Basic Research Funding

Through the Special Research Fund (BOF), Ghent University awards each year Basic Research Funding to Professorial staff (ZAP members) who are active in research with a (possibly combined) appointment rate of at least 50%.

Twice a year (October and June), all ZAP members who belong to the target group of the Basic Research Funding on the basis of their appointment, will be invited by the administration to submit an online application for the allocation of Basis Research Funding. Basic Research Funding is only intended for research costs and will be awarded non-competitively. Only ZAP members who can demonstrate 3 (cumulative) specific research activities (see further explanation) will be able to receive Basic Research Funding. The ZAP members themselves will have to prove that they meet these research requirements.

Who will be invited to apply for a Basic Research Funding (ZAP target group)?

  • ZAP with a ZAP appointment rate of at least 50%
  • Part-time ZAP members (5%-45%) in combination with a clinical mandate at UZGent (where the combined employment rate is at least 50%)
  • Part-time ZAP members (5%-45%) in combination with an appointment as a professor at GUGC (Ghent University Global Campus - Korea) (where the combined employment is at least 50%)
  • Part-time ZAP members (10%-45%) in combination with a second Ghent University appointment, where the combined employment is at least 50%:

Postdoctoral scientific Ghent University staff member (WP3)
Doctoral assistant
FWO postdoc mandate
Postdoc imec (with UGent affiliation)
Postdoc VIB (with UGent affiliation)
Postdoc GUGC
Vlerick Business School
UZGent non-clinical mandate
Lector/ associate lector (integration staff)

  • To qualify, the ZAP member must belong to the ZAP target group for at least 6 months in the calendar year for which the Basic Research Funding will be requested.
  • Visiting professors (paid or unpaid) cannot apply for Basic Research Funding.
  • Promoters of BOF Starting Grants or Methusalem funding cannot apply for Basic Research Funding unless that funding has already (or almost) expired (ZAP members may have up to 6 months funding from a Starting Grant or Methusalem in the calendar year for which the Basic Research Funding is requested). The official end date of the allocated budget is taken into account (and not the end date in the financial system -SAP). For Starting Grants the official end date = the start date + 4 years.

What type of research activities have to be demonstrated to qualify for the Basic Reach Funding?

To qualify for the Basic Research Funding, ZAP members must demonstrate that they meet the following three requirements on research activities (cumulatively):

  1. In the past three years, external research funding was applied for by the ZAP member/granted to the ZAP member;
  2. In the past three years, the ZAP member published a scientific publication;
  3. In the past three years, the ZAP member was supervisor of a PhD (PhD in preparation or completed PhD)

1. In the past three years, external research funding was applied for by the ZAP member/granted to the ZAP member

The external research funding is/will be awarded after a public and/or competitive call by a public or private institution different from the receiving institution.

The receiving institution for the requested/granted project funding is Ghent University, UZGent or GUGC. For ZAP members active within a framework agreement concluded with imec or VIB, these institutions can also act as receiving institution in accordance with the provisions of the framework agreement.

  • The external research funding is either awarded, or applied for:
    • For awarded research funding, the end date of the research funding term is 1 January of year n-3 at the earliest, with n being the year for which the Basic Research Funding is applied for.
    • For requested research funding, the (final) date for submission of the research application is at the earliest 1 January of the year n-3, with n being the year for which the Basic Research Funding is applied for.
  • Both project funding and personal research mandates (including PhD grants, postdoc mandates) are eligible.
    • For project funding the promoter and co-promoters (or promoter-spokesperson or Principal Investigator) of an application are eligible on condition that they are or should be budget holder of the funding. The research budget (summed up across all projects) is at least €30,000 / year for which one is or should be budget holder.
    • For personal research mandates (doctoral fellowships, postdoc mandates), only the promoter of the funding is eligible. Funding for this mandate must have a minimum term of 3 years.

2. In the past three years, the ZAP member published a scientific publication

At least 1 scientific publication was published with the ZAP member as author or co-author or editor and with publication year at the earliest the year n-3, with n being the year for which the BOF Basic Research Funding is requested.

  • The following publication types are considered:
  • Articles in widely distributed peer-reviewed scientific journals (Biblio category A1, A2, incl. VABB)
  • Books or chapters in books (Biblio-category B1, B2, B3, incl. VABB)
  • Articles (excluding abstracts) in proceedings of scientific congresses (Biblio-category C1, P1)
  • Patents

The publication must actually have been published or must be 'in press' with the accepted manuscript uploaded in Biblio.

