1. finance
2. grants, scholarships and financial aid
3. scholarships

VLADOC
2015 call
PhD scholarships for EEA nationals
Open to Master graduates
with EEA nationality
10 February 2014
Summary
VLIR-UOS offers PhD scholarships to EEA nationals in order to conduct a PhD at a Flemish university
on a development oriented subject.

Candidates: Graduating Master students are eligible; graduates are eligible until 5 years after
graduation.

Number: In principle, eight new scholarships are awarded each year for PhD candidates from
EEA countries, affiliated to a Flemish university.

Total duration of the scholarship: Minimally two and maximally four years, depending on the
number of months the candidate already had a PhD scholarship in Belgium.

Fieldwork
o
Duration: fieldwork of at least 4 months (in case of a 48 months scholarship) is a pivotal part of this PhD scholarship. At least 3 of those 4 months should be spent in one
or more of the VLIR-UOS partner countries.
o
Countries: the list of eligible countries for fieldwork for this year’s call is limited to 18:

Africa: Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique,
Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa

Asia: India, Indonesia, Vietnam

Latin America: Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname

Supervision: Both a supervisor in Flanders and in the partner country is required.

Deadline for submission at the Flemish universities 17 (UGent) / 19 (other) April 2015.

Selection: June 2015, for start in principle on the 1 October 2015.
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Table of contents
1. Background
1.1.
1.2.
1.3.
4
North / South and country approach
Partner countries!
Thematic links?
2. Definition and objectives
3. Duration, budget and implementation period
4
4
4
5
5
3.1. Overall budget
3.2. Nature and duration
3.3. Implementation period
3.4. Budget per selected scholar
3.4.1.
Monthly scholarship
3.4.2.
Travel budget
3.4.3.
Research allowance
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5
6
6
6
6
8
4. Eligibility criteria
8
4.1. Eligibility of applicants
4.1.1.
Nationality and affiliation
4.1.2.
Degree
4.1.3.
Official admission to the PhD training
4.1.4.
Language proficiency
4.1.5.
Flemish university supervisor(s)
4.1.6.
Partner country co-supervisor
4.1.7.
Additional co-supervisor(s)
4.1.8.
Number of applications
4.2. Eligibility of implementation period
4.3. Eligibility of countries
4.4. Eligibility of activities
4.4.1. Minimal period of fieldwork
4.4.2. Ethical and biosafety implications
4.5. Eligibility of reviewers
4.6. Eligibility of submission modalities
5. Selection
5.1.
5.2.
5.3.
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9
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11
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12
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12
13
13
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Selection criteria
Selection commission
Feedback
13
15
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6. Application modalities
6.1. Formats & Annexes
6.2. Submission deadlines & modalities
6.3. Application support
6.3.1.
ICOS per association
6.3.2.
VLIR-UOS office
7. Timeline
8. Annexes with mandatory format
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17
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18
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VLIR-UOS supports partnerships
between universities and university colleges in Flanders and the South
looking for innovative responses to global and local challenges
www.vliruos.be
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1.
Background
1.1. North / South and country approach
Considering the agreement of 22 April 2010 between VLIR-UOS and the Belgian government, VLIRUOS had to concentrate its activities for its South programme on ‘partner countries’, for which country strategies have to be written and country programmes have to be deployed. Interventions can only
fit into the resp. country strategies when selected in reference to these strategies.
At present, the former North programmes and scholarships, such as the present VLADOC PhD scholarship for EEA nationals, fall outside this strategic country approach, as their inclusion was not explicitly put forward by the funding government. That’s why VLIR-UOS uses a broader list of ‘scholarships
countries’ (that include the 20 partner countries) for its North scholarships and programmes.
1.2. Partner countries!
However, in order to concentrate its efforts on the partner countries and achieve greater overall policy
coherence and effectiveness of all programmes, VLIR-UOS’ Board has decided that VLADOC scholarships 2015 and onwards are limited to research that is conducted both in Flanders and one or more
1
of the 18 VLIR-UOS partner countries.
More specifically: this call is only open to nationals from EEA countries affiliated to a Flemish university that aim to do research in Flanders and in (and on) one of the following 18 countries:

Africa: Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda,
South Africa;

Asia: India, Indonesia, Vietnam;

