Application Deadline: 17 February 2026
Ghent University is now accepting applications for its 2026 Doctoral Scholarships, designed to support exceptional PhD candidates from developing countries. Funded through the university’s “Special Research Fund” (BOF), these scholarships are tailored for students from the Global South who intend to conduct a “sandwich” doctoral research program. This means that the candidate will split their PhD research experience, spending approximately half the time at Ghent University in Belgium (“North”) and the other half at a partner university in their home country or another institution in the Global South (“South”).
It is important to note that Ghent University’s financial support covers only the portion of the research conducted at Ghent, which should last for 24 months. Applicants must secure full-time funding for the remaining 24 months of their research to be completed in the South.
Eligibility Criteria
- The applicant must be a national of one of the specified Global South countries. A detailed list of eligible countries can be found here: country list.
- Applications require a joint submission involving the candidate, a supervisor (promoter) based at Ghent University, and a supervisor from the partnering university located in the Global South.
- There are no limitations regarding the research discipline; however, preference will be given to projects that demonstrate relevance within the North-South framework. This relevance is assessed based on how well the research objectives align with the needs of beneficiaries, potential synergies, global priorities, and the policies of partners and donors.
- Only full-time PhD students aiming to earn a (joint) PhD degree from Ghent University are eligible to apply. Exchange students are excluded from this scholarship opportunity.
- This scholarship targets candidates at the early stages of their PhD journey. While some preliminary research may have been undertaken, applicants must still have at least 36 months of doctoral research ahead at the start of their fellowship (1 October 2026).
- Ghent University encourages female researchers to apply. To foster gender diversity, each Ghent University supervisor may support up to two candidates per call, provided these candidates are of different genders.
Details on Funding
The scholarship funds 24 months of full-time PhD research at Ghent University. In addition to the stipend for the doctoral candidate, the Ghent University promoter will receive a bench fee of €310 per month for the duration of the research period at Ghent. Moreover, a travel budget of €8,000 is allocated to cover operational expenses and partial travel costs for the student, as well as for both the Ghent and local promoters involved in the project.
Application Process
Applicants must submit their application forms electronically in English to the following email address: [email protected]. Alongside the completed application, the Ghent University supervisor is required to provide two additional documents:
- An advice on the candidate document, which outlines the supervisor’s assessment of the candidate’s potential and capabilities as a future researcher.
- An advice on the ethical and biosafety context that describes the ethical considerations and biosafety aspects related to the proposed research project.
For comprehensive details about the scholarship program, eligibility, and application guidelines, applicants are invited to Visit the Official Webpage of the Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships.
