Overview
The open FWO Odysseus Programme recruits outstanding researchers who built their careers outside Belgium to establish a five-year research group or research line at a Flemish university.
Complete grant details
The 2026 call has a €21.8 million total budget. Type I provides €400,000–€700,000 per year (€2.0–€3.5 million over five years) for internationally recognized pioneers. Type II provides €100,000–€200,000 per year (€500,000–€1.0 million over five years) for postdoctoral researchers with potential to become international leaders. Funding can cover project staff, equipment and consumables; the university-provided candidate position is not paid from the Odysseus project budget.
Eligibility requirements
Candidates for both types must have a main appointment of at least 80% at a foreign institution on the FWO deadline and must have held at least an 80% foreign appointment for at least three of the previous five years, with no more than a 10% Belgian appointment during that period. Type II candidates may have at most 12 years of postdoctoral seniority. Only universities in the Flemish Community can nominate candidates, and a local permanent senior academic co-supervisor is required.
Tips for this grant
Practical Job and Scholarship guidance. These tips do not replace official rules or create new eligibility requirements.
- Check eligibility, funding coverage, study/project level and every required document before investing time in the application.
- Prepare transcripts, references, language tests, proposal/motivation statement and proof documents early.
- Separate the scholarship deadline from any university/program admission deadline; they may be different.
- Treat “fully funded” as a source fact only when the official provider explicitly confirms the covered costs.
Verification notes
Verified on the official FWO Odysseus 2026 page. Status is Open. FWO closes the call on 30 September 2026 at 5 PM CEST; host universities may set earlier internal deadlines and provide the unique application link.
Job and Scholarship is the discovery and verification layer. Confirm eligibility, dates, salary/funding and application instructions on the original source before submitting anything.
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