Latin America: Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname.
1.3. Thematic links?
Since not all country strategies have been written yet, it was decided not to fully ‘align’ the present call
with the country strategy approach of VLIR-UOS’ South programmes (yet).
Therefore the VLADOC scholarships call 2015 is not part of the country approach of VLIR-UOS, which
is being implemented by means of regional calls for proposals.
The VLADOC scholarships rather aim to re-enforce individual capacities and upgrade academic
personnel working on development oriented subjects, both in the Global North and the Global South.
Since each scholar has to be supported by both a Flemish as well as a local supervisor, institutional
absorption of the acquired knowledge is possible.
This implies that for this call, research
1
Formally there are 20 still, but since the Belgian Directorate General for Development cooperation
and humanitarian aid (DGD) will no longer fund projects in Ghana and Sri Lanka as from 2017 onwards and given that the PhD scholarships 2015 run at least until October 2017, the present call is no
longer open for proposals on research in Ghana and Sri Lanka, disregarding the fact that formally
these countries are at present still on the list of 20 VLIR-UOS partner countries.
VLADOC – PhD scholarships for EEA nationals – call 2015
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
linked to the themes of the country strategy of the resp. country is encouraged but not required, given that country strategies have not been written yet for all countries. DR Congo,
Cuba, Ecuador, Uganda, Tanzania and Vietnam are the first countries for which a country
strategy has been worked out. Ethiopia, South Africa followed in 2013, and, Burundi and Suriname followed in 2014. Peru, Kenya, Bolivia, India and Morocco are the next countries for
which a country strategy will be worked out.

not linked to the country strategies, or research in a country for which the country strategy
has not been written yet, is encouraged to take into account other documents concerning the
development priorities set by the country concerned.
2.
Definition and objectives
This call for PhD scholars is only open to EEA nationals. Although the applicant does not have to be a
Belgian national, the PhD needs to be conducted at a Flemish university with which the PhD scholar is
affiliated during the period in which the scholarship is granted.
As such, this PhD scholarships programme has three goals, namely:

Keeping the development topic on the research agenda of the Flemish universities.

Generating academic expertise that provides an answer to an identified need/development
problem in the Global South in order to directly or indirectly combat poverty.

Rejuvenating the group of experts in development within the Flemish and European universities by creating an additional funding option for high-quality research in development.
3.
Duration, budget and implementation period
3.1. Overall budget
The available budget for this PhD scholarships programme is based on the annual selection of 8 new
PhD scholars with EEA nationality, whose scholarship in principle lasts 48 months.
3.2. Nature and duration
As is the case for any PhD scholarship exempt from Belgian income tax, the VLADOC PhD scholarship for EEA nationals cannot be granted to a person who has been employed under a statute which
is fully susceptible to income tax (e.g. as an assistant or scientific cooperator) by a Belgian university
immediately prior to the scholarship, according to Belgian legislation. Furthermore, the tax exemption
of a PhD scholarship in Belgium cannot be granted for more than four years (48 months) in total
throughout a person’s entire lifetime.
Given this legal framework, VLIR-UOS’ policy is to fund PhD scholarships to EEA nationals for a
duration of at least 24 months and at most 48 months, included the PhD defense at the end of the
scholarship term.
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If the applicant has been granted a PhD scholarship prior to the VLADOC scholarship, he or she can
apply for a VLADOC PhD scholarship for the remainder number of months, provided these amount to
at least 24 months.
An application for a VLADOC PhD scholarship of less than 48 months must relate to previous research directly connected to the PhD subject of the application at hand.
3.3. Implementation period
st
As the academic year starts around the 1 of October, the selected applicants of this call 2015 should
st
st
start on the 1 of October 2015 or as soon as possible afterwards and by 1 of January 2016 at the
st
latest. Start later than 1 of October 2015 must be motivated by the candidate.
3.4. Budget per selected scholar
The scholar will not be employed by VLIR-UOS directly, but by the Flemish university with which the
scholar is affiliated during the PhD. Nevertheless, the scholar derives rights and duties from a tri-party
agreement that is concluded between the scholar, the scholar’s university and VLIR-UOS in the event
of selection.
3.4.1. Monthly scholarship
The funding we provide is a scholarship, not a salary. Therefore it is exempt from income tax.
The monthly PhD scholarship corresponds to the amount the scholar would receive as a PhD scholar
of the Flemish university concerned, in accordance with the scales applied by that university. The
amount of the scholarship is hence adjusted according to seniority. Furthermore, the scholarship takes
the family situation into account and is subject to the social security law. PhD scholars with EEAnationality have the status of fully insured persons with regard to social security (“RSZ”). The scholarship amount is also linked to the health index insofar as it is applicable to academic members of the
Flemish universities’ staff.
The budget for all PhD scholars concerned by this scheme is transferred by VLIR-UOS to the university (annually) and by the latter to the individual scholar (monthly). Hence the university itself is responsible for the monthly payments to the scholar’s account. The PhD scholarship is paid during the whole
year regardless of whether the research is conducted in Belgium or abroad, including during the
official holidays. The PhD scholarship cannot be combined with another allowance, stipend or remuneration ensuing from a related professional activity though.
3.4.2. Travel budget
On top of the scholarship, VLIR-UOS provides a travel budget for research missions in the partner
country/countries on which the research focuses.
The travel budget comprises and is limited to the following elements:

