Insiders demystify the Belgian administration to help international researchers find opportunities at local universities and research centres
Photo credits: Bibhash (Polygon.Cafe) Banerjee / Unsplash
Belgium is looking to present itself as a safe, collaborative powerhouse for international researchers, but in order to lure more foreigners, the country’s top research funding institutions first need to explain how public R&D funding works in one of the world’s most complicated political systems.
The country’s competitiveness heavily depends on global talent, particularly in life sciences, biotechnology and deep tech, with top institutions like KU Leuven already attracting more foreign doctoral students than Belgian nationals.
But the country is not content to rest on its laurels when it comes to international attractiveness. In 2025, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and its francophone sister Université Libre de Bruxelles launched schemes dedicated to US-based postdoctoral researchers affected by Donald Trump’s restrictive science policies.
In a…
Discover the latest in research funding every Tuesday with Funding Newswire. Dive into detailed articles with our monthly or yearly subscriptions or start with a free trial
NOTE: if you're a part of one of our Network member organisations, you get free access by signing up with your institutional email. Verify your eligibility here.
Receive the Funding Newswire [full access requires a subscription] each Tuesday, our Policy Bulletin each Thursday, and the fortnightly R&D Express, tracking reforms and investments in central and eastern Europe. 
A unique international forum for public research organisations and companies to connect their external engagement with strategic interests around their R&D system.