Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships for Candidates from the Global South 2026

📝 About the Scholarship

With support from its Special Research Fund (BOF), Ghent University offers PhD "sandwich" scholarships to promising students from Global South countries. These scholarships allow candidates to conduct half of their PhD research at Ghent University ("North") and the other half at a university in the Global South ("South").

• Ghent University finances the 24 months of research conducted in Ghent.
• Candidates must secure full-time funding for the other 24 months of research conducted in the South.

🎁 Benefits

• PhD scholarship at Ghent University for a total of 24 months.
• The Ghent University promoter receives:
  • A bench fee of €310 per month of research conducted in Ghent.
  • A €8,000 travel budget to cover operational costs and part of the travel expenses for the student, Ghent University promoter, and local promoter.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Must come from and hold the nationality of one of the selected Global South countries.
• Proposals must be jointly submitted by:
  • A candidate.
  • A supervisor (promoter) at Ghent University.
  • A supervisor at the partner university in the South.
• No restrictions on the field of research, but preference is given to topics relevant to the North-South context.
• Only degree students (students aiming to obtain a joint PhD degree at Ghent University) can apply. Exchange students are not eligible.
• Candidates must be at the beginning of their PhD. Preliminary research is allowed to a limited extent. At the start of the fellowship (1 October 2026), a minimum of 36 months of doctoral research must still be required to complete the PhD.
• Ghent University encourages female researchers to apply. A Ghent University supervisor can support a maximum of two candidates per call, provided they are of different genders.

📅 Application Date and Process

• Application Deadline: 17 February 2026
• Application forms must be submitted (in English) electronically to BOFapplication@ugent.be.

Required Documents:

1. Advice on the candidate: A document from the Ghent University supervisor stating their opinion on the candidate's capability as a future researcher. Download template
2. Advice on the ethical and biosafety context: A document addressing the ethical and biosafety aspects of the proposed research project. Download template

🌐 Scholarship Application Portal

For detailed information, visit the Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships for Candidates from the Global South.

For further inquiries, contact BOFapplication@ugent.be.

• PhD scholarship at Ghent University (in total 24 months).
• The Ghent University promoter receives a bench fee of € 310/per month of research in Ghent + € 8.000 travel budget to cover (part of) the operational costs, as well as part of the travelling costs of the student and both the Ghent University and the local promoter.