Funder: National Research Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2027 (FWO and NRF proposals) | June 2027 (NRF institutional submission)
Funding Amounts: Three years: NRF up to R1,500,000 per project; FWO up to €85,000/year for staff and consumables plus €150,000 for equipment
Summary: Supports joint Flemish–South African fundamental research in any scientific domain to advance scientific excellence and sustainable institutional partnerships.
Key Information: Joint proposals must be submitted to both funders; South African PIs at historically advantaged institutions require an HDI partner.
Description
The National Research Foundation (NRF) and Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) jointly support integrated Flemish–South African projects in fundamental scientific research across all scientific domains. The programme aims to strengthen scientific excellence and sustainable institutional links, building on established partnerships while fostering new collaborations and engagement with emerging researchers. Research must take place in both Flanders and South Africa.
Projects should have clearly defined goals, ambitious research activities and innovative approaches. Scientific excellence is the basis for selection, with societal relevance encouraged alongside scientific impact. Complementary expertise and balanced contributions between research groups are central. On the South African side, projects must also demonstrate potential for human capacity development, equity and redress. Supported activities include research, postdoctoral mentoring, doctoral research sabbaticals and science engagement.
