Policy Supporting Programme 2023-2027

When submitting a project proposal, a promoter must meet both the internal criteria and regulations regarding the project promotership of their institution and the minimum conditions set by VLIR-UOS.

Specific details of the eligibility criteria and internal regulations regarding the project promotership of the respective Flemish universities have recently been under discussion. On 10 February 2023, the Bureau UOS took the following final decision regarding the calls SI 2023, ITP 2023, and PSP FYP2.

Affiliation and statute of lead researcher
Flemish lead researcher

For the Flemish universities

The minimum conditions set by VLIR-UOS for a lead promoter from a Flemish university to submit a proposal are the following:

• one must be able to be an account holder within one's own institution;
• one must have a ZAP (1) status at the time of submission, with a minimum appointment level of 10%;
• postdocs can also submit, depending on the Flemish institution’s internal criteria and on condition that a ZAP member with at least 50% appointment of the institution with whom the contract will be signed is included in the project team as co-promoter;

• ATP (2) members can also submit, depending on the nature of the project and provided they can be account holders within their own institution, without a ZAP member with minimum 50% appointment as co-promoter being part of the project team;

  (1) ZAP: Zelfstandig Academisch Personeel (Independent Academic Personnel)
  (2) ATP: Administratief en technisch personeel (Administrative and Technical Personnel)

For the Flemish universities of applied sciences and arts

• The applicant must be professor/lecturer.

In case the professor/lecturer does not have permission to be a budget holder. Another person, e.g. the director, can be assigned as a budget holder for the project.

A researcher can be involved in only one concept note proposal.

This framework is considered a pilot project for the 2023 calls. There will be an evaluation of the impact of these new eligibility criteria on the number of proposals and their distribution.

FWB lead researcher

The FWB coordinator of the project is

• a staff member of a FWB HEI who is authorised and empowered by their institution to coordinate the project. This person must be authorised to sign an agreement, to manage an internal financial account and to engage the responsibility of the HEI with regard to all aspects of the coordination. They coordinate the academic and scientific aspects of the project.
• For ARES, this person is the official point of contact for any communication relating to the project. The FWB coordinating HEI entrusts the execution of the project to them, including administrative and financial aspects. Every coordinator can only submit one project in the framework of the present call.

Partner lead researcher

• The applicant must be employed at a recognised higher education institution or national public (not-for-profit) research institute located in a VLIR-UOS or ARES project partner country.
• This person is authorised and empowered by their institution to locally coordinate the project.