Jan.30, 2017

Dirk Otte, policy advisor strategic research

A practical introduction forSB PhD Fellows

Agenda

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• FWO: mission and key facts

• SB fellowship: agreement and rules

• SB fellowship: financial aspects

• PhD fellow: job related aspects & travel

• “Out-of-Office”: holidays / illness / leaves

• Where to find more info

• Q&A

FWO: Mission and key facts

• Mission of the FWO

• Funds fundamental and strategic basic scientificresearch (‘frontier research’)

• Bottom-up funding in all disciplines

• Strong selection based on scientific excellence and interuniversity competition• Flemish universities and, to a lesser extent, research institutes)

• Transparent and equal opportunities

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FWO: Mission and key facts

• Target groups of the FWO

• Young researchers

• Postdoctoral researchers

• Established researchers

• Research teams

• Top-researchers and high-potential researchers

Infosession fellowships FWO 5

FWO: Mission and key facts

• Funding schemes of the FWO • Funding for individual researchers

• pre- and postdoctoral fellowships, bench fees and grants

• Funding for research teams• Research projects, Big Science, Bilateral agreements, …

• Supporting mobility, international contacts andcollaborations• travel grants, sabbatical leaves, scientific research communities,

organisation of conferences in Belgium, international coordination actions, collaboration agreements, …

• Attracting excellent researchers, active abroad, to Flanders• Odysseus , Pegasus

• Awarding scientific prizes

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FWO: Mission and key facts

• 2015 Budget: 241 million EUR, ca. 82% from Flemish

Government

• 2016 Budget: 321 million EUR

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Evolution number researchers in function (1st Oct.)

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FWO: Mission and key facts

854

1215

870

1215

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Aspiranten

Onderzoeksprojecten

Postdoctorale onderzoekers

SB fellows

FWO: Mission and key facts

• Label awarded in december 2010

• Implementation of Charter & Code

• Focus on transparent recruitment procedures andfamily/gender friendly measures

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FWO: Mission and key factsCOMMUNICATION

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FWO: Mission and key facts

• Website of the FWO: www.fwo.be

• Information on strategy, regulations, scientificprizes, calls, …

• Free to download publications

• More information on FWO: http://www.geschiedenisfwo.be/

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Agenda

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• FWO: mission and key facts

• SB fellowship: agreement and rules

• SB fellowship: Financial aspects

• PhD fellow: job related aspects & travel

• “Out-of-Office”: holidays / illness / leaves

• Where to find more info

• Q&A

SB fellowship: agreement and rules• Congrats!

• 693 applied, 662 braved the jury • 200 new SB PhD fellows (30% success rate)

• PhD fellow Strategic Basic Research• Strategically thinking & innovation-oriented scientist• Challenging & original research • Strategic: Research with a goal

• Innovative applications– Products, processes, services– Long term perspective

• Economic added value

Keep the 80% succes rate (PhD after 4-5 years)!13

SB fellowship: agreement and rules• Agreement between FWO and the PhD fellow

• Start Jan. 1, 2017

• Duration 2 years

• Renewal +2 years (apply before May 1, 2018)

• Continuously and full-time!

• Roles• FWO: funding agency (“grant-providing body”)

• Social security managed by HR-Department FWO

• University: hosting organisation• Disciplinary rules according to hosting university

• In consensus with supervisor

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• General rules /specific rules SB• http://www.fwo.be/nl/mandaten-financiering/predoctorale-

mandaten/doctoraatsbeurs-strategisch-basisonderzoek-(sb)/ (NL/EN)

• Research Integrity (FWO policy):• Clause in call text, application and contract on committment to RI• Profiles for (co)promoters and researchers• Adaptations in General Regulation and Regulation Pre- and Postdoc on procedure

and sanctions in case of RI violation• http://www.fwo.be/en/the-fwo/organisation/research-integrity/ . Every applicant and beneficiant is expected to know the rules and what (s)he

will be committed to.

