VLIR-UOS announces ICP Ph D Scholarship Programme
To enable promising graduates of the International Courses (ICPs - ICPs are Master programmes that receive institutional support from VLIR-UOS) to make a Ph D at a Flemish university, VLIR-UOS launched its ICP Ph D programme in 2003.
The ICP Ph.D. programme aims to institutionally strengthen universities or research institutions in the South through capacity building, by upgrading local academic personnel by offering Ph D scholarships.
1. General framework
1.1. Formal framework
VLIR-UOS launched its ICP Ph.D. programme in order to enable promising graduates of the International Courses (ICP) to make a Ph.D. at a Flemish university. Starting from the academic year 2002-2003, a maximum of ten Ph.D. scholarships can be granted every academic year to excellent ICP graduates from a developing country.
Depending on the approval of the government of the Scholarships Programme of VLIR-UOS, a maximum of 10 ICP Ph.D. scholarships is granted per reference year.
1.2. Objectives
The ICP Ph.D. programme aims to institutionally strengthen universities or research institutions in the South through capacity building, by upgrading local academic personnel by offering Ph.D. scholarships.
1.3. New in this call
- The ICP Ph.D. programme is now also open to ICP students from developing countries who will graduate in the reference year, i.e. 2009, hence after the selection date. Consequently, their selection is conditional upon their graduation. The call stays open for ICP graduates of maximum 5 years before the reference year. This means that candidates who graduated from an ICP in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 can apply.
- Candidates cannot apply for ICP Ph.D. more than three times.
1.4. Scholarship type and duration
1.4.1. Type
In a “sandwich” scholarship two-thirds of the research is conducted at the local institution and one-third at the Flemish university. This ratio has to be respected, not annually but in the overall period of four years.
The scholar is free to choose the periods of his/her stays in Belgium and his/her home country, albeit in agreement with both supervisors. However, for practical reasons, the scholar is obliged to come to Belgium at the start of the scholarship, i.e. on 1 October of the reference year.
1.4.2. Duration
A full ICP Ph.D. scholarship consists of two consecutive two-year terms and cannot be extended.
First term
The scholarship is awarded for a first term of two years or 24 months without interruption, starting on 1 October of the reference year. The scholar is, however, allowed to arrive in Belgium a few days earlier for practical arrangements. The earliest date of arrival is 20 September of the reference year, but for reasons of proper reception, Flemish universities prefer arrival in early October of the reference year.
Second term
In principle – if sufficient research results have been obtained – the first term is prolonged with a second term of two years. The results should be described in a progress report which is to be submitted by the scholar to VLIR-UOS before 1 June of the last year of the first term. The progress report will be evaluated by the Selection Committee Research Scholarships of VLIR-UOS. The second term will start immediately after the first term, i.e. in principle on 1 October of the last year of the first term. The total duration of the scholarship can never be more than 2 x 2 years.
1.5. Funding
The following financial guidelines are applicable to the ICP Ph.D. scholars. All allowances and payments mentioned below are to be accounted for on the budget of the Scholarships Programme of the Flemish host university.
1.5.1. Allowances paid to the scholars
The amount is related to the country where the research is conducted: in Belgium or at the local institution.
When residing in Belgium, the scholar will receive the following allowances by the Flemish university:
1. A monthly allowance of € 1.200 covering room and board, individual transport and personal expenses ;
2. A monthly allowance of € 60 per month for the spouse/official partner and per dependent child, whether they stay in Belgium or not ;
3. An installation fee of € 500 at the start of the Ph.D. research in Belgium (non-recurrent payment);
4. A yearly fee of € 750 for didactic materials and costs for conducting Ph.D. research (per academic year);
5. A fee of € 275 covering mailing costs of educational materials (non-recurrent payment).
When residing in his/her home country, the scholar will receive the following allowances by the Flemish university:
1. A monthly allowance of € 600 (50 % of the allowance when residing in Belgium) covering room and board, individual transport and personal expenses ;
2. A family allowance of € 30 (50 % of the allowance when residing in Belgium) for the spouse/official partner and per dependent child, whether they stay in Belgium or not .
The Flemish university will take care of the following payments:
1. One economy class return airline ticket per academic year, depending on the planning of the Ph.D. scholar (home country – Belgium – home country, trajectory “from door to door”);
2. Indirect travel costs: visa costs, notarisation or authentication costs of documents needed for visa application, possible transit costs and costs needed for a medical certificate;
3. Tuition fee in accordance with the rate applied by the respective Flemish host university, as agreed with VLIR-UOS;
4. Arrangements will be made by the Flemish university for insurance of the scholar for the period of his stay in Belgium linked to the research period (max. compensation of € 70 per month). The insurance will cover medical insurance, accident insurance, third liability insurance and repatriation.
1.5.2. Payments to the unit of the supervisor (bench fee)
For every month the ICP Ph.D. scholar conducts full-time research in Belgium (with a maximum of 16 months), the research unit of the Flemish supervisor will receive a bench fee of:
- € 400 if the Ph.D. scholar is conducting research at a unit considered to be a financing category A unit in accordance with the VLIR’s Specific Agreement relating to Training Costs (= human and social sciences)
- € 500 if the Ph.D. scholar is conducting research at a unit considered to be a financing category B unit in accordance with the VLIR’s Specific Agreement relating to Training Costs (= exact sciences);
- € 600 if the Ph.D. scholar is conducting research at a unit considered to be a financing category C unit in accordance with the VLIR’s Specific Agreement relating to Training Costs (= applied and (bio)medical sciences).
For every month the ICP Ph.D. scholar conducts full-time research in his or her home country, the research unit of the local supervisor will receive a bench fee of:
- € 400 if the Ph.D. scholar is conducting research at a unit considered to be a financing category A unit in accordance with the VLIR’s Specific Agreement relating to Training Costs (= human and social sciences);
- € 500 if the Ph.D. scholar is conducting research at a unit considered to be a financing category B unit in accordance with the VLIR’s Specific Agreement relating to Training Costs (= exact sciences);
- € 600 if the Ph.D. scholar is conducting research at a unit considered to be a financing category C unit in accordance with the VLIR’s Specific Agreement relating to Training Costs (= applied and (bio)medical sciences).
By treating the Flemish and local research unit equally with respect to compensation of general costs connected to conducting and supervising the research, VLIR-UOS wishes to confirm the ‘institutional’ character of the relationship between the two research groups, one in Flanders and one in the South, in which the reinforcement of the research capacity of the local institution is the ultimate goal. The payment of the grant to the local institution for every month that the Ph.D. scholar conducts research locally is an extra incentive for the Ph.D. scholar to conduct his/her research primarily at the local institution (cf. ‘sandwich’ formula).
The local institution must provide guarantees in advance, however. On the one hand, the university must confirm its agreement with and commitment to the Ph.D. research proposed; on the other hand, the university must also guarantee that the funding provided in the form of a bench fee will be used solely to cover the costs linked to the Ph.D. scholar’s research.
1.5.3. Allowances paid to the supervisor
The local supervisor can visit the Flemish University or the Flemish supervisor can visit the local institution once a year. The local supervisor and the Flemish supervisor should agree among each other who will make use of this annual possibility. VLIR-UOS takes into account the following costs for a mission abroad:
- One economy class return airline ticket;
- A per diem according to the country of destination with a maximum of 8 nights (list of per diems in annex 4);
- Hotel expenses, based on the invoices, with a maximum of 8 nights (list of maximum hotel allowances in annex 4).
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