Position Summary
Position:
Institute:
KU Leuven
Country:
Belgium
Posted Date:
NA
Submission Start:
NA
Submission Deadline:
May 04, 2026
Offer Period:
5 Years
Odysseus call 2026-2027
Overview:
Are you an international academic looking for research funding to pursue cutting-edge research at KU Leuven? Apply for an Odysseus research grant to receive five years of project funding up to 3,5 million euros from the Flemish Research Foundation.
To apply, please first carefully read the eligibility criteria and instructions below and then complete the KU Leuven internal application form.
- There are 2 types of Odysseus grants depending on academic seniority: Type I and Type II
- Submission of declarations of intent by deadline May 4, 2026
- Further reading: Other opportunities, KU Leuven research, Working at KU Leuven, Living in Leuven.
- Detailed information for KUL Academic Staff
Offer and conditions for Odysseus type I grants
- 5 year grant, from €400.000 to € 700.000 euros/year (personnel costs, consumables, equipment; salary of the Odysseus grantholder should not be included - this is covered by the University).
- Opportunity to start your own research unit and research line at KU Leuven. Both have to fit within the strategy of the Faculty or Department and complement current research of the university.
- Grants are available in all fields: in the Humanities and Social Sciences ; Science, Engineering and Technology ; and the Biomedical Sciences.
- KU Leuven offers a permanent position in one of the senior academic grades
Offer and conditions for Odysseus type II grants
- 5-year grants, € 100 K – 200 K/year (personnel costs, consumables, equipment) (salary of the Odysseus grantholder should not be included! This is covered by the university)
- Opportunity to start your own research group and research line at KU Leuven. Both have to fit within the strategy of the Faculty or Department and complement current research of the university.
- Grants are available in all fields: the Humanities and Social Sciences ; Science, Engineering and Technology ; and the Biomedical Sciences.
- KU Leuven offers an academic position, a tenure track academic position or a tenured academic position. This depends on your track record and the policy of the Faculties and Departments.
Eligibility:
You are eligible to apply for an Odysseus Type I grant if you:
- are an established and internationally recognized researcher, leading your own research group. You have an outstanding international reputation in your field.
- have an excellent track record in research and evidence of teaching skills and academic leadership
have an academic or other research position of at least 80% outside Belgium on the date of the deadline 30 September 2026.
- Have had an academic or other research position of at least 80% outside Belgium for at least 3 years in the past five years. In case you had an appointment in Belgium during this period, this can be max. 10%.
You are eligible to apply for an Odysseus Type II grant if you:
- are a successful researcher with minimum 3 years of postdoctoral experience and maximum 12 years of postdoctoral experience
- have a strong track record in research and evidence of teaching skills and academic leadership. Type II applicants must have demonstrated potential to become outstanding scholars with international acclaim in their field of study have an academic or other research position of at least 80% outside Belgium on the date of the deadline 30 September 2026.
- have had an academic or other research position of at least 80% outside Belgium for at least 3 years in the past five years. if you had an appointment in Belgium during this period, this can be max. 10%.
Employment Conditions and Benefits:
Contract duration:
Not Available
Benefits:
Budgetary guidelines
- In parallel to regular FWO-research projects, the budget can be applied for staff, consumables and equipment:
Staff
- The salary of the Odysseus grantholder is covered by the university and cannot be budgeted in the Odysseus project. The following staff members can be budgeted:
- PhD-students or international postdocs with a bursary: 58.500/year for 4 years (4 years is the fixed timeframe for a PhD-bursary)
- Postdocs with a salary: 110.000/year for 3 years (longer is possible)
- Scientific assistants (without PhD): 85.000/year for 4 years
- Technical assistants (eg. lab technicians): from 75.000/year for 4 years
Consumables
- Includes costs such as travel, conference fees, books, laptops, smaller equipment (<20.000 euros per piece), publication costs, job students)
Equipment
- Larger equipment that costs between minimum 20.000 euros and maximum 150.000 euros/piece.
- PhD-students or international postdocs with a bursary: 58.500/year for 4 years (4 years is the fixed timeframe for a PhD-bursary)
- Postdocs with a salary: 110.000/year for 3 years (longer is possible)
- Scientific assistants (without PhD): 85.000/year for 4 years
- Technical assistants (eg. lab technicians): from 75.000/year for 4 years
Application Process:
Documents Required:
Not Available
How to apply:
The following procedure holds both for Type I and Type II Odysseus Grants and for all candidates (both KUL-internal and external). KUL staff members can find more elaborate background information on the procedure on this website.
- Although Odysseus grants are awarded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), candidates first have to go through a limited preselection procedure at a Flemish university of their choice. This is because the universities have to provide a binding letter of commitment stating that the candidate, if selected for funding, will effectively be able to take up a permanent academic position at the university. Without this letter of commitment, the application is ineligible. Once you have obtained the approval of the university, you will be sent a link with an invitation to start the application in the FWO e-portal.
The internal KU Leuven procedure consists of the following steps:
- The application form is to be submitted no later than May 4, 2026 to the KU Leuven Research Coordination Office (Stephanie Eggermont). In case a candidate contacts the Research Coordination Office after May 4, a second procedure will be organized in August, with deadline August 17, 2026.
