Submission of a joint project proposal at the FWO (FWO as Lead Agency)

In the framework of the Weave initiative, the FWO has a bilateral agreement with the following partners:

In practice this means that researchers who are eligible at the FWO can submit at the FWO a joint bilateral or trilateral project with researchers from Austria (FWF), the French-speaking Community of Belgium (F.R.S.-FNRS), Germany (DFG), Luxembourg (FNR), Poland (NCN), Slovenia (ARRS) and/or Switzerland (SNSF).

Features

Weave is not a new, separate funding programme. It makes use of existing funding channels for fundamental research (with the corresponding timelines and conditions) of the Weave partners. In 2021, the FWO integrated the Weave initiative within its channel for regular FWO research projects for fundamental research:

  • Project duration: as a rule, projects have the same duration both on the Flemish side and on the non-Flemish/foreign side, and the project duration rules of the Lead Agency apply:
    • FWO as Lead Agency: maximum 4 years, minimum 2 years.
    • Please note: When German researchers are involved (through research funder DFG), the maximum project duration is 3 years, both on the Flemish side and on the non-Flemish/foreign side.
    • An overview of the (maximum) Weave project durations can be found here.
  • Call closed
  • Announcement of results: 7th of December 2022.
  • Start of projects on the Flemish side: 1st of January 2023.

Profile and conditions

The modalities (e.g. budget) and eligibility criteria of the Flemish part follow the regulations of the junior/senior research projects for fundamental research. This means among other things:

  • FWO staff and consumables: € 45,000 to € 130,000 per year, project partners may also request a budget in the amount of € 0 or € 20,000 per year.
  • FWO equipment: maximum € 150,000 per project.
  • Institutions involved (Article 7) and (co-)supervisor(s)(-spokesperson(s) (Article 10-12) involvedhave to comply with the conditions described in the regulations for junior/senior projects for fundamental research. Within a Weave project it is however not possible to include a non-Flemish institution other than the involved foreign Weave partner(s) for up to 10% of the total project funding.
  • Junior vs. senior projects pursuant to Article 10 of the regulations for junior/senior projects for fundamental research. To determine the type of project (junior/senior), the scientific seniority of the involved non-Flemish/foreign Weave (co-)supervisor(s) also needs to be taken into account.
  • Weave projects are taken into account for themaximum of 2 projects per application round for which you can act as (co-)supervisor(-spokesperson). They also fall within the rule stating that the total number of research projects fundamental research – applied for and currently ongoing – in name of one and the same (co-)supervisor(-spokesperson) cannot be more than two on the starting date of the new granted project.
  • The same Weave project may only be submitted once within the same year. The parallel submission of the same Weave project at several research funders where the research partner(s) involved is (are) eligible, is therefore not allowed.

The modalities (e.g. budget) and eligibility criteria of the non-Flemish/foreign partner(s) follow the regulations of the respective research funder(s) for which they are eligible. In case the FWO is the Lead Agency, however, it is important to include full details in the application form, also with regard to the budget applied for at the other research funder(s). Further information can be found on the specific websites of the eligible research funders:

Procedure?

The submission and evaluation of this type of joint project proposal follow the procedure of the junior/senior research projects for fundamental research. This means among other things:

  • The FWO and the involved non-Flemish/foreign research funder(s) check the eligibility of the application.
  • Weave research projects are evaluated together, and therefore in competition with, junior/senior projects fundamental research. Further information can be found on the webpage on junior/senior projects fundamental research. Positively evaluated proposals will be presented by the FWO to the research funders involved for ratification.
  • The boards of trustees of all research funders involved do the final ratification. The FWO will pay for the Flemish part of the positively evaluated proposals, the non-Flemish/foreign part will be paid for by the relevant research funder(s).

Regulations and downloads

For any further questions regarding Weave, please send an email to weave@fwo.be