Full-fee PhD Scholarships at Ghent University in Belgium 2019/2020

With support from its “Special Research Fund” (BOF), Ghent University grants PhD scholarships to promising PhD students from developing countries who wish to carry out half of their PhD research at Ghent University and half in a university in a developing country.

Course Level: Doctoral

Eligible Countries: Developing Countries

To be taken at (country): Belgium

Eligibility Criteria: Before applying for a PhD scholarship at Ghent university students Always need to find a professor from Ghent University who is willing to act as the supervisor (‘promoter’) of their doctoral research and who agrees to support their application. The best way to do this is by browsing the list of faculties and research topics available on the research directory

• The proposals must be jointlysubmitted by a candidate, a promoter at Ghent University and a supervisor at the partner university.
• No restrictions are imposed on the field of research, nevertheless  preference will be given to topics that arerelevant for development

Development relevance relates to the extent to which the proposals’ objectives are consistent with beneficiaries’ requirements, country needs, synergy opportunities, global priorities and partners’ and donors’ policies.

• Candidates need tocome from – and have the nationality of – a developing country (see country list);
• There must be a guaranteethat the candidate will be able to work fulltime on the PhD project for a period of 24 months at the partner university in a selected developing country (South). This implies that the following conditions needs to be fulfilled:

1. there must be a local PhD supervisor at the partner universityor research center in the South;
2. A written  statementis requested stating that the candidate is either a funded fulltime PhD student or a staff member at this partner university
3. and will be sufficiently exemptedfrom teaching or other assignments as to be able to fully concentrate on the PhD research in the South.
4. This statement should also mention that the candidate receives a local PhD scholarship or salaryfor a period of 24 months when working on the PhD at the partner university in the South.

• This cofunding is only intended for students who  want to obtaina (joint ) PhD degree at Ghent University .

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship:

• The value of the scholarship at Ghent University depends on, a.o., the researcher’s family situation.
• The Ghent University promoter also receives a bench fee to cover (part of) the operational costs, as well as the travelling costs of the student and both the Ghent University and the local promoter.

Duration of Scholarship: 

• The candidate obtains a scholarship for maximum 24 months
• Students are obliged to divide the scholarship into minimum 2 different research stays in Ghent (North) and need to return at least once to their home university (South)  in between (=‘sandwich- schedule’)
• The candidate must propose at least 12 months of locally funded research stay in the South after the first BOF funded stay in Ghent (North).
• Due to all practical arrangements (visa, housing, contract, …) students are advised to stay for long periods in Ghent (e.g. 1 year).
• This scholarship call does not intend to support students who plan only 1 research stay in Ghent.

Method of Application: 

• Applications must be submitted on the application forms provided for this purpose.
• GOODLUCK!

Visit Scholarship Webpage for details

Scholarship Application Deadline: 4th March 2019