Employing a high-level international researcher – BEWARE Fellowships 2

• A university department, that is, any department, laboratory, team or other entity that depends on one of more university institutions organised or subsidised by the French Community and which is not legally distinct from these institutions;

• A department at a college or associated research centre, that is, any department, laboratory, team or other entity, whether legally distinct or not, that is dependant on one or more colleges, as referred to by the Decree from the Council of the French Community of 5 August 1995, establishing the general organisation of higher education in colleges, or by the Decree from the Council of the German Community of 27 June 2005 concerning the creation of an autonomous;

• A research centre is any organisation with the main objective of carrying out research and providing services that contribute to technological and economic development in Wallonia, which does not satisfy any of the definitions referred to in Article 10, Paragraph 2 of the Decree of 3 July 2008 concerning support for research, development and innovation in Wallonia. The (c1) category includes the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W) in Gembloux and the Public Service Scientific Institute (ISSeP) in Liège;

• a company, namely:

- a ‘small company’: any company established as a commercial company, which has at least one business unit in Wallonia, unless otherwise indicated, and which satisfies the definition of a small company or micro-company in the annex to the (EU) Regulation 651/2014 of the Commission of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the interior market, in accordance with Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty;

- a ‘medium-sized company’: any company established as a company, which has at least one business unit in Wallonia, unless otherwise indicated, and which satisfies the definition of a medium-sized company in the annex to the (EU) Regulation 651/2014 of the Commission of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the interior market, in accordance with Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty;           

- a ‘large company’: any company established as a commercial company, which has at least one business unit in Wallonia, unless otherwise indicated, and which is not a small or medium-sized company;           

- a ‘small, non-autonomous company’: any company that would satisfy the definition of a small or medium enterprise if it was autonomous, within the meaning of Annex 1 of (EC) Regulation no. 651/2014 of the Commission of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the interior market, in accordance with Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty.

The researcher must be identified when submitting the proposal. 

They must have a doctorate or equivalent research experience (a minimum of four years). The researcher must be internationally mobile on the date on which the call for proposals closes, that is, they must have spent less than twelve months working professionally under a working contract in Belgium during the past 36 months.  

If hosting a researcher who is subject to an obligation to hold a visa and/or work permit, the host may use the ‘scientific visa’, which exempts the researcher from using the work permit and opens up an accelerated procedure to grant their residence permit.

The support consists of granting subsidies funded between 75% and 85% by FPS Research (the balance is paid by the research centre and the project’s company partner, respectively).

The budget includes:

1. remuneration for the researcher;
2. a lump-sum amount of €6,000 for the department’s operating costs;
3. an amount of €3,000 for the department’s mobility costs;

The agreement lasts between 18 and 36 months and cannot be renewed.

The project ends when the researcher leaves.

The submission procedure involves a single stage:

The detailed proposal is completed and sent to the administration using the online form, which is available via the Wallonia research and technology portal on the dates established therein (two per year in 2020 and 2021 and at least one in 2022).

Only the date on which the electronic submission is received on the administration’s IT server shall prevail. In the event of multiple electronic submissions of the same detailed proposal, only the last version submitted before the submission deadline will be considered.

The administration provides the sponsor with confirmation of receipt for the application for the programme. This confirmation of receipt mentions the file number, which must be used in any subsequent correspondence concerning the file.

After the deadline for submitting detailed proposals the administration will only consider elements that are provided upon request as part of its evaluation.

The assessment procedure for detailed proposals comprises several stages:

Stage 1: the proposal will be assessed in accordance with several criteria (including its innovative nature, excellence and experience, the added value of the project for the researcher's career, etc.) by an expert from the administration.

Stage 2: all proposals will be presented to a selection committee made up of Walloon stakeholders. This committee provides a proposed ranking of the projects to the Minister for Research.

Stage 3: the Minister for Research decides on the funding of the projects

Stage 4: the relevant project leaders will be notified of the proposals selected for funding.

Appeal procedures

How can I contact the department who made the decision?

You may contact the administrative department that made the decision at any time, independently of the appeal procedures outlined below, in order to obtain information about why the application was rejected.

 You must contact the following department:

PSW Economy, Employment and Research
Technological Research and Development Department
Place de la Wallonie, 1 (Building III), 5100 NAMUR (JAMBES)
Phone no.: +32 (0)81 33 45 32

This free process is not subject to any specific formalities and does not suspend the periods for filing an appeal. The absence of a response from the administration does not constitute acceptance of your request.

How to file an appeal

Unless the dispute can be viewed as relating to a subjective right – in which case only courts of law and legal tribunals have jurisdiction – an appeal may be submitted to the State Council, in accordance with the procedures outlined below.

Request for cancellation

Cancellation of the decision may be requested by filing a request with the State Council, either:

• electronically  to https://eproadmin.raadvst-consetat.be  ;
• via a signed and dated registered letter to

Conseil d’État

Greffe

Section du Contentieux administratif

Rue de la Science, 33

1040 Brussels

You must submit your request within 60 calendar days from the date of notification for the disputed decision.

In your request, you must indicate the ‘reasons’ for your appeal, that is, the legal rights that have been infringed by the decision and the way in which they have been infringed.

Request for suspension

Sending a cancellation request does not suspend the effects of the decision.

If an emergency arises which is incompatible with the processing of the case, and if a serious argument is manifestly likely to lead to the cancellation, you may file a request to suspend the decision with the State Council.

The request for suspension may be submitted before, at the same time as, or after sending the request for cancellation.

In exceptional cases, and under specific conditions, you may also request the suspension of the decision in cases of extreme emergency.

Practical information

Requests for cancellation and suspension requests are only valid if they contain certain annexes and information. Reference is made to the coordinated laws and decrees mentioned below, which are available at http://www.raadvst-consetat.be (‘Procedure’ section).

Each requesting party must pay a fee of €200 (amount as of 9 January 2017), using a transfer form that will be sent to the party after the appeal is received. Payment is not currently subject to any deadline and the payment of the sum may be made at any time before the closure of the dispute.

Find out more: laws on the State Council, coordinated on 12 January 1973, Regent Decree of 23 August 1948 determining the procedure before the administrative disputes department of the State Council, Royal Decree of 5 December 1991 determining interlocutory proceedings before the State Council, which are available at http://www.raadvst-consetat.be (“procedure” section).

Mandatory annexes: Financial documents of the companies, Signature of the depositaries, Collaboration agreement, Prior study, CV of the researcher

Optional appendices: Figures - drawings - diagrams

• Decree of 3 July 2008 concerning support for research, development and innovation in Wallonia
• Decree from the Walloon Government of 18 September 2008 concerning support for research, development and innovation in Wallonia, which was amended on 15 May 2014
• Text concerning the management of State aid for research, development and innovation (2014/C 198/01)
• General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) - State aid (Wallonia.be)