travel costs for one “international journey” per 24 scholarship months;

part of the accommodation costs of the research stay abroad;

an expatriation allowance.
The travel budget is granted for and limited by the research stays abroad: for
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
minimum 3 months in a partner country;

minimum 4 months (of which minimum 3 months in the partner country) per 48 scholarship
months;

maximum 3 months per 12 scholarship months (i.e. as calculation base; max. 6/9/12 months
for a 24/36/48 month scholarship, or pro rata for a scholarship duration between 24 and 48
months, but to be pooled or spread over the 48 months as motivated in the proposal).
However, the travel budget and the research stays abroad have to be distinguished as follows:

VLIR-UOS strongly encourages research stays abroad for more than 3 months per 12 scholarship months if considered instrumental for the specific research topic, but cannot provide
additional funding for travel & stay beyond the limits as stated above.

The scholar is allowed to pool or spread the research stays throughout his/her entire scholarship period though (in other words: use it for several shorter stays, or one or two longer stays
throughout the scholarship period, as required by the research and motivated in the proposal).
Any research mission the scholar is planning must be stated and justified in the application. The
scholar must make the necessary arrangements with regard to social security and health insurance
during the stay abroad, with or without the support of the university.
Travel costs
An “international journey” is defined as “from door to door” from the place of residence to the place of
destination and back.
Reimbursed international transport costs are:

If the journey is by airplane: the price of an economy class, return plane ticket, including airport taxes. We also reimburse local transport costs from the place of residence to the airport
and transport costs from the airport to the place of destination (return).

If the journey is by train / other public transport: the price of a train ticket / the price of a ticket
for other public transport (bus, tram) from the place of residence to the place of destination
(return).

If the journey is by car: an allowance per kilometer for the total number of kilometres between
the place of residence and the place of destination (return).

Possible indirect travel costs:
o Costs of obligatory vaccinations and necessary medicines (costs of consultations are
2
o
not accepted);
Stamp costs for visas or passports;
o
o
Costs of obtaining necessary certificates;
Costs of obtaining travel / cancellation insurance.
All transport and indirect travel costs are reimbursed upon provision of the original receipts, which the
scholar has to collect and deposit at the university at the beginning of each calendar year.
Accommodation costs
A contribution to the scholar’s accommodation costs in the partner country/countries is foreseen, up to
maximally € 250 per month for maximally three months per year of scholarship. The months in which
the accommodation costs are made can be pooled into one longer stay or split upon several shorter
2
www.vliruos.be/allowances
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stays, upon one’s research plan. If one is granted a scholarship of 3 years (36 months), for instance,
one is entitled to reimbursement of max. 9 * max. € 250 for accommodation costs, incurred in the
course of those 3 years as stated in the research proposal. Only accommodation costs which are
proven by the original bill or a copy of the rental contract can be covered.
Expatriation allowance
VLIR-UOS awards a monthly expatriation allowance that is set at 6 times the per diem allowance for
the country under consideration (fixed allowance) per month of fieldwork, again for maximally 3
months of research stays abroad per year of scholarship but related to stays that can be spread
throughout the scholarship period as stated in the research proposal.
3
The list of per diem allowances per country can be found on the VLIR-UOS website . This list can be
subject to change throughout time. The receipt of the expatriation allowance shall be proven by the
scholar on the basis of a declaration of honour.
3.4.3. Research allowance
VLIR-UOS awards a fixed bench fee to the research unit of the supervisor at the Flemish University
which amounts to € 1.875 per year of scholarship granted.
This research allowance is granted at the beginning of the stay for the entire PhD period granted (for
instance: € 7.500 in the case of a four year scholarship). However, in case of premature termination of
the scholarship, the research allowance for the period which has not been taken up needs to be
reimbursed pro rata the remaining months. The research allowance is a lump sum, meaning that its
receipt has to be acknowledged by a written declaration.
Although paid to the university and administered by the unit of the supervisor (unless other arrangements are established by mutual agreement), the research allowance is intended for the scholar. The
supervisor hence agrees to only purchase products or cover expenses directly connected with the
scholar’s research. All purchased goods with permanent value (e.g. equipment, computers, furniture)
become the property of the university at the end of the scholarship.
4.
Eligibility criteria
Eligibility criteria define whether or not a proposal can be accepted to enter the selection process.
Each VLIR-UOS call for proposals defines clear eligibility criteria, using the following sub-sections
where appropriate. Eligibility criteria will be checked on the basis of an objective and simple yes/no
answer. Therefore, eligibility criteria which are not fulfilled, will result in the rejection of a proposal.
Eligibility of applicants
Eligibility of both the candidate and the Flemish and local
(co)supervisors and institutions.
Eligibility of budget and
implementation period
- Maximum implementation period, considering the candidate’s
scholarship history.
- The budget is strictly regulated as stated in section 3 above, and
3
Ibid.
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is therefore not part of the proposal or application form.
Eligibility of countries and /
or intervention types
List of eligible countries on which the research concentrates and in
Eligibility of thematic areas
Not required for this PhD call. For research proposals in partner
countries for which a VLIR-UOS country strategy already exists, it is
which the field work takes place.
encouraged but not required that reference thereto is made.
Eligibility of activities and
related costs
- A minimal period of four months of fieldwork should be conducted
throughout the scholarship period, of which at least three months
should be spent in one or more of the VLIR-UOS partner countries.
- The ethical and biosafety implications of the research need to be
stated in the application.
-
The costs that can be reimbursed are enumerated above (section 3), and are therefore not part of the eligibility check.
Eligibility of reviewers
List of criteria for non-eligible peer reviewers (see infra).
Eligibility of submission
modalities
Timely and complete submission
4.1. Eligibility of applicants
4.1.1. Nationality and affiliation
The PhD candidate must hold the Belgian nationality or the nationality of an EEA member state, and
be affiliated to a Flemish university.
4.1.2. Degree
The present call is open to graduating students as well as graduates, but subject to the following
conditions:

