Regulations for Grant for participation in a conference abroad

The General Regulations apply.

Art. 1. (as amended by decision of the Board of Trustees 12/05/2021, 20/12/2023 and 25/09/2024)

§1 Candidates for a travel grant for participation in a conference abroad must, throughout the entire period of their stay, be affiliated to

• a university in the Flemish Community (including the academic programmes within the corresponding association), or to
• a federal or Flemish scientific institute as scientific staff of the Dutch-speaking community of, or to
• a university hospital in the Flemish Community as scientific staff, or to
• a hospital with an academic character recognized as research center in the Flemish Community as scientific staff.

§2 PhD candidates must have obtained their master's degree in one of the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. If the candidate has another degree, which the university administration considers to give access to the doctoral programme, a declaration of this must be provided to the FWO. Candidates with a master's degree awarded from outside the EEA or Switzerland must hold a master's degree and a declaration from the university administration concerned confirming that it will permit the candidate to write a doctoral thesis.

For postdoctoral level candidates Art 1 §2 does not apply. 

§3 Postdoctoral researchers can only apply for travel grant for participation in a conference abroad if their doctoral degree, with reference to the date mentioned on the doctoral degree, was obtained no more than six years before the start date of the conference abroad.

If the candidate holds more than one doctoral degree, this rule applies to the date of the first doctoral degree obtained.

If between the date of the doctoral degree and the start date of the conference there is a continuous break of at least three months due to maternity leave, full-time parental leave, full-time sick leave or military service/compulsory civilian service in the country of which one is a national, the maximum period of six years between the date of the doctoral degree and the start date of the conference is extended by one year.  The maximum extension of this period is also one year.  Thus, more than one interruption of at least three months due to the reasons mentioned above does not give rise to an additional extension.

Art. 2. (as amended by decision of the Board of Trustees 12/05/2021 and 25/09/2024)

To be eligible for a conference participation grant in one of the member states of the EEA or Switzerland or the UK, researchers must already have at least one peer-reviewed publication as first or last author; for a conference participation grant in countries outside Europe, they have at least three or more peer-reviewed publications of which at least one is first or last author.  For fields with a different publication culture (e.g. alphabetical ordering of authors), the minimum requirement of one peer-reviewed publication as first and last author may be waived.

Art. 3. (as amended by decision of the Board of Trustees 12/05/2021)

All PhD and postdoctoral FWO Fellows and holders of a Doctoral (PhD) grant strategic basic research (SB) cannot apply for a travel grant for participation in a conference in one of the member states of the EEA or Switzerland or the United Kingdom, since they already receive a bench fee that can be used for these purposes.

They are, however, eligible to apply for a grant for participation in a conference in countries not specified in the above paragraph.

Art. 4.

Applications for travel grants must be submitted online in English no later than 3 months prior to the departure date. This submission deadline is strictly binding.

Art. 5. (as amended by decision of the Board of Trustees 25/09/2024)

Per calendar year, a researcher can be awarded a maximum of one travel grants within or outside Europe (for a conference, course/workshop and/or for a short study stay).

Art. 6.

Applicants must indicate any grants obtained from or applied for with other Belgian or foreign authorities for the same purpose. Applicants must notify the FWO of the outcome of grant applications submitted to other authorities for the same purpose.

Art. 7. (as amended by decision of the Board of Trustees 30/03/2022 and 25/09/2024)

A maximum of two applications for the same conference can be submitted per research unit. 

The supervisor/head of research unit of the applicant will be notified of the application. Upon receipt of this notification, the supervisor/head of research unit will have 5 business days to submit a substantiated objection.

Art. 8.

The competent executive board has to be informed about the submitted application. 

Art. 9.

The allowances cover the round-trip travel costs from Brussels to the place of the conference. They are personal and cannot be transferred.  

Art. 10.

Insofar as the budget allows, grants are awarded only for conferences of a purely scientific nature, featuring speeches and discussions of original contributions or reports. These are conferences organised by recognised scientific societies or associations. 

Art. 11.

The allowances are in principle awarded only to researchers with an academic master's degree who have undertaken original research and will deliver a speech at the relevant conference.

Art. 12.

Applications for such grants must be supported by a summary of the speech.

Art. 13.

If the speech at the conference is to be presented jointly by two or more researchers, only one shall be able to apply for a grant.  The proof of acceptance of the speech must bear the name of the applicant; if not, the author to whom the official acceptance is sent, must confirm that the applicant will give the speech.

Art. 14.

Beneficiaries must send a concise report on their participation in the scientific conference to the FWO within three months of their return to Belgium.