The Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships 2025, funded through the Special Research Fund (BOF), offer an exceptional opportunity for promising PhD candidates from the Global South to pursue “sandwich” doctoral programs. This structure allows candidates to carry out half of their PhD research at Ghent University in Belgium and the other half at a partner university in the Global South.
Scholarship Overview
This scholarship provides funding for 24 months of research at Ghent University (the “North” phase). Candidates are required to secure full-time funding for the remaining 24 months at their home university in the Global South (the “South” phase).
Deadline: February 19, 2025
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Nationality: Candidates must come from and hold citizenship in a country from the Global South. Ghent University provides a specific list of eligible countries.
- Joint Application: Applications must be submitted jointly by the candidate and two supervisors—a promoter at Ghent University and a supervisor at the partner university in the Global South.
- Research Field: While there are no restrictions on the research field, topics with relevance to North-South collaboration are prioritized.
- Degree Requirement: Only students intending to complete a (joint) PhD degree at Ghent University are eligible. Exchange students are not eligible for this scholarship.
- Stage of PhD: This program is ideal for students at the beginning stages of their PhD. Applicants may have completed some preliminary research, but they should have at least 36 months of doctoral research remaining as of the fellowship start date (October 1, 2025).
- Gender Equality: Ghent University encourages gender diversity. Therefore, a supervisor at Ghent University may endorse up to two candidates per application round, provided one is male and the other is female.
Funding and Support
- PhD Scholarship Duration: Covers 24 months of research at Ghent University.
- Bench Fee: The Ghent University promoter will receive a bench fee of €310 per month for research conducted in Belgium.
- Travel Budget: A travel budget of €8,000 is provided to cover operational expenses, partial travel costs for the candidate, and travel expenses for both the Ghent and local supervisors.
Application Procedure
Candidates should submit their applications electronically in English to BOFapplication@ugent.be. The application package should include the following:
- Application Form: Complete and submit the official application form, ensuring that all information is accurate and current.
- Supervisor’s Advice:
- Candidate Evaluation: A detailed statement from the Ghent University supervisor assessing the candidate’s potential as a future researcher.
- Ethics and Biosafety: An assessment of the ethical and biosafety considerations of the proposed research.
Encouragement for Female Applicants
Ghent University aims to increase the number of female researchers in the program, and supervisors are encouraged to support applicants from different genders to ensure diversity in each application cycle.
For detailed information and access to the application form, please visit the official webpage of the Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships
Application forms must be submitted (in English) electronically to BOFapplication@ugent.be