3.  Within the last 3 years, the ZAP member was supervisor of a PhD (PhD in preparation or completed PhD)

 Within the last 3 years, you are promoter or co-promoter of at least 1 PhD:

  • either in preparation by a Ghent University PhD student. This PhD is ongoing at the time of applying or was ongoing in an academic year that started at the earliest on October 1, n-4, with n being the year for which the Basic Research Funding is applied for, as registered in Oasis;
  • either successfully defended and awarded by Ghent University. This PhD was defended in an academic year that started at the earliest on Oct. 1, n-4, with n the year for which the Basic Research Funding is requested, as registered in Oasis;
  • either successfully defended and awarded by a university other than Ghent University. The PhD was defended in an academic year that started at the earliest on October 1, n-4, with n the year for which the Basic Research Funding is requested.

How will the Basic Research Funding be allocated?

Twice a year, all ZAP members who, based on their ZAP status, belong to the target group of the Basic Research Funding will be invited to submit an online application for the allocation of the Basic Research Funding.

When applying for the Basic Research Funding, ZAP members will have to demonstrate that they meet the 3 requirements on research activities as described above.

The application for the allocation of the Basic Research Funding will be done via the online GISMO web application. This application will be operational in summer 2024.

This is a non-competitive funding, meaning that eligible applicants who can demonstrate that they meet the requirements (cf. research activities) will receive the funding. There will be no further assessment of their research or other forms of competition.

For what period will the Basic Research Funding be granted?

The Basic Research Funding is a lump sum per calendar year and can be granted for a maximum of 4 consecutive years. No fractional BOF Basic Research Funding will be awarded for part of a calendar year.

A ZAP member who is eligible for the Basic Research Funding will receive this grant immediately for a specific period, based on the duration of the appointment(s) he or she holds - and with a maximum of 4 years. The budget will be available for 1 additional year in SAP if the ZAP member continues to hold a ZAP appointment during that additional year.

Specifically:

  • a ZAP member who is eligible for a Basic Research Funding for (at least) 4 calendar years will receive the amount of the Basic Research Funding for 4 calendar years. On condition that the ZAP member remains ZAP after those 4 years, the budget can be spent during a period of in total 5 years.
  • a ZAP member who is eligible for a BOF Basic Research Funding for 3 calendar years receives the amount of the BOF Basic Research Fundings for 3 calendar years. On condition that the ZAP member remains ZAP after those 3 years, the budget can be spent during a period of in total 4 years.
  • a ZAP member who is eligible for a BOF Basic Research Funding for 2 calendar years receives the amount of the BOF Basic Research Fundings for 2 calendar years. On condition that the ZAP member remains ZAP after those 2 years, the budget can be spent during a period of in total 3 years.
  • a ZAP member eligible for a BOF Basic Research Funding for 1 calendar year receives the amount of the BOF Basic Research Funding for that calendar year. On condition that the ZAP member remains ZAP after that year, the budget can be spent during a period of in total 2 years.

At the end of this period remaining undetermined funds will return to BOF.

The Basic Research Funding remains acquired, provided that (and for as long as) the ZAP Member maintains a ZAP appointment. This also applies if during the period for which the Basic Research Funding is granted, the ZAP member no longer meets the appointment conditions (e.g. in case of reduction of a ZAP appointment percentage). A new allocation of Basic Research Funding can only happen after the ZAP member again meets the conditions of appointment + can prove the fulfillment of the 3 requirements on research activities.

If ZAP members no longer have a ZAP appointment or leave UGent, the remaining funds return to BOF. Of course, ongoing appointments on granted funding will not be stopped and will be able to continue until the foreseen end date of this appointment.

What will be the amount of the yearly Basic Research Funding?

The amount of the Basic Research Funding is determined for each calendar year, with the amount being sufficient to enable two ZAP members (with each a Basic Research Funding for a period of 4 years) to jointly fund a PhD student, plus a reasonable lump sum for operating costs.

The amount of annual Basic Research Funding for the following calendar years is:

  • 2024: €29,000
  • 2025: €29,750
  • 2026: €30,250
  • 2027: €31,000
  • 2028: €31,750

For part-time ZAP members with a 5% appointment combined with a clinical mandate at UZGent (where the combined employment is at least 50%), hereinafter referred to as 5% ZAP members, the amount of Basic Research Funding is from 2026 on subject to a capping mechanism as follows:

Let:

  • Mo = the number of 5% ZAP members who (arithmetically) on average over the first two years of the allocation of Basic Research Funding effectively meets the criteria for 'research-active ZAP;
  • V = the total number of ZAP members at Ghent University in year X divided by the total number of ZAP members at Ghent University in the reference period (average of the first two years of allocation of Basic Research Funding;
  • B = the regular amount of a single Basic Research Funding to be awarded in year X+1;
  • A = the number of Basic Research Fundings for 5% ZAP members in year X, being the number of ongoing Basic Research Fundings plus the number of eligible new applications.