st
At the start of the PhD scholarship (i.c. 1 October 2015), the candidate must hold an academic qualification (Licentiate or Master’s degree) at least ‘with distinction’ or equivalent. This
qualification does not have to be procured by a Flemish university but the equivalence of for4
eign diplomas of higher education has to be recognized by the latter.

The graduation (at least ‘with distinction’ or equivalent) from the last Master or Licentiate cannot be more than five years before the start of the scholarship (the calendar year counts, i.c.
2015). This means that applicants for the present call should have graduated from their last
Master or Licentiate in the year 2010 or later.
4
Applications for the recognition of equivalence:
http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/naric/en/procedures/higher-education/index.htm
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4.1.3. Official admission to the PhD training
The candidate must, at the time of application or as soon as possible after application and in any case
before signing the contract (July-August) when selected, hold a certificate of the Flemish university for
admission to a doctoral training programme at that university.
The candidate must therefore obtain official permission from the competent PhD committee of the
university in question if he/she will newly start his/her PhD, or hold an enrolment certificate which
states that one is enrolled as a PhD candidate and which is issued by the competent administration at
the university. A mere letter by the supervisor is not sufficient.
The Institutional Coordinator of Development Cooperation (ICOS) of the applicant’s university (see
below, 6.4.) can help to point out the right administration bodies where to get these certificates.
4.1.4. Language proficiency
The candidate should have a very good command of the English language. Therefore, the application
should be written in English.
4.1.5. Flemish university supervisor(s)
The main supervisor of a PhD scholarship for EEA nationals must be employed by a Flemish university. At the start of the scholarship, he or she needs to have the appropriate academic competence to
supervise the project and be authorised to act as supervisor for PhD theses in accordance with the
rules of the Flemish university. An emeritus professor can only be a co-supervisor. The candidate, and
the ICOS who conducts the first eligibility check, is responsible for checking whether the supervisor
meets the criteria.
If the supervisor is not only employed by a Flemish University or university college, but also by another
institution (e.g. ITM) that receives DGD funding on a project or structural basis, and no regulations are
provided for such inter-institutional cooperation, it is these supervisors’ or co-supervisors’ responsibility

to assess that selection of the proposal by VLIR-UOS would not entail a conflict of interests or
overlap with DGD funded projects and hence imply double funding by DGD, and

