WEL-T Investigator Programme 2026

Opening

17 September 2026 14:00

Closing

05 November 2026 14:00

WEL-T (Walloon ExceLlence in Technology) funding instrument corresponds to a strategic axis of the FRFS and a department of the WEL Research Institute. Through this funding instrument, Wallonia grants significant resources over several years to WEL-T Investigators within the WEL Research Institute to develop ambitious research programmes and achieve major scientific breakthroughs. These programmes constitute a pillar of the Investigators' laboratory and are flexible, so the research scope can be adapted over time as needed.

Category: Projects, credits, ...

Profile: Permanent research status (R3) and Senior research position (R4)

Financing description

Goal

The applicants to this call must demonstrate a combination of scientific excellence, an awareness of unmet sustainable transition needs in their field, and an understanding of the strategy required for translating their discoveries into practical applications for the industrial sector. This understanding of the strategy required for such transfer may include knowledge of or experience in developing prototype devices, open source or commercial software, licensing, consultating activities related to the development or adoption of research-based technologies, industrial collaboration or spin-offs. Applicants should also specify the industrial sector(s) that could potentially benefit from these developments.

Scope

The FRFS-WEL-T instrument supports strategic research in the fields of engineering, chemistry and physics with a view to translate discoveries into industrial applications aimed at sustainable transition.

Access Conditions

Eligibility criteria

A 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 carry out a permanent mandate of the F.R.S.-FNRS:
- Research Associate (Chercheuse qualifiée ou Chercheur qualifié - CQ);
- Senior Research Associate (Maître de recherches - MR);
- or Research Director (Directrice ou Directeur de recherches - DR);
either carry out a Ulysse Incentive Grant for Mobility in Scientific Research (Mandat d’Impulsion scientifique – MISU);
either carry out a FED-tWIN mandate during the entire four-year programme period;
either be permanently or provisionally appointed to an academic or scientific position within the institution.

For more details, please consult the instrument's regulations.

Accumulation rules

A PI may submit only one application, either through the Starting instrument or through the Advanced instrument.

Applicants who received funding under the WEL-T Investigator 2024 programme, or the WELBIO Investigator 2023 or 2025 programmes, are not eligible for this call.

Applicants who have previously applied to WEL-T/WELBIO calls but were not awarded funding may submit a new application, provided that they explain how the project has been revised in light of the Commission’s comments.

Important: only the conditions detailed in the regulations will be taken into consideration for administrative review. The elements listed on this page are provided for informational purposes only.

Funding characteristics

Duration

The FRFS-WEL-T research programme spans a period of 4 years, divided into two funding periods of 2 years each.

Amount

The WEL-T INVESTIGATOR PROGRAMME 2026 call offers applicants the opportunity to apply for funding through one of the two instruments:

Starting – Funding under the Starting instrument is capped at €200,000 per year on average, over a 2-year funding period (years 1 and 2, followed by years 3 and 4).
Advanced – Funding under the Advanced instrument is capped at €350,000 per year on average, over a 2-year funding period (years 1 and 2, followed by years 3 and 4).

Eligible costs

The following cost categories are eligible:

Staff
Operating costs
Equipment

For more information on personnel eligibility, please consult the instrument's regulations.

For more information on the different categories and eligible costs, please consult the practical guide on costs.

Submission of an application

Procedure

Applications must be submitted online via the e-space platform.

Applications must be written entirely in English.

Timeline

Call opening :17th September 2026
Call closing :
- Promoter’s validation : 5th November 2026
- Rector’s validation : 12th November 2026
Evaluation : December 2026 – April 2027
Funding decision : June 2027
Project start date : 1st October 2027

Evaluation

Evaluation modalities

The principle of a two-step procedure has been adopted: individual evaluations by experts of the first step, followed by a consolidation within the Scientific Commission to draw up the final ranking.

The Starting candidates are pre-selected by the Scientific Commission for an interview.

The Advanced candidates are not invited to an interview. They are evaluated based on their application dossier.