FWO (Flemish Research Foundation)

Funds Flemish fundamental and strategic research through competitive awards for universities and scientific institutes.

FWO (Flemish Research Foundation) is the principal public funder of fundamental and strategic basic research in Flanders, Belgium. As a Flemish Government agency, it backs researchers rather than companies, and it has been financing fellowships, research projects, infrastructure and international scientific cooperation since the FWO's modern form was created in 1996. The foundation traces its origins to 1928 and still frames itself as a peer-reviewed research partner for the Flemish science base.

Its portfolio reaches individual professors, doctoral students, postdocs and research teams through junior and senior research projects, PhD and postdoctoral fellowships, the Odysseus talent-attraction route, SBO strategic basic research, bilateral cooperation, travel grants and mobility support. Awards reach €3.5 million for Odysseus, €500,000 for strategic basic research projects, and smaller bilateral awards around €85,000, with roughly 850 basic research fellows funded each year.

Applications are selected through international peer review and expert panels, which gives the agency a strong reputation for competitive, researcher-driven funding. FWO also co-funds cross-border work such as EOS with FRS-FNRS and supports mission-driven themes around climate, water quality and cancer, while keeping a clear emphasis on open science, diversity and international cooperation.