- The Group Management, Faculties and Departments will evaluate the files and will give a pass/fail:
- Candidates who are already sure that they will have a ZAP-position at KUL after September 30, 2026, will automatically receive a pass and a letter of commitment. These candidates are still expected to submit the internal application form.
- Candidates who are not affiliated to KU Leuven yet, will depend on a decision by the Group Boards, Faculties and/or Departements, who will evaluate the candidates based on the following criteria:
- Available FTEs in function of the academic staff position via 1) BOFZAP (+ mandatory to go through the BOFZAP-procedure separately) or 2) regular ZAP or 3) ZAP Tenure Track
- Quality of the CV and the project
- Match with the research policy of the Faculty/Department
- Willingness of the candidate to come to KU Leuven
- Late June, candidates will be informed about the pass/fail scores. Candidates with a pass will receive the letter of commitment and an invitation (with a unique web link) to draw up a proposal for FWO. A sample FWO-application form can be found via the FWO website (version 2024). They will also be informed about the procedure for acquiring their academic position. Please be aware that receiving a pass does not necessarily mean that KU Leuven will offer you an academic position in case the Odysseus project is awarded:
- In some cases, the candidate will still have to go through KU Leuven-internal application procedures for the academic position
- In some cases, there might be two candidates for the same position, in which case KU Leuven will select the candidate who is most highly ranked by the international FWO-jury
- By July 15, candidates have to confirm to the Research Coordination Office that they will submit a proposal to FWO.
- By September 30, 5pm, candidates have to submit their application form to FWO.
The FWO-procedure consists of the following steps:
- An international, multidisciplinary jury will evaluate the submissions. Per submission, four external referee reports will be requested. Candidates will also be invited for an interview (March 2027) at the Research Foundation Flanders, located in Brussels. If there are more than 20 candidates per Type, FWO can first do a preselection. In that case, not all candidates will be invited for the interview. After the interview, the jury will draw up a ranking for Type-1 and Type-2 candidates. The scoring grids will be available soon.
The decisions on funding will be taken by the FWO Board and confirmed by the KU Leuven Board in april 2027, based on the ranking by the FWO-jury. The Odysseus Grants can start from May 2027 onwards, but the starting date can be postponed until April 1, 2028.
Please read more about the FWO-procedure on the FWO-website. (version 2024)
If you have questions about the eligibility criteria or the internal procedure, please contact Stephanie Eggermont. KU Leuven professors can also check our Gedocumenteerd page for more information about the procedure.
- Candidates who are already sure that they will have a ZAP-position at KUL after September 30, 2026, will automatically receive a pass and a letter of commitment. These candidates are still expected to submit the internal application form.
- Candidates who are not affiliated to KU Leuven yet, will depend on a decision by the Group Boards, Faculties and/or Departements, who will evaluate the candidates based on the following criteria:
- Available FTEs in function of the academic staff position via 1) BOFZAP (+ mandatory to go through the BOFZAP-procedure separately) or 2) regular ZAP or 3) ZAP Tenure Track
- Quality of the CV and the project
- Match with the research policy of the Faculty/Department
- Willingness of the candidate to come to KU Leuven
- In some cases, the candidate will still have to go through KU Leuven-internal application procedures for the academic position
- In some cases, there might be two candidates for the same position, in which case KU Leuven will select the candidate who is most highly ranked by the international FWO-jury
About the Host Institution:
From Renaissance philosophy to nanotechnology: as one of Europe's oldest universities, KU Leuven boasts a long tradition of ground-breaking and high-quality research. KU Leuven is dedicated to research and education in almost all disciplines. Research activities are organized by the Departments and the three Research Groups: Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Engineering and Technology, Biomedical Sciences. Read more about KU Leuven. KU Leuven tops Reuters ranking of Europe's Most Innovative Universities and persistently appears in the European top-15 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Our research news page and our multidisciplinary Key Areas give you a sneak peek of our most outstanding research. KU Leuven's international orientation, research excellence and contribution to cultural and societal debates has had many forms of impact all over the world.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a research fellowship?
A research fellowship is a funded position that supports researchers, scholars, or students to carry out independent or supervised research at a university, institute, or research organization for a fixed duration.
Who can apply for research fellowships?
Eligibility depends on the fellowship scheme. Applicants may include undergraduate students, master’s students, PhD scholars, postdoctoral researchers, or early-career faculty, depending on the program requirements.
What types of fellowships are available?
Fellowships can include PhD fellowships, postdoctoral fellowships, international mobility fellowships, industry-linked fellowships, and short-term research fellowships offered by governments, funding agencies, universities, and foundations.
Are fellowships salaried positions?
Most fellowships provide a monthly stipend or fellowship amount, along with additional benefits such as research grants, travel allowances, contingency funds, or housing support, depending on the program.
What is the typical duration of a fellowship?
Fellowship durations vary widely, ranging from a few months to several years. PhD fellowships often last 3–5 years, while postdoctoral and international fellowships usually range from 6 months to 2–3 years.
Can international candidates apply for fellowships?
Yes. Many fellowship programs are open to international applicants, especially global mobility fellowships, bilateral exchange programs, and international postdoctoral fellowships.
Do fellowships require a host institution or supervisor?
Most research fellowships require applicants to secure a host institution and supervisor before applying. Some programs allow applications first and matching with a host later.
Disclaimer:
This fellowship is published for informational purposes. Please refer to the official application link for the most accurate and up-to-date details.