to obtain approval of the other institution’s management in case the latter would require this,
as VLIR-UOS is unable to assess this in the framework of this call.
4.1.6. Partner country co-supervisor
VLIR-UOS requires the candidate to find a co-supervisor in the partner country where most of the
fieldwork will be carried out in order to ensure a better embedding of the research within the context of
that country.
This co-supervisor should facilitate the contact with his/her research institute as well as other actors
the field. Comparable to any other co-supervisor, he/she should be involved in the formulation of the
research questions, and later on in the redaction of texts too.
The co-supervisor in the partner country can be either a professor or a researcher at any research
institute in that country.
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4.1.7. Additional co-supervisor(s)
VLIR-UOS allows the submitting candidate to add to the proposal (a) co-supervisor(s) who is/are
linked to a Belgian university, a university in a EEA member state, or a university in a partner country,
on the condition that
(1) this co-supervisor is a professor or post-doctoral researcher who is allowed to act as a cosupervisor according to university regulations and
(2) a clear division of tasks between the different supervisors is presented.
4.1.8. Number of applications
A candidate scholar cannot apply more than twice in his/her lifetime. In case this year’s application
concerns a resubmission, the comments of the Selection Committee on the former submission must
be included together with an explanation on how these concerns have been addressed in the new
proposal.
Furthermore, any (co-)supervisor may submit no more than two applications in response to the same
PhD call in one reference year.
4.2. Eligibility of implementation period
According to Belgian legislation, our PhD scholarship is limited in time from a tax point of view to 48
months, interrupted or otherwise. For that reason, the candidate must explicitly add certificates to the
application that detail the enrolment history of the candidate as a PhD student with scholarship at a
Belgian university. This enrolment history certificate states whether, and if so for how many months,
the candidate received a PhD scholarship as a PhD student enrolled at a Belgian university before the
foreseen start of this PhD scholarship upon selection. It should also state the candidate’s name,
position, department and Belgian university at which he/she has been enrolled. The competent department of the institutions where the candidate is or was enrolled must certify this status. In case
there is no enrolment history as a PhD candidate, the university at which one will start a PhD needs to
certify that there is no enrolment history as a PhD student for this candidate. The candidate can contact the ICOS for more information.
In addition to the restrictions pertaining to an earlier PhD scholarship, a restriction in implementation
period also applies with regard to remunerated work for a Belgian university in the past. An income tax
free PhD scholarship, such as the VLIR-UOS PhD scholarship, cannot be granted to a person who
has been employed (as an assistant or scientific cooperator) by a Belgian university immediately prior
to the scholarship. Therefore, an application needs to include a statement of the Flemish university at
which one will conduct the PhD, on the candidate’s employment on the payroll of that university prior
to the start of the PhD, together with a sworn statement of the candidate on the remunerated work at
any other Belgian university.
The candidate should contact the institution’s human resources department of the relevant institution
in a proactive manner and also later on, in the event of any questions related hereto.
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4.3. Eligibility of countries
As from this year onwards, the PhD programme is concentrated on research in and for the VLIR-UOS
partner countries. This means that the PhD scholarships 2015 are only open to candidates who send
in a proposal that focuses on one or more of the following 18 partner countries:

Africa: Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda,
South Africa

Asia: India, Indonesia, Vietnam

Latin America: Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Suriname
The Belgian Directorate General for Development cooperation and humanitarian aid (DGD) will not
fund research in Ghana and Sri Lanka any longer as from 2017 onwards, hence the PhD programmes
2015, which run at least until October 2017, are no longer open for proposals on research in Ghana
and Sri Lanka even though these two countries are marked as VLIR-UOS partner countries on our
website at this moment.
4.4. Eligibility of activities
4.4.1. Minimal period of fieldwork
The aim of contributing to development and international cooperation is a core characteristic of VLIRUOS funding. This is reflected in the PhD programme for EEA nationals by the fact that a minimal
period of four months of fieldwork should be conducted within the scholarship period of 48 months, of
which three months at least should be spent in one or more of the VLIR-UOS partner countries.
The scholar is allowed to pool or spread the research stays throughout his/her entire scholarship
period though (in other words: use it for several shorter stays, or one or two longer stays throughout
the scholarship period, as required by the research and motivated in the proposal).
This obligation is in view of a better embedding of the research within the context of the country on
which the research focuses. This is why the PhD scholarship for EEA nationals additionally offers a
travel budget on top of the monthly allowance. Ideally, the time abroad should be longer, but the travel
budget foreseen by VLIR-UOS is for

minimum 3 months in a partner country;

minimum 4 months (of which minimum 3 months in the partner country) per 48 scholarship
months;

