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Funding

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Funding research at UCLouvain  

At UCLouvain, research projects are funded through a variety of financial resources, enabling the university to carry out both basic and applied research. External funding secured by our researchers accounts for more than a third of the university’s overall budget. This comprises a combination of public and private funds from various funders.

Main public research funders

In Belgium, public research funders is provided by several authorities: 

  • The Belgian Federal Government, through the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) and various federal bodies, including the Federal Public Service (FPS) Economy, funds research programmes in areas that fall within federal responsibilities, such as space, defence, the energy transition, culture and biodiversity.
  • The Wallonia-Brussels Federation, through the Joint Research Actions (ARC) and the Special Research Funds (FSR), is primarily involved in funding basic research, alongside the F.R.S.-FNRS, which, in addition to its long-standing funding programmes, also coordinates several other research funding schemes.
  • The Walloon and Brussels Regions are more actively involved in supporting applied research, particularly projects that generate benefits for their regional socio-economic ecosystems.
  • The European Union primarily funds research through its Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, supporting both collaborative and individual projects in basic and applied research. 

Private research funders

UCLouvain works closely with businesses and socio-economic partners. Private funding accounts for a significant share of the university's research funding, reflecting its strong and ongoing engagement with industry and the broader socio-economic sector.

UCLouvain collaborates with the private sector in a variety of ways. These include research contracts (managed by the Research Administration Department), research sponsorship and philanthropic support (through the Fondation Louvain), and services provided through its expertise and service platforms.

Funding available for UCLouvain researchers

Research Administration Department contact person: Bernadette Dubus

 

This category includes funding provided by the National Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS) and its associated funding schemes, as well as funding from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB).

 

The F.R.S.-FNRS supports basic research through initiatives proposed by researchers. Its mission is to advance scientific knowledge by funding both individual researchers and research programmes carried out primarily within universities across the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. UCLouvain researchers can find further information on individual funding schemes and research programmes on the UCLouvain intranet.

 

Each year, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) awards UCLouvain funding for the Joint Research Initiatives (ARC) and the Special Research Fund (FSR). The ARC supports large-scale collaborative research projects lasting between 48 and 60 months. Projects from all research disciplines are eligible, and interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged. Further information on the application procedures is available on the intranet.

 

The Special Research Fund (FSR) supports research projects carried out as part of a PhD thesis, provides FSR positions for new PhD and postdoctoral researchers, helps early-career academics establish their research activities, and offers incentives for submitting proposals to the European Union. Detailed information on these funding opportunities is available on the intranet.

Research Administration Department contact person: Nathalie Burteau

 

In Belgium, both the federal and regional authorities offer funding opportunities for university research.

 

The federal government funds research programmes in areas that fall within federal responsibilities, such as space, defence, the energy transition, culture and biodiversity. Several Federal Public Services (FPS) manage calls for research proposals. 

 

The Federal Science Policy Office, better known as BELSPO, funds research programmes in the field of space, in coordination with the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as programmes supporting federal policies and collaboration with the Federal Scientific Institutions (ESFs) through the Policy4Science and Science4Policy initiatives. It also funds transnational research programmes (e.g. EraNet, JPI and research infrastructures). 

 

FPS Economy, for its part, launches an annual Energy Transition Fund call to universities, research centres and companies.

 

Belgian Defence, through the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID), also manages several military research programmes funding projects in technology, medicine, and the humanities and social sciences: Defence-related Research Action (DEFRA, in collaboration with BELSPO), Structural Collaborative Research in Military Medicine (SCRiMM), Cyber Defense Factory (STRIKE IT) and Strategic Literacy and Societal Resilience (SLSR).

 

The Brussels-Capital Region, through its Innoviris administration, offers programmes designed to fund different stages of the research valorisation process, targeting universities and hautes écoles, among others: from collaborative PhD research with Brussels-based organisations (public authorities, non-profit organisations or companies) to spin-off creation, from prospective research into the future challenges facing Brussels to research and development projects with Brussels-based companies, and from participatory action research to proof-of-concept development. Innoviris provides funding for research projects aimed at supporting the region’s socio-economic development and aligned with the objectives of the Regional Innovation Plan (PRI) and the region’s areas of responsibility. 

 

Wallonia, through the Public Service of Wallonia – Economy, Employment and Research (SPW EER), aims to make the region’s socio-economic development a key priority. The SPW EER supports companies, universities, university colleges, public research organisations and accredited research centres in their projects, thereby fostering the development and market launch of new products, processes and services in Wallonia. 

 

It provides funding primarily in areas defined in its Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3). This funding takes the form of calls for projects or direct funding schemes aimed at the various target organisations. The SPW EER also supports these organisations in their participation in federal, European and international programmes, thereby raising their profile beyond the region. Through various measures, the SPW EER also works to raise awareness of science and technology and to support the valorisation of research carried out at universities and university colleges. Funding opportunities are also available through the Public Service of Wallonia – Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (SPW ARNE) and the Public Service of Wallonia – Spatial Planning, Housing, Heritage and Energy (SPW TLPE) in their respective areas of responsibility. This funding is generally awarded through calls for projects.

 

For UCLouvain members, further details on the BELSPO Federal Science Policy Office, funding from the Walloon Region and funding from the Brussels-Capital Region are available on the intranet.

Research Administration Department contact person: Éléonore Couder
 

European and international funding supports both collaborative and individual projects. The Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation is the main funding instrument, structured around three pillars: 

 

  • Pillar 1: excellent science through the European Research Council (ERC), Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and Research Infrastructures
  • Pillar 2: funding for projects addressing societal challenges and European industrial competitiveness 
  • Pillar 3: innovation through the European Innovation Council (EIC)
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In addition to the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, other funding opportunities are available: transnational projects (international projects in which each contribution is funded through national and regional funding agencies such as the F.R.S.-FNRS, FPS, SPW and Innoviris), COST Actions (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), projects funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and its Interreg programmes (interregional, cross-border or transnational projects), as well as co-funding instruments. 

 

International mobility funding completes the range of available opportunities:

 

  • Wallonia-Brussels International (WBI) Research & Innovation missions;
  • funding for researcher mobility (BAEF, Fulbright, MIT, WBI, etc.) 
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Finally, Circle U. and its alliance partners fund activities related to research and innovation, thereby fostering collaboration between the partners.

 

Detailed information on these funding opportunities is available on the intranet.

Our team is here for you

For all funding opportunities, the Research Administration Department (ADRE) plays a key role:

  • helping UCLouvain researchers identify suitable sources of funding;
  • providing support with project development;
  • maintaining ongoing relationships with Belgian, European and international funding bodies;
  • supporting knowledge transfer and contacts with companies through LouvainTransfer.

SAFIR: UCLouvain’s funding platform

SAFIR is an application designed to help researchers find the funding opportunities, grants, awards and calls for proposals best suited to their needs throughout their research careers. It is available exclusively to UCLouvain staff, who can access it using their UCLouvain login.

SAFIR also enables researchers to identify the relevant contacts within the Research Administration Department (ADRE) and the International Relations Department (ADRI).