for the same call.

What This Scholarship Actually Pays

• A monthly stipend of approximately €2,550, paid specifically during the periods you’re actually working at Ghent University — this figure is frequently omitted from official call summaries but confirmed through Ghent’s own detailed programme information, and it’s essential for understanding what you’ll actually live on during your Ghent-based research stays
• A bench fee of €310 per month of research conducted in Ghent, paid to your Ghent University supervisor (promoter) specifically, supporting the practical research costs of hosting you
• An €8,000 travel budget, covering a share of the operational costs of your research and the travel expenses for both you and your two supervisors — the Ghent-based promoter and your local Southern partner supervisor
• Crucially, no funding is provided through this scholarship for your 24 months of research in the South — this entire portion depends on the co-funding commitment your partner institution formally provides

What Documents You Need to Prepare

• The completed application form, filled in and submitted in English
• Formal advice on the candidate from your Ghent University supervisor
• Advice specifically addressing the ethical and biosafety context of your proposed research project

This is a notably lean, focused document list compared to many PhD scholarships — reflecting how much of the real groundwork for this application happens before submission, in securing genuine supervisor commitment on both continents, rather than in extensive written materials at the point of application itself.

What the Application Process Requires

1. Secure the explicit, genuine commitment of a Ghent University professor who agrees to act as your PhD supervisor for this specific scholarship
2. In parallel, secure a local PhD supervisor at your partner institution in the South, along with their formal written confirmation of full-time funding for your 24 months of research there
3. Complete the official application form in full, in English
4. Ensure your Ghent University supervisor prepares both required advice documents — their own assessment of your candidacy, and the ethical/biosafety context statement for your proposed research
5. If your circumstances require an exception to the standard mobility scheme, submit a separate “Request exception funding and mobility scheme” form to the research administration well before the earlier 16 January cutoff
6. Submit your complete application package electronically by email to [email protected]
7. Submit before the deadline — for this cycle, 17 February 2026

What the Deadline and Selection Timeline Look Like

• Application deadline: 17 February 2026 — now closed
• Exception request deadline (for candidates needing a modified mobility scheme): 16 January 2026 — an earlier, separate cutoff
• Results announced: 19 May 2026 — this has already happened, and successful candidates should already know their outcome
• First Ghent research stay window: Must begin between 1 October 2026 and 28 February 2027
• Next expected cycle: Based on Ghent University’s consistent annual pattern, expect the 2027 call to open with a similar deadline around mid-February 2027

What to Do Before the Next Cycle Opens

• Start building a genuine relationship with a prospective Ghent University supervisor well ahead of any deadline, since their explicit, written commitment is a foundational requirement, not something arranged in the final weeks
• Work in parallel with a prospective local supervisor at your intended partner institution, securing their formal written funding confirmation early, since this co-funding commitment is mandatory and non-negotiable
• Check the current official Global South country eligibility list directly on Ghent University’s website, since this defined list determines your baseline eligibility before anything else matters
• If your specific research timeline or personal circumstances might require a mobility scheme exception, identify this early and prepare your exception request well ahead of its separate, earlier January deadline
• Confirm you’ll still have at least 36 months of doctoral research remaining at your intended fellowship start date, since this timing requirement is strict and central to the scholarship’s “beginning of PhD” focus

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Ghent University Special Research Fund Doctoral Scholarship still accepting applications?

No. The 2026 call deadline was 17 February 2026, and results were announced 19 May 2026. If you applied, you should already know your outcome.

Does Ghent University fund my entire PhD, including my time in the South?

No. Ghent University funds only the 24 months of research conducted at Ghent itself. The remaining 24 months in the South must be independently, fully funded by your partner institution.

What’s the actual monthly stipend during my time at Ghent?

Approximately €2,550 per month, paid specifically during the periods you’re physically working at Ghent University.

Can a single Ghent supervisor support multiple candidates in the same call?

Yes, up to two, but only if the two candidates are of different genders, reflecting Ghent University’s deliberate effort to encourage more female researcher applications.

What happens if my research timeline doesn’t fit the standard mobility scheme?

You can request an exception from Ghent University’s research administration, but this needs to be submitted well ahead of a separate, earlier deadline than the main application cutoff.

Disclaimer: All scholarship details and figures in this post are verified from official Ghent University sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official Ghent University Special Research Fund page or by contacting [email protected]. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with Ghent University.

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