maximum 3 months per 12 scholarship months (i.e. as calculation base; max. 6/9/12 months
for a 24/36/48 month scholarship, or pro rata for any scholarship duration between 24 and 48
months, but to be pooled or spread over the 48 months as motivated in the proposal).
VLIR-UOS strongly encourages research stays abroad for more than 3 months per 12 scholarship
months if considered instrumental for the specific research topic, but cannot provide additional funding
for travel & stay beyond the limits as stated above.
Additional field work in other countries than the VLIR-UOS partner countries enumerated above can
be justified if explicitly motivated by the candidate in relation to the research subject. We do not refer
to rather standard attendance of conferences though when talking about fieldwork. This kind of trips
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are not considered to be field work and cannot be accounted for on the travel budget. Instead, the
research allowance can cover the costs related to the attendance of conferences or seminars abroad.
4.4.2. Ethical and biosafety implications
Any ethical or biosafety implications of the PhD research must be stated in the application. If the
research implies ethical or biosafety recommendations, certificates of the institutes’ ethical or biosafety
commissions (in Flanders and/or in the partner country) should be enclosed with the application in
order for the application to be eligible. If this is not possible, the candidate is asked to explain why this
certification is not yet available. A recommendation by the competent ethics committee or a biosafety
certification should in any case be obtained before the project can start.
The candidate can contact the ICOS in order to get information on the ethical and biosafety commissions present at the different Flemish universities or their faculties.
4.5. Eligibility of reviewers
VLIR-UOS requests 2 peer reviews per proposal. It is the applicant who is responsible for contacting
potential reviewers to assess his or her proposal. VLIR-UOS provides a template for the peer review
(annex 3).
Peer reviewers only give advice to the selection commission, the latter being completely independent
in its decision-making. Reviewers must be affiliated to a university or university college, research
institute or any other higher education institution, and must be active at least at a postdoctoral level. A
list of criteria for eligible peer reviewers is given in the general info document on the selection system
of VLIR-UOS (www.vliruos.be).
4.6. Eligibility of submission modalities
The proposal must meet the application and submission requirements as described in ‘6. Application
modalities’. Non-compliance with the mandatory format will lead to non-eligibility of the proposal.
5.
Selection
5.1. Selection criteria
All proposals sent in as applications to the VLIR-UOS calls are selected on the basis of the same set
of 6 selection criteria. However, the indicators and weighting of each of the six criteria can differ per
type of call, in order to meet the diversity of different intervention types.
For the present PhD call, the weighting of the criteria is 30-30-10-10-10-10 in order of appearance
below. This means that the most important criteria for the PhD scholarships are scientific quality and
relevance for development.
Below the six criteria are further defined, and translated into a list of sub-indicators. For PhD proposals
though, not every sub-indicator needs to be strictly assessed. Rather, the sub-indicators provide a
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description of what is meant with the general criterion, in order to objectify the interpretation of the
criteria.
5
SCIENTIFIC QUALITY
The extent to which a proposal has a ground-breaking nature and ambition (excellence).
The proposal is original, creative, innovative (excellence)
The proposal addresses strategic research/education needs and opportunities
The proposal is consistent with research/education strategies of partners
The proposal uses an appropriate methodology
The partner(s) has(ve) sufficient technical expertise and experience (knowledge of the issues to be addressed)
to successfully deliver all aspects of the project
RELEVANCE
The extent to which the objectives of a proposal are consistent with beneficiaries’ requirements, country needs,
global priorities and partners’ and donors’ policies.
Proposal is based on a genuine and adequate needs analysis
Proposal meets the objectives of the call for proposals
Proposal meets the needs of (direct and indirect) beneficiaries
Proposal contributes to the developing countries' priorities, as articulated in national strategies and policies
Proposal contributes to the local partners' priorities, as articulated in strategic plans and other policy documents
Proposal contributes to the VLIR-UOS country strategy
Proposal has clear added value with regard to other initiatives already carried out
Proposal has potential to deliver applicable results
Proposal demonstrates local ownership
EFFECTIVENESS
The extent to which the proposals’ objectives are expected to be achieved, taking into account their relative
importance.
Clear description of key project elements (inputs, activities, results, objectives)
Realistic objectives that address the identified needs
Appropriate activities to achieve the objectives
Feasible project activities
Objectively verifiable indicators
Monitoring of activities is foreseen
EFFICIENCY
A measure of how economically resources/inputs (funds, expertise, time, etc.) are converted to results.
The partner(s) has(ve) sufficient financial management capacity and experience (ability to handle the budget) to
successfully deliver all aspects of the project
The partner(s) has(ve) experience with managing similar projects
The partners have a strong partnership based on previous cooperation and/or relevant synergy/complementarity
There is a clear definition and distribution of the roles and tasks for all involved partners
There are efficient mechanisms for coordination and communication between the involved partners
There are no (better, cheaper) alternatives to realize the proposed objectives
The project costs are reasonable and justified
IMPACT
Potential positive and negative, primary and secondary long-term effects produced by the proposal, directly or
indirectly, intended or unintended.
The proposal shows a potential tangible impact on (direct and indirect) beneficiaries
The proposal is sensitive to transversal aspects such as gender, culture, sustainability, human rights, … that
can accelerate or hinder the potential impact of the project
5
Based on the ERC (European Research Council) and OECD-DAC (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development-Development Assistance Committee) definitions.
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The proposal has a clear dissemination/valorization strategy
The proposal is likely to realize a clear institutional embeddedness (within the partner organization; with relevant
local, national, international networks and stakeholders)
The proposal is likely to have multiplier effects
SUSTAINABILITY
The continuation of benefits after the activities have been completed.
The proposal foresees a clear follow-up strategy to finance activities after the funding ends (financial sustainability)
The proposal foresees working with institutional structures allowing the activities to continue after the funding
(institutional sustainability)
If applicable, the proposal takes into account its positive/negative impact on the policy level (political sustainability)
If applicable, the proposal takes into account its negative/positive environmental impact (environmental sustainability)
As overall VLIR-UOS policy guideline, in case of equal overall score of projects, preference will be
given to proposals that

