Odysseus Programme

Odysseus Programme

Funds internationally focused research talent moving to Flanders with comprehensive support.

The FWO Odysseus Programme is a biannual recruitment grant operated by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), designed to attract internationally-based researchers to establish a research group at a Flemish university. The 2026 call opened on 8 April 2026 with a submission deadline of 30 September 2026 at 5 PM CEST, and carries a total available budget of €21.8 million. The programme covers any scientific discipline in a fully bottom-up manner, with funding directed at staff costs, equipment, and consumables over a five-year project period.

Two funding tracks are available. Odysseus Type I targets internationally recognised pioneers in their field and provides research funding of €400,000 to €700,000 per year, totalling €2 million to €3.5 million over five years. Odysseus Type II is aimed at postdoctoral researchers with up to 12 years of post-doctoral seniority, offering €100,000 to €200,000 per year (€500,000 to €1 million total). In both cases, the research funding covers only project costs; the host university must separately commit to providing a five-year appointment — a ZAP position for Type I or a full-time tenure-track fellowship for Type II. Candidates must hold a main appointment of at least 80% at a foreign institution on the FWO deadline date and must have been affiliated with a foreign institution at that level for at least three of the five years preceding the deadline. Only universities within the Flemish Community may nominate candidates; self-submission is not permitted.

The selection process is highly structured. Following an eligibility check in October 2026, proposals undergo international external peer review from October 2026 through February 2027, an optional preselection in mid-March 2027, and an in-person interview phase in Brussels on 15–16 April 2027, with results announced in May 2027. Successful candidates confirm before 1 September 2027 and may start their project up to one year after the granting decision — no later than 1 May 2028. Each researcher may submit only one application per Odysseus call.