Then:

  • Mc = max(Mo, Mo x V) = the corrected number of 5% ZAP members, taking into account the relative change in the total number of ZAP members at Ghent University since the first two years after the allocation, and ensuring the initial number of Mo remains guaranteed;
  • T = Mc x B = the ceiling amount that can be spent on Basic Research Funding for 5% ZAP members.

Annually, it is monitored whether the number of Basic Research Fundings A for the respective year X exceeds the level of the corrected maximum Mc (which could be the case when the number of 5% ZAP positions in the respective year X exceeds the level of Mc). If that is the case, for year X+1, the ceiling amount T is evenly distributed over the number of Basic Research Fundings A, so that each individual (5%-) promoter receives the amount T / A = Mc x B / A for year X+1

Start date of the Basic Research Funding

The start date of the Basic Research Funding for year n is in theory 1 January (year n).

At the request of the ZAP member, the start date can be brought forward to 1 August of the preceding year at the earliest, provided the researcher already belonged to the ZAP target group at that time.

It is not possible to retroactively apply for the BOF Basic Research Funding for a past calendar year.

The first Basic Research Funding (2024) will be allocated with start date 1 January 2024. However, the applications for this funding will be opened in summer 2024. For this 1st round it will not be possible to bring the start date forward (and have costs charged dated before 1 January 2024).

When can one apply for the next Basic Research Funding?

The application for next Basic Research Funding is done in the last year of the current Basic Research Funding.

ZAP members who are tenured will be able to apply for/receive their Basic Research Funding immediately for 4 consecutive years (e.g. years 2024-2025-2026 and 2027). In this example, they will only be able to apply for their next Basic Research Funding (years 2028-2029-2030 and 2031) in the last year of the awarded Basic Research Funding (2027).

How to spend the Basic Research Funding

Basic Research Funding is only intended for research costs. Expenditures must always be in accordance with the legal and regulatory provisions (e.g. public procurement legislation, UGent regulations on remuneration, allowances, reimbursement of costs and social benefits, etc.).

Provided there is research finality, funding can be used for:

  • personnel costs (WP members, PhD fellows, postdoc fellows, ATP members)
  • operating costs in the framework of research activities
  • costs for job students, surveyors and expenses resulting from the invitation of guest researchers
  • research infrastructure
  • costs of study stays and participation in conferences at home and abroad (travel, accommodation and registration costs)
  • access to and dissemination of research results
  • activities in the context of social or economic valorisation of research
  • travel costs within and outside Belgium
  • use of core facilities and other research infrastructure inside or outside Ghent University
  • subcontracting costs

Two or more ZAP members can use the allocated BOF Basic Research Fundings jointly, e.g. for the recruitment of staff or the purchase of research infrastructure.

How to pool Basic Research Funding from several ZAP members, for instance to hire a PhD student?


ZAP- members who wish to jointly use their Basic Research Funding, will first need to make clear agreements about who pays what.

Technically, these are the simplest ways to pool Basic Research Funding in SAP:

1. Through the joint management of Basic Research Funding.

This involves designating the same proxy for the different grants with Basic Research Funding. This could be an administrative staff member who is/will be made the proxy for the Basic Research Funding grants, or a ZAP member can designate another ZAP member with whom they wish to collaborate as the proxy.

Information on designating a proxy can be found on intranet via Home > Themes > Financial administration > SAP > Roles and authorisations

Since there is one proxy, a single e-VTA (employment contract request) can be used for hiring a PhD student, on which the different grants with Basic Research Funding are indicated for financing (e.g., 50% from grant X and 50% from grant Y). A proxy with only budget viewing rights is sufficient for submitting an e-VTA.


2. By using an internal transfer.

An agreed amount of funds can be transferred from one Basic Research Funding grant to another Basic Research Funding grant. For example, 50% of the salary cost for a PhD student can be internally transferred from grant X to grant Y. The e-VTA would then be submitted with grant Y as the funding source.

Transfers to other funds (kassen) or grants outside of Basic Research Funding are not possible. It is also not allowed to make an internal transfer between Basic Research Funding grants of the same budget holder (e.g., between a grant with expiring Basic Research Funding and the grant for the new Basic Research Funding term).

See manual for internal transfers.

More information

Mail to bof@ugent.be.

For more information and details on Basic Reseach Funding, see also the frequently asked questions (FAQ).