Submission of a joint project proposal at another research funder than the FWO (FWO as Partner Agency)

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

In practice this means that researchers eligible at the FWO can submit together with their non-Flemish/foreign partner (eligible at one of the aforementioned research funders) a bilateral research project to the research funder for which the non-Flemish/foreign partner is eligible. This research funder will act as the Lead Agency and as such be responsible for the entire administrative procedure and scientific evaluation.

Furthermore, where desired, it is possible to extend the project to a trilateral project because all of the aforementioned research funders have concluded bilateral agreements as well with other Weave partners. This paves the way for these trilateral projects (combinations).

More information about current European collaboration opportunities within Weave can be found on this interactive map.

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 Lead Agency.

Further information about these programmes for the research funders with whom the FWO has signed a bilateral agreement, can be found on the following websites:

The aforementioned information is a crucial part of the eligibility check at Swedish side. Therefore Swedish researchers (and the Swedish part of the joint Weave proposal) must adhere to the restrictions within Formas’ areas of responsibility.

More information about the timeline, conditions, procedure... of each of these research funders can also be found on this interactive map. For the deadlines adopted by the respective research funders, see below under section ‘Procedure?’

  • 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:
    • If DFG Germany or ARIS Slovenia is the Lead Agency, the project duration on the Flemish side is also max. 3 years.
    • If FNR Luxembourg is the Lead Agency, the regulations of the FNR’s CORE programme need to be followed: the Flemish side can then in principle also request a maximum project duration of 3 years. Only when the Luxembourg side makes use of the option to additionally request a PhD student in the 4th year, Flemish applicants can also request budget from the FWO for the 4th year. This extra budget for a 4th year from FWO is however limited to PhD related costs (staff costs and bench fee) and also needs to be scientifically motivated (!).
    • When Swedish researchers are involved (through research funder Formas), the max. project duration at Swedish side is always max. 3 years. However, this project duration of max. 3 years is not by default applicable to the other partners involved.
    • An overview of the (maximum) Weave project durations can be found here.
  • Announcement of results: the Lead Agency’s procedure and timing apply.
  • Start of projects on the Flemish side (regardless of the Lead Agency): 1st of January 2024.
    • Please be aware: Projects submitted within the call with NCN Poland as Lead Agency (deadline: 15/12/2023) will be evaluated in 2024 and, when successful, will start at Flemish side on 1st of January 2025. As a consequence, this type of NCN-FWO projects are taken into account for the maximum of 2 projects:
      • For which you can act as (co-)supervisor(-spokesperson) in application round 2024
      • That you can have registered in your name as (co-)supervisor(-spokesperson) on 01/01/2025.

Profile and conditions

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

  • FWO staff and consumables: at least € 50,000 per year for the entire project (all Flemish, federal and non-Flemish institutions included) and at most € 145,000 per year per Flemish/federal institution.
  • FWO equipment: maximum € 150,000 per project (all Flemish and federal institutions included).
  • Institutions involved (Article 7) and (co-)supervisor(s) (Article 10-12) involved have to comply with the conditions as 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 foreign Weave partner(s) involved for up to 10% of the total project funding.
  • Weave projects are taken into account for the maximum 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.

Procedure?

  • The application needs to be submitted in its entirety according to the procedure (incl. deadline) in place at the relevant non-Flemish/foreign research funder (Lead Agency). Please make sure that the requested Flemish budget is clearly indicated and scientifically justified in the application to the Lead Agency, responsible for evaluating the Flemish budget as well.
    Please note: in addition to this submission,
    • the Flemish supervisor-spokesperson needs to do an administrative submission to the FWO through the E-portal, using the specific application form ‘Research project WEAVE (FWO acts as Partner Agency)’, no later than 7 working days after the deadline adopted by the non-Flemish/foreign research funder (Lead Agency) where the complete research proposal was submitted. Important: in the tab ‘project’ you must upload the complete and identical application with all attachments (not only the project description) as submitted to the Lead Agency (PDF format). Furthermore, make sure that each applicant involved at Flemish and non-Flemish sides as well as the requested Flemish budget submitted to the Lead Agency are identical to what is being submitted to the FWO in the administrative submission.
  • Although some research funders with whom the FWO has a bilateral agreement in principle have a system of continuous submission, specific deadlines apply to Weave projects in which a Flemish partner is involved:
    • Austria FWF: Call closed
    • French-speaking Community of Belgium F.R.S.-FNRS: 6th of July 2023
    • Germany DFG: Call closed
    • Luxembourg FNR: Call closed
    • Poland NCN: 15th of December 2023 (call will only open in Autumn 2023)
    • Slovenia ARIS: Call closed
    • Sweden Formas: Call closed
    • Switzerland SNSF: Call closed (the 2nd of October 2023 deadline at SNSF is not open for Swiss-Flemish projects)
  • The FWO and the research funder(s) involved check the eligibility of the application.
  • The entire evaluation will be performed by the research funder where the research proposal was submitted (Lead Agency) according to its own procedures. Positively evaluated proposals will be presented by the Lead Agency to the FWO and to any other researchers 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 positively evaluated proposals proposed by the Lead Agency.

Regulations and downloads

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