PhD Sandwich Scholarships for Global South Candidates at Ghent University (All Fields, 2026) Ghent University in Belgium

Ghent University is offering its Special Research Fund (BOF) Doctoral Scholarships for Candidates from the Global South for the 2026 call. This prestigious 'sandwich' PhD program is designed for promising doctoral students from developing countries who wish to conduct high-impact research relevant to their local context while gaining international experience in Europe. The program enables candidates to split their doctoral research into two parts: 24 months at Ghent University in Belgium and 24 months at a partner university in the Global South.

The scholarship provides a monthly allowance of approximately €2,550 during the research stay in Ghent, a bench fee of €310 per month, and an €8,000 travel budget to support operational and travel costs. Candidates must secure full-time local funding or salary for the 24 months spent at their home institution. The program encourages research topics with high development relevance and is open to all academic fields, with preference given to proposals that address North-South context issues such as global priorities, synergy opportunities, and beneficiaries’ requirements.

Applicants must be nationals of a country on the Global South list and must apply jointly with a Ghent University supervisor and a local supervisor at a partner university. Only students at the beginning of their PhD are eligible, with at least 36 months of doctoral research remaining at the start of the fellowship. Female researchers are especially encouraged to apply, and each Ghent University supervisor can support up to two candidates per call, provided they are of different genders. Co-funding from the partner university is mandatory, including a written statement confirming the candidate will receive a full-time local PhD scholarship or salary and exemption from most teaching or other duties.

The mandatory mobility scheme requires students to start and end with a research stay of 3–12 months at Ghent University, with at least 24 months of locally funded research in the South scheduled in between. Exceptions to the mobility scheme are possible under specific circumstances, subject to approval by Ghent University’s research administration.

To apply, candidates must submit the application form electronically in English to [email protected], along with required documents such as the supervisor’s advice on the candidate and the ethical/biosafety context of the proposed research. The application deadline is February 17, 2026, and results will be announced from May 20, 2026 onwards. For more information, applicants can consult the official Ghent University website and contact the BOF Projects Team at [email protected].

This opportunity is ideal for doctoral candidates seeking to bridge their research between their home country and Europe, develop international collaborations, and contribute to development-relevant research in fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, economics, medical science, civil engineering, agriculture, sociology, political science, computer science, education, business, and earth science.