Call Accelerate projects 2024

Accelerate aims to support three projects fostering thematic networks which are innovative in their set-up and governance, and at the same time inspiring and accessible to the VLIR-UOS community and HES4SD at large.

Through Accelerate, we want to identify, connect, deepen and mobilise the relevant expertise available in the VLIR-UOS network in order to strengthen Flemish and partner institutions and their staff, and to enhance academic and social impact through exchanges with policymakers and experts.

The programme has three pillars:

• policy development
• policy implementation
• capacity building and networking.

The programme emphasizes a co-creation process in multi-institution and multi-actor collaboration, valuing equal partnerships at different levels.

• The project duration is from January 1, 2025, until August 31, 2027.
• The Accelerate projects are considered pilots, leading to the creation of thematic networks and communities of practice with the ambition of being sustained beyond 2027
• The Terms of Reference for each theme serve as the project's starting point. Gradual updates and modifications are permitted during implementation, based on input and demands from VLIR-UOS
• Target group: the VLIR-UOS community as primary target group, with the ambition to also connect with the HES4SD community at large
• Budget: €200,000, with a goal of securing matching funds from VLIR-UOS projects and other potential donors, if feasible. VLIR-UOS anticipates interest and co-funding—whether in kind or financial—from other interested parties.
• The selection process consists of different stages:
  - Expression of interest
  - Concept note and selection of core group
  - Inception phase leading to a fully fleged proposal

Accelerate will be organised into three projects, with one project per theme:

• Accelerating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Accelerating Uptake, Use and Impact
• Accelerating Higher Education Management

The primary beneficiaries of Accelerate projects are:

• VLIR-UOS (Bureau UOS, ICOS/GEO, VLIR-UOS team, selection commissions).
• The institutional level of HE&SIs in Flanders and partner countries
• The VLIR-UOS community (individual promotors, researchers, professionals, support staff, students, etc.)

Per theme, 1 core group will be formed. The core group consists at least of one Flemish promotor and one partner country promotor. 

Affiliation and statute of the promoters:

• Flemish promoter: professor/specialist employed at a Flemish university or a professor/lecturer at a Flemish university of applied sciences and arts. 
• Partner promoter: employed at a recognised higher education institution or a national public (not for profit) research institute, located in a VLIR-UOS country (list of 29 countries). 

Details on the eligibility requirements can be found in this Call document (section ‘3.1 Eligibility of applicants: who can apply?’).

Additional criteria:

A promoter can submit proposals for more than one theme, but cannot be part of multiple proposals within one theme.

Accelerate is organised in Belgium and in one or more of the VLIR-UOS project and/or scholarship partner countries.

As Accelerate is all about connecting and pooling all possible expertise, Higher education and public (not for profit) research institutions located in 29 partner countries are eligible:

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Bolivia
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cuba
• DR Congo
• Ecuador
• Ethiopia
• Guinea
• Haiti
• Indonesia
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Palestine
• Peru
• Philippines
• Rwanda
• Senegal
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Vietnam
• Zimbabwe

The project budget amounts to a maximum of 200,000 EUR for a duration of 32 months:

8 months inception phase and 24 months implementation phase. Up to 40,000 EUR can be budgeted for the inception phase.

This 32 month period is considered a pilot-phase. The intention of VLIR-UOS is to sustain the networks also in its next Five-Year Programme.

The VLIR-UOS Selection Commission Accelerate will assess all project proposals in November 2024. In the upcoming months, a commission will be formed, comprising international experts. 

One proposal per theme will be selected.

Project applications must be submitted to the ICOS of the Flemish university association via the tool for the submission of project proposals.

The brainstorming sessions on the three themes have now taken place. Below, we present a summary of these sessions, starting with all the input gathered during the discussions (left box). Based on this input, several priority sub-themes and a selection of topics have been identified (right box).

As we move further into the discussion on the core group(s), we request that you send us a email reply by August 23rd at the latest to confirm your interest in being part of a core group preparing a proposal. In this email, please briefl outline your experience with the theme.

After August 23rd, we will update the lists of potential core group candidates for the different themes, indicating their track record and potential role in the project. As a potential core group candidate, it is now up to you to contact other potential members within your theme to exchange and discuss potential project proposals together.