involve more than one Flemish university

involve both universities and university colleges

are interdisciplinary

are situated within humanities

are submitted by female supervisors

are submitted by young supervisors

are submitted by supervisors who have never submitted proposals to VLIR-UOS before.
More details on the selection criteria, track record, peer review, scoring, decision making and notice of
objection are to be found in the new Selection System document of VLIR-UOS, available on our website.
5.2. Selection commission
The VLIR-UOS North Commission is qualified to evaluate and select PhD proposals sent in on the
basis of the PhD scholarships calls. This commission consists of four core members and two additional members who are specifically qualified to assess PhD proposals. Three substitute members are
selected in case a permanent member cannot participate in case of force majeure or conflict of interest.
5.3. Feedback
The selection meeting will take place in June 2015. During the meeting of the North Commission the
applicants are not expected to come and present their proposal.
The VLIR-UOS Board and the VLIR-UOS Steering Committee ratify the selection made by the Selection Commission. Once the Board and Steering Committee will have taken their final decision as to the
selection of the PhD proposals, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of the appraisal process
and the reasons for approval or rejection of their proposal.
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The funding of the selected proposals is subject to final approval by the Belgian government of the
overall VLIR-UOS budget for 2015.
6.
Application modalities
6.1. Formats & annexes
A complete application file comprises all documents enumerated below, each digitally sent in a separate file under the following name: VLADOC 2015_LAST NAME_first name of candidate_Annex_number. Hard copies are not accepted, hence VLIR-UOS accepts scanned signatures in
the phase of application. All documents need to be in English.
The instructions on the title page of the mandatory formats, the required signatures as well as the
restrictions on the number of pages of the requested documents must be followed closely. Any additional page or sheet will be removed before transmitting to the selection commission.
Actor
Application
Document type
file doc. nr.
Mandatory
format nr.
1.
Application form
1
2.
Research proposal
2
3a.
Recommendation letter
-
university
3b.
Short CV (no more than two pages!)
-
Co-supervisor partner
4a.
Recommendation letter
-
country
4b.
Short CV (no more than two pages!)
-
(if
5c.
Recommendation letter
-
from
partner
5d.
Short CV (no more than two pages!)
-
Peer reviewer 1
6a.
Review
3
Peer reviewer 2
6b.
Review
3
Candidate
Supervisor
Flemish
Co-supervisor
applicable;
Flemish or
2
country university)
Sworn statement concerning earlier remunerated
7a.
Candidate
work and/or PhD scholarships at any Belgian
university.
4
7b.
Certificate issued by the Flemish university at
which one will conduct the PhD, on the candidate’s employment on the payroll of that university prior to the start of the PhD.
-
7c.
Certificate issued by the Flemish university of
enrolment history as a scholarship student at that
-
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university.
7d.
7e.
Certificate issued by the Flemish university’s
doctoral committee granting admission to the
doctoral training programme.
Where applicable:
Recommendation of the ethics committee(s) or
biosafety council(s) (in Flanders and/or the
-
-
partner country)
6.2. Submission deadlines & modalities
Proposals are submitted in a phased system.
Applicants should submit the proposal to the ICOS of the university association with which the applyth
ing candidate and main supervisor will be / are affiliated. The deadline is 17 of April 2015 (09:00 AM)
th
for UGent and 19 of April 2015 (11:59 PM) for the other universities.
Before sending the proposals to VLIR-UOS, the ICOS checks all proposals on their eligibility according
to the criteria on the checklist in annex 5. The ICOS needs to complete and sign this checklist for
every individual proposal. After that, the ICOS submits the proposals per association to VLIR-UOS,
