# BOF postdoctoral fellowships

**Source**: https://www.ugent.be/en/research/funding/bof/postdoctoral
**Parent**: https://www.ugent.be/en/research/funding

\*[Nederlandse versie](https://www.ugent.be/nl/onderzoek/financiering/bof/postdoc/overzicht.htm)\*

## Duration and starting date

The positions start on **1 October 2026** at the earliest and last for a period of **maximum 3 years.**

## Who can apply

**Unsuccessfull FWO applications****for a [Junior](https://www.fwo.be/en/fellowships-funding/postdoctoral-fellowships/junior-postdoctoral-fellowship/)** **or** [**Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship**](https://www.fwo.be/en/fellowships-funding/postdoctoral-fellowships/senior-postdoctoral-fellowship/) **are automatically submitted to the Special Research Fund. To be considered for a BOF postdoctoral fellowship the following admissibility requirements must be met.**

**Admissibility requirements for a BOF fellowship**

1. Candidates must still be able to submit **an admissible application for a Junior or Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship at the FWO Flanders in a next application round**. Candidates for a Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship who can no longer apply for a junior fellowship in a next application round, but who can apply for a senior fellowship , are eligible for a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship.
2. Candidates can obtain a **BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship only once in their career**, either after applying for an FWO Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship, or after applying for an FWO Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship. If a candidate has obtained a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship after applying for an FWO Junior Postdoctoral Fellowship, this candidate can no longer obtain a BOF Postdoctoral Fellowship after applying for an FWO Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship.
3. Only candidates who are preselected by the FWO for the second application round (with interview) and assigned a Z-score by the FWO are eligible for the BOF selection.

## Funding

The fellowship holder will be appointed as dr. assistant with research assignment for the duration of the fellowship. The fellowship holder will **receive a bench fee of €4.000/ year.**

## FWO resubmission

Candidates who obtain a BOF fellowship are obliged to submit a new application for an FWO fellowship no later than **2 years after the FWO deadline on which they postulated in the context of the obtained BOF fellowship.**

**It is the responsibility of BOF mandatees to determine which FWO deadline applies to them**. BOF mandatees must verify themselves whether they meet the FWO eligibility criteria to submit a valid FWO application.\
In some cases, a valid FWO application can only be submitted 1 year after the previous one. If this applies, the application must be submitted accordingly. See Art. 6 of the [Regulations of the Research Foundation – Flanders governing the Postdoctoral Fellowship](https://www.fwo.be/en/fellowships-funding/postdoctoral-fellowships/junior-postdoctoral-fellowship/regulations-postdocs-2019/) for the seniority conditions of the FWO.

**Attention: As a holder of an FWO postdoctoral fellowship, one becomes a staff member of the FWO. If one previously held a contract at Ghent University, leave cannot be transferred from the Ghent University contract to the FWO contract.**

## How to apply

The FWO application file is automatically sent to the Special Research Fund.

## Deadline

- Submissions are made via  FWO. The deadline is  **17 November 2025.**
- Candidates who acquire a BOF fellowship in this call **(2026)** are required to submit a new application to the FWO no later than **November/December 2027.**

For persons **who already have a BOF fellowship,** the following deadlines apply:

- BOF mandatees **(2025)** who have obtained their BOF fellowship after the FWO call with **deadline 2/12/2024** are obliged to submit a new application to the FWO no later than **November/December 2027.**
- BOF mandatees **(2024)** who have obtained their BOF fellowship after the FWO call with **deadline 1/12/2023** are obliged to submit a new application to the FWO no later than **17/11/2025.**

## Results

 The results will be announced on the BOF website no later than 3 **July 2026**.

## Contact

Team Flemish, Federal & BOF Projects

- BOF: [BOF@UGent.be](mailto:BOF@UGent.be)
- FWO: [vlaams-federaal@ugent.be](mailto:vlaams-federaal@ugent.be)

## **Call and application forms**

[website FWO](https://www.fwo.be/en/support-programmes/postdoctoral-fellowships)

[Regulations BOF postdoctoral researcher](https://codex.ugent.be?regid=REG000123&lang=en)

[General regulations for Assisting Acamedic Staff](https://codex.ugent.be?regid=REG000122&lang=en)

## Final report

\
[Final report](https://www.ugent.be/nl/onderzoek/financiering/bof/verslag/boffinalreport.doc) : within three months following upon the end of the grant a final scientific/scholarly report has to be sent electronically to [BOFapplication@UGent.be](mailto:BOFapplication@ugent.be). The promoter and co-promoter (if applicable) are included in this e-mail (either as sender, or in CC).