Research Project (Projet de recherche - PDR) 2026

Financing description

Objective

The objective of the PDR instrument is to advance knowledge across all fields of research by supporting the implementation of ambitious and original research projects.

Perimeter

The instrument supports scientific research across all fields, organized into the following three major domains: Exact and Natural Sciences (Sciences Exactes et Naturelles – SEN), Life and Health Sciences (Sciences de la Vie et de la Santé – SVS) and Human and Social Sciences (Sciences Humaines et Sociales – SHS).

Access conditions

Eligibility Criteria

The research project is conducted by a promoter within a university of the French Community of Belgium (Communauté française de Belgique - CFB).

To be a promoter, one must:

• either be :
  • Research Associate (Chercheuse qualifiée ou Chercheur qualifié - CQ) ;
  • Senior Research Associate (Maître de recherches - MR) ;
  • or Research Director (Directrice ou Directeur de recherches - DR) of the F.R.S.-FNRS ;
• either carry out a Ulysse Incentive Grant for Mobility in Scientific Research (Mandat d’impulsion Scientifique – MISU);
• either carry out a FED-tWIN mandate;
• either hold an academic or scientific appointment on a permanent or probationary basis within the institution.

The promoter can conduct the research project individually or in collaboration with one or more co-promoters within one or more institutions recognised as eligible.

To be a co-promoter, one must meet the same conditions as those applicable to a promoter within their institution.

For further details, including any additional conditions that apply, please refer to the instrument's regulation.

Accumulation rules

Applicants must comply with the accumulation rules set out in the accumulation rules document for the Credits and Projects call.

Important: only the conditions detailed in the documentation will be taken into consideration for administrative control. The information on this page is for informational purposes only.

Financing characteristics

Duration

The funding is for a period of 2 or 4 years.

Amount

The funding instrument allows you to request a minimum and maximum total budget depending on the duration and type of project:

Eligible costs

The following cost categories are eligible:

• Staff
• Operating costs
• Equipment

For more information on staff eligibility, please see the instrument regulations.

For more information on the different categories and costs eligibility, please consult the financial guide.

Submitting an application

Procedure

Submitting an application is done online on the e-space platform.

The application must be drafted in French or English.

Calendar

• Opening of the call : 19-05-2026
• Closing of the call:
  • Promoter validation: 07-07-2026
  • Co-promoter validation: 10-07-2026
  • Validation of the rectoral authorities: 17-07-2026
• Evaluation: October-November
• Funding decision: December
• Start date of projects: 01-01-2027

Evaluation of the applications

Evaluation procedure

Applications are evaluated in 2 stages: 

• An individual evaluation carried out remotely by experts
• An evaluation carried out by a Scientific Commission

Applications are evaluated by 14 international Scientific Commissions whose respective competences are identified by the descriptor fields published on the F.R.S.-FNRS website.

These international Scientific Commissions are divided into 13 thematic Scientific Commissions: 4 in Exact and Natural Sciences (SEN-1 to SEN-4), 4 in Life and Health Sciences (SVS-1 to SVS-4) and 5 in Human and Social Sciences (SHS-1 to SHS-5).

A 14^th Scientific Commission exercises its competence in the strategic field of sustainability through interdisciplinarity (SUSTAINABILITY).

The applicant chooses the Scientific Commission before which they wish their application to be evaluated. They  select 2 to 6 descriptor fields in order of relative importance (at least 2 descriptor fields must belong to the chosen Scientific Commission) and may complement this choice with free keywords.

If an applicant selects less than 2 descriptor fields belonging to the chosen Scientific Commission, they must justify the choice of the Scientific Commission in the form.

An applicant selecting the SUSTAINABILITY Scientific Commission, whose evaluation scope focuses on research projects related to sustainability through interdisciplinarity, must justify the “sustainability” nature of their research project as well as the interdisciplinary aspects.

Evaluation criteria

The criteria taken into account in the evaluation of applications are as follows:

Open science practices may constitute a valorising element of the application file (and more particularly of the CV), without constituting a mandatory evaluation criterion.

Remark

The research project may include the collaboration of one or more partners outside the CFB, affiliated with one or two partner agencies within the framework of the Weave initiative. 

If the project includes the collaboration of a partner affiliated with the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the project duration is for a period of 3 years. In this case, the PDR instrument allows applicants to request funding equivalent to 4 years (120k€–340/400/485k€) over a duration of 3 years. 

For further information, please refer to the instrument's regulations

Useful documents

Call text : Mini-guide to the 2026 Credits & Projects call

Regulations : Rules for the PDR instrument

Scientific part (to be completed in accordance with the Instructions):

• Research project
• Resubmission (if applicable)
• Interdisciplinary component (if applicable)
• Tasks distribution (if applicable)
• Research environment
• Key elements (optional)
• List of publications
• Significant publications

Financial guide : Guide pratique des frais

Contact

Email

credits-projets@frs-fnrs.be  

Phone

Olga LEON 02/504.92.25