Senior postdoctoral fellowship

The senior postdoctoral fellowship aims to support researchers who have completed their PhD a few years ago to further specialize in their research discipline. With the help of this fellowship, a postdoctoral researcher can develop their own research line while simultaneously acquiring additional academic skills through training and mobility, among other means. In this way, the FWO aims to provide young researchers with optimal opportunities to build an independent international research career, either within an academic context or beyond.

The FWO collaborates with the Plantentuin Meise, VITO and Flanders Hydraulics for the funding of additional postdoctoral fellowships.

The Suzanne Duchesne Fund is administered by the King Baudouin Foundation and provides €50,000 for the 2027 call in the form of special bench fees for selected postdoctoral researchers in oncology (Med4 panel).

L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science awards an additional research grant of €20,000 every two years to the three highest-ranked female junior or senior fellowship candidates in the biomedical and STEM disciplines (specifically, applications submitted to the S&T, Bio and Med panels) in support of their research careers. The next edition will take place in 2028. Consequently, this additional grant is not available within the current call. 

• 17 September 2026: call opens

• 16 November 2026 at 5pm: call closes (last application date)

• 18 – 25 March 2027: online preselection meetings

• 26 March 2027: invitation to interviews

• 14 April - 5 May 2027: (physical) interviews

• 13 May 2027: announcement of results

• 1 October or 1 November 2027: start of fellowship

• Duration of the fellowship: Three years

• Gross monthly salary senior postdoctoral researcher (7 years seniority): €6.081,90 (index 2.1647 on 1 March 2026).

• Bench fee which can range from €4,000 to €10,000 per year

• See the programme regulations for more details on eligibility conditions.

• You hold a PhD by thesis or a degree or a diploma or certificate recognized as equivalent in accordance with European Union directives or a bilateral agreement.

• You can apply for a senior postdoctoral fellowship if your PhD degree, with as reference point the date mentioned on the PhD degree, was awarded minimum three years and maximum six years before the first of October of the year in which the fellowship commences. You can always apply for a senior postdoctoral fellowship if you have previously enjoyed a junior postdoctoral fellowship. In that case, the senior postdoctoral fellowship must immediately follow the junior postdoctoral fellowship.

• You must have a postdoctoral research experience of minimum 2 years on the first of October of the year in which the fellowship commences. In case you have not had a (junior) postdoctoral fellowship from the FWO before, you must prove this experience by means of a declaration by the Flemish host institute. The declaration is to be signed by someone with signature authority, binding the host institute. Contact the host institute’s research co-ordination office for more info.

• You have not yet benefited from this fellowship, not even partially.

• You can apply maximum two times for the same fellowship.

• Starting with the call of 2027, submitting a second application for the same type of postdoctoral fellowship will only be possible if the first application was among the top 50% in the preselection phase.

• You agree with the Research Integrity Clause.