• Ethical questionnaire (General regulations Art. 4)

• You were sent an ethical questionnaire• Human and/or animal test subjects• Ethical clearance by research ethics committee (@host institution)

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SB fellowship: agreement and rules

Agenda

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• FWO: mission and key facts

• SB fellowship: agreement and rules

• SB fellowship: Financial aspects

• PhD fellow: job related aspects & travel

• “Out-of-Office”: holidays / illness / leaves

• Where to find more info

• Q&A

SB fellowship: financial aspects• Grant amount at level of assistant at Flemish university:

€ 1.860,55 (minimum net salary)• plus

– pecuniary (scientific) seniority

– family situation accounted for

• Exempted from personal income tax• Tax declaration:

– At the expense (‘ten laste’) of the parents

– At the expense of the partner when married or legally cohabiting

• Full social security (e.g. pension and health care)• You must join a health insurance (Ziekenfonds)

• Child allowance via FWO• No child allowance for the parents of the PhD fellow!

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SB fellowship: financial aspects

• The year-end bonus (halfway December)

• based on the scholarship (59%) of the current year and on the working period during the first nine months of that same year

• The holiday allowance (May)

• based on your scholarship (92%) of May of the current year and the working period during the previous year

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SB fellowship: financial aspectsBench fee • For your independence & flexibility• More info on FAQ webpages

• PhD fellows: € 3,720 per year• Common responsibility of SB fellow and supervisor• May be cumulated with other working allowances• Credit balances may be used the next year

• Paid quarterly to university (credit line @university)• Based on expenditure declarations• Managed by financial antenna at your university (contacts: see FAQ)

• During suspension (pregnancy leave, parental leave,…)• Bench fee remains available, but no expenditures can be accounted for

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SB fellowship: financial aspectsBench fee • Eligible costs (research related):

• Travel and accommodation costs for congresses and stays abroad• Goods of lasting value (equipment, computer, books, …)• Consumables (reagents, test animals & plants, chemicals…)• Operating expenditure (copies, data traffic…)• Publication costs• Printing costs PhD

• The bench fee is NOT intended for:• Commuter traffic (e.g. a plane ticket to your home country)• Enrolment fees for domestic or foreign universities• Personal expenses of fellowship holder/supervisor• Overhead costs of university• Expenses already financed• Expenses of researchers other than the fellowship holder

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SB fellowship: financial aspects

Commuting costs reimbursed by FWO• Public transport costs

• in Belgium to go to and from work.• foreign residence: only costs from and to Belgian border• Send copy/proof to SB@fwo.be• Details: FAQ webpages

• Bicycle allowance• 0.15 € / km• Details: FAQ webpages• Application forms on the FWO e-loket/portal.

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Agenda

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• FWO: mission and key facts

• SB fellowship: agreement and rules

• SB fellowship: Financial aspects

• PhD fellow: job related aspects & travel

• “Out-of-Office”: holidays / illness / leaves

• Where to find more info

• Q&A

PhD fellow: job related aspects

A full-time job…• Cumulating of revenues is not allowed• Exception:

• Allowance for a stay abroad• covers only travel and lodging costs• Form ‘Cumulatieaanvraag’ available at the FWO eloket/portal

• Why:• Income tax regulations• Nothing should hinder or delay PhD research

• Only occasional performances, not related to the PhD work

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PhD fellow: job related aspects

A full-time job…

• “obligatory exclusion of any other professional activity”

• The workload shall not exceed 8 hours per week for the sum of:• Supervision of exercises, practical sessions, seminars

• Workload counts double (e.g. 1 hour seminar = 2 hour workload)

• Administrative/clinical tasks• Taking courses (doctoral programme, other courses related to research)

• Other tasks and courses should not hinder or delay the PhD research

• NO formal teaching assignments are allowed• A teacher training is NOT allowed

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PhD fellow: job related aspects

• Reporting (to be specified)• Mid-term: embedded in 2nd term request

• Final: PhD thesis or final report

• Special reports (e.g. at discontinuation grant)

• Acknowledge the FWO in all your publications• “SB PhD fellow at FWO” (“SB-doctoraatsbursaal van het FWO”)

• Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek – Vlaanderen

• Research Foundation – Flanders

• Your project number 1SXXX17N

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PhD fellow: travel

Travel: basic principles

• All trips for research purposes:

• Notify FWO of every stay abroad (online form: e-loket/portal FWO)

• Travel insurance arranged by FWO

• Always in consultation with your supervisor

• Permission supervisor (sometimes rector) needed

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PhD fellow: travel

Travel: how to finance• Use bench fee:

• Congresses and short stays (<4 weeks) (within Europe)

