FWO - Scientific Mobility projects China

Research, Internationalization

Funding organisation:

Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen

What?

To promote scientific cooperation between Flanders and China, the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) launch a new call for two-year joint collaboration projects (01/01/2026 – 31/12/2027) within fundamental basic research. This program provides funding for joint projects in the following research domains in the fields of natural and medical sciences:

• Mathematical & physical sciences
• Chemical sciences
• Life sciences
• Earth sciences
• Engineering & material sciences
• Information sciences
• Management sciences
• Health Sciences

The funding only covers travel and living expenses.

• FWO pays researchers from Flanders a daily living allowance of €66 per day (or max. € 1.650 per month) and reimburses the accommodation costs.
• FWO pays the international travel costs of the Flemish researchers towards/from China (to be booked by OMNIA).
• NSFC provides a fixed amount of 100 000 RMB to 150 000 RMB (about € 13,000 to € 18,700) for the total duration of two years to cover the international travel costs of the Chinese researchers and their accommodation and living expenses.

Who?

Applicants
Applicants hold a PhD and are, throughout the entire period of the project, for at least 50% affiliated to UHasselt. 
The projects should have special attention to junior researchers: in each project at Flemish side at least one junior researcher should perform an exchange to China.

Mobility
Only researchers from postdoctoral level onwards can travel from China to Flanders.
In Flanders, also PhD students may be included in the project and can travel from Flanders to China. 

Please note that all the members of the Chinese research team already have to be involved in one ongoing NSFC project and there should be an overlap of at least one year.

Application?

Applications have to be submitted simultaneously to FWO and NSFC.

Deadline of submission at FWO: June 26th, 2025 (17:00 Belgian time)

At Flemish side, the application should be submitted through the FWO E-portal by using the specific digital application form under ‘International collaboration / Mobility projects’.
Please also check the "Specific points of attention FWO application" you can find in the "Guide for applicants call 2025" on the FWO webpage.

NEW: From 2025 onwards, the online FWO application form will contain a specific tab, 'Research Security'. Applicants are required, based on the topic of their research proposal, involved countries and foreign partners, to complete a set of questions regarding unwanted knowledge transfer, misuse of research results and/or interference. If as a result of this, your project proposal needs a research security approval, please contact the dedicated contact persons at UHasselt immediately via rri@uhasselt.be, preferably before the submission of your proposal.

Always send a copy of your application to research@uhasselt.be 
  

Regulations?

In the light of the growing concerns on knowledge safety, it is no longer allowed to collaborate with the so-called ‘Seven Sons of Defence’, universities or research institutions in China that have a close link with the Chinese army.
For mobility projects with China, always contact the Research Coordination Office (OBI) at research@uhasselt.be, before preparing your application, to learn more about the specificities of this particular call in 2025.
All applications are to be verified by OBI before submission.

More information?

You can find all the necessary documents and regulations on the FWO website.

You can also find more information on the NSFC website.
  

Deadline

26.06.2025

Contact Hasselt University?

E-mail ilse.das@uhasselt.be

Tel. +3211268098