Funding opportunity for Welsh research groups

Universities Wales has agreed a new partnership with the Research Foundation - Flanders, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek – Vlaanderen (FWO), to promote the participation of Welsh research groups in in the FWO 2024 call for Scientific Research Networks (SRN). The partnership supports the longstanding connections between Wales and Flanders in research and innovation.

To promote the involvement of Welsh research groups in these SRNs, Universities Wales will make up to £8,000 available per annum for the next three years. Each SRN submitted to FWO involving Welsh research groups can request a top-up from Universities Wales of up to £4,000 a year for three years.

To be eligible for a top-up funding from Universities Wales:

1. the SRN proposal submitted to FWO must include a minimum of one research group from one Welsh university with strong encouragement for the Welsh research group to involve participants from more than one Welsh university;
2. at least one guest lecture, workshop, seminar, symposia, conference has to take place in Wales during the duration of the funding contract.

Participation of junior research groups and a gender balance are encouraged. Moreover, Universities Wales particularly encourages applications from the areas identified as areas of excellence by the Wales Innovation Network (WIN). These are submissions that align to WIN's 6 core thematic areas, and/or the collaborative clusters outlined in Horizon Europe.

More information on this top-up funding opportunity as well as the application procedure can be found in the guidelines at the bottom of this page and the FWO programme specific webpage on the 2024 call for Scientific Research Networks. SNR proposals involving Welsh participants (including the request for top-up funding) must be submitted by the main Flemish applicant to FWO following the FWO submission procedure for SRNs by 2 September 2024 (5pm).