Ghent University Doctoral Scholarship

Ghent University offers PhD “sandwich” scholarships to deserving students from Global South countries who prefer to do half of their research at Ghent University (the “North”) and half at a university in a developing country (the “South”) with funding from its “Special Research Fund” (BOF).

The candidate must secure full-time funding for the additional 24 months of research to be conducted in the South, as Ghent University only funds the portion of the study to be conducted in Ghent (24 months).

Duration:

These grants are structured as a “sandwich” scholarship, in which the candidate receives a 24-month scholarship from Ghent University to complete their PhD over 48 months. The scholarship involves at least two stays at Ghent University, one at the beginning and one at the end of the PhD, during which the candidate will receive a monthly income. The remaining 24 months of research will take place at a partner university in the South, with no funding for that period.

Exemptions from the required mobility scheme:

• Applicants who can show that they are unable to begin their four-year PhD research with a research stay in Ghent may request an exception to the mobility scheme. The southern partner, the university/research center, requires successful completion of a PhD program at the university before beginning further research activities.
• Candidates who can prove they have completed a full-time funded PhD research appointment or PhD study period (of up to 12 months) at a partner university or research center in the South may request that this time be included in the necessary 24 months of locally funded research stay in the South.
• UGent will determine if this pre-financing period may be counted toward the required 48 months of funding (24 months from South and 24 months from Ghent University).

By January 15, 2027, applicants who wish to use this exception must request approval from Ghent University’s research administration (Special Research Fund; email [email protected]). The applicant must justify their request and provide all required documentation. To “concentrate full-time on their PhD research,” they must be able to show that during this time, they will have a “full-time salary/income” and will be “sufficiently freed from other tasks.”

Who can apply?

Applicants who meet these requirements can apply for the Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships:

• Candidates must be from a developing country and hold the nationality of that country (mentioned above)
• The candidate, a supervisor (promoter) at Ghent University, and a supervisor at the partner university must all submit proposals together.
• Although the research field is not constrained, priority will be given to themes relevant to the North-South context.
• Only degree students (those planning to pursue a combined PhD at Ghent University) are eligible to apply.
  • This scholarship is unavailable to exchange students.
• Ghent University wishes to encourage more female researchers to apply for this scholarship. As a result, a supervisor from Ghent University can support two candidates per call if they are of different genders.

How do you apply for Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships in Belgium?

You can submit all the required documents (in English)  to the email address below.

Submission Email: [email protected]

Result Announcement:

The selection results will be announced online beginning on May 12, 2027.

Final report: Within three months of the grant’s expiration, an electronic copy of the final scientific or scholarly report must be delivered to [email protected]. This email contains the promoter and co-promoter (if appropriate) (either as sender or in CC).

For further information about Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships, please refer to Ghent University’s website.

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Application Form

Advice on the candidate, including the supervisor’s opinion on the candidate’s future research capabilities.

Advice on the ethical and biosafety context of the proposed research project

The following is the list of eligible countries

Afghanistan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Algeria, Cuba, Angola, Syrian Arab Republic, Bhutan, Ecuador, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Peru, Benin, Cabo Verde, South-Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, West Bank and Gaza, Burundi, Congo, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, Egypt, Chad, Eswatini, Comoros, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Honduras, Djibouti, India, Eritrea, Iran, Ethiopia, Jordan, Gambia, Kenya, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, Guinea-Bissau, Lebanon, Haiti, Micronesia, Kiribati, Mongolia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Morocco, Lesotho, Nicaragua, Liberia, Nigeria, Madagascar, Pakistan, Malawi, Papua New Guinea, Mali, Philippines, Mauritania, Samoa, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Nepal, Tokelau, Niger, Tunisia, Rwanda, Ukraine, Sao Tome and Principe, Uzbekistan, Senegal, Vanuatu, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, Solomon Islands, Zimbabwe, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia. Check the full list here.

A monthly tuition fee of EURO 310 will be paid.

The grant will be EURO 8000, covering operating costs and travel expenses for the Ghent University promoter, local promoters, and students.

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