together with an overview of the different proposals per association according to annex 6, before the
deadline of 4 May 2015.
The two peer reviewers should submit their report directly to the VLIR-UOS office and cannot send
their report via the applicant or the ICOS. The deadline for submission of the peer review is the same
as the deadline for the submission of the proposal by the ICOS to VLIR-UOS. It is the responsibility
of the candidate to make sure the referees submit their review in time DIRECTLY to VLIR-UOS
(no cc to the candidate or ICOS). If VLIR-UOS has not received two peer reviews before the deadline, the application is considered to be ineligible.
6.3. Application support
The ICOS function as liaison between the VLIR-UOS office and the individual Flemish institutions and
academics. The ICOS are the first line contact persons to assist the applicants with the elaboration of
their project proposal (eligibility check, explanation of the financial guidelines, assistance in the procedures to obtain the needed certificates, etc).
As a general principle, support will be provided in a multi-stage process in which applicants first contact the ICOS on the level of their institution. The ICOS answer the questions and cluster and forward
those questions they cannot answer to VLIR-UOS. Several institutions organise information sessions
which detail on the VLIR-UOS calls, such as the PhD calls.
In parallel VLIR-UOS composes a FAQ that is published on the website.
6.3.1. ICOS per association
University
KU Leuven
Name ICOS
Tupac Calfat
Address
Development Cooperation Unit
VLADOC – PhD scholarships for EEA nationals – call 2015
Phone
016 37 94
40
E-mail
tupac.calfat@kuleuven.be
17/19
Atrechtcollege
Naamsestraat 63 bus 5001
University
of Antwerp
Karolien Vrints
3000 LEUVEN
Dienst Internationale Samenwerking UAntwerpen
03 265 44
07
karolien.vrints@uantwerpen.be
09 264 30
35
helke.baeyens@ugent.be
011 26 80
14
miek.lamaire@uhasselt.be
02 614 81
01
jannes.motmans@vub.ac.be
francoise.de.cupere@vub.ac;BE
Gratiekapelstraat 10
2000 ANTWERPEN
Ghent
University
Helke
Baeyens
Directie Onderzoeksaangelegenheden – afdeling Onderzoekscoördinatie
Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25
9000 GENT
Hasselt
University
Miek Lamaire
Dienst Internationalisering en
Ontwikkelingssamenwerking
(DIOS)
Martelarenlaan 42
3500 HASSELT
Free University
Brussels
Jannes
Motmans &
Françoise De
Cupere
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
International Relations and
Mobility Office
Pleinlaan 2 (mailing)
Pleinlaan 5 (visiting)
1050 BRUSSEL
6.3.2. VLIR-UOS office
Stefan Wellens
Coordinator North & HRM
T: + 32 (0)2 289 05 56
stefan.wellens@vliruos.be
www.vliruos.be
Visiting address:
VLIR-UOS
Bolwerksquare 1a
1050 Brussels
Belgium
Mailing address:
VLIR-UOS
Postbus 103 Elsene Naamsepoort
1050 Elsene
Belgium
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7.
Timeline
Date
Action
Actor
10 February 2015
Launch of the VLADOC call 2015
VLIR-UOS
 UGent: 17 April 2015 (9:00 AM)
Internal deadlines for submission of the
proposals to the Association
Applicants
 Deadline for submission of proposals to
VLIR-UOS
 ICOS
 Deadline for submission of review to
VLIR-UOS
 Reviewer
Submission of proposals to North com-
VLIR-UOS
 Other: 19 April 2015 (11:59 PM)
4 May 2015 (9:00 AM)
18 May 2015
mission
(tbc) between 15 and 22 June
2015
Selection meeting on the eligible applications
North commission
26 June 2015
Ratification of the selection
Bureau
UOS
and
Steering Committee
UOS
Early July 2015
Notification of the selection results
VLIR-UOS office
July 2015
Contracting
VLIR-UOS office
1 October 2015
Start of the PhD research
Selected applicants
8.
Annexes with mandatory format
This list comprises the to the call enclosed annexes which have to be submitted under the mandatory
formats.
Annexes relevant to the candidate:
Annex 1:
Application form
Annex 2:
Research proposal
Annex 4:
Sworn statement concerning earlier remunerated work
Annexes relevant to the peer reviewer:
Annex 3:
Peer review assessment form
Annexes relevant to the ICOS:
Annex 5:
Eligibility checklist
Annex 6:
Overview of proposals
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