• Apply for a FWO travel grant. Apply 3 months before departure:• congresses (outside Europe)

• long stays (in/outside Europe) (5 weeks to 12 months)

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PhD fellow: travel

Travel insuranceThe FWO vouches for

• Insurance for occupational accidents abroad

• Travel insurance (AIG) :• During professional trips abroad

– + private trip following the professional trip (max. 14 days)

– Co-traveling partner/children insured as well

– Exclusively private trips are not insured

• Detailed information on conditions and coverage:– Contact FWO HR services

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Agenda

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• FWO: mission and key facts

• SB fellowship: agreement and rules

• SB fellowship: Financial aspects

• PhD fellow: job related aspects & travel

• “Out-of-Office”: holidays / illness / leaves

• Where to find more info

• Q&A

Out-of-office: holidays

• # vacation days ~ regulations of the host university.

• Take holidays in consultation with head of department or your supervisor,

• Inform FWO (SB@fwo.be) once a year

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Out-of-office: Illness• You must join a health insurance (Ziekenfonds)!• Hospitalisation insurance possible via university

• Every absence due to illness:• Notify FWO (personeelszaken@fwo.be / +32 2-512 91 10)

+ substantiate (medical certificate)

• More than 30 calendar days• inform your health insurance. • You receive forms that will be (partially) filled in by the FWO. • As of the 31st calendar day:

• suspension of FWO scholarship• Replacement income from your health insurance

• inform FWO when you resume work

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Out-of-office: work accident

• inform FWO immediately (personeelszaken@fwo.be /

+32 2-512 91 10) !

• Forms available on the FWO website (FAQ pages)

• Insurance via FWO

• A work accident is:

• an accident during the execution of one’s normal duties

• an accident on the way to and from work

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Out-of-office: other leave possibilities

• Maternity leave

• Time credit

• Parental leave

• Medical assistance leave

• Palliative care leave

• See FAQ & Regulations

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Out-of-office: suspension/extension fellowship

• Suspension in case of pregnancy, long-term illness, parental leave, palliative leave, civil service, leave medical assistance

• Replacement income from RVA or health insurance

• Extension of the fellowship: duration of suspension (min. 14 days)• Extension of ≥ 3 months (fulltime & continuous) : automatically extension

to 31 december(≥ 3 months: period with replacement income, hence ≥ 4 months illness)

• Time credit and voluntary part-time employment: no extension!

• ! Renewal application always in the second year• ! Bench fee remains available, but no expenditures can be accounted for• More info: FAQ pages

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Agenda

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• FWO: mission and key facts

• SB fellowship: agreement and rules

• SB fellowship: Financial aspects

• PhD fellow: job related aspects & travel

• “Out-of-Office”: holidays / illness / leaves

• Where to find more info

• Q&A

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• Website• http://www.fwo.be/en/fellowships-funding/phd-fellowships/

• E-loket / E-portal• http://www.fwo-eloket.be/FWO.ELoket.WebUI/Login.aspx

• FAQ

• http://www.fwo.be/nl/faq/predoctorale-mandaten/

• http://www.fwo.be/en/faq/phd-fellowships/

Where to find more info

More info: FAQ

2016 January 25 Infosession PhD fellows SB 37

More info: FWO E-portal (e-loket)

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E-loket: also used for renewal& reporting

FWO E-loket

Titel 39

FWO E-loket

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FWO E-loket

Datum Titel 41

To notify immediately (FWO HR):PERSONAL INFO:• New address, phone and bank account number• Marriage: copy of the marriage certificate and information about husband’s/wife’s

professional activity• Legal cohabitation: declaration• Divorce or end of legal cohabitation• Birth children: birth certificate (child allowance via FWO)Must be added to the FWO e-loket/portal

• Travelling for your scientific research • Always - form ‘Melding buitenlands verblijf’ or ‘Report of stay abroad’• More than 3 months - form ‘Cumulatie aanvraag’Forms available on the FWO e-loket/portal - send to SB@fwo.be

• Pregnancy (medical certificate stating the expected date of birth)• Suspension of the fellowship• Each absence (illness , work accident, …) -> medical certificateNotify FWO-HR (personeelszaken@fwo.be) – see FAQ pages

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Contact@FWO• Single point of contact: SB@fwo.be (+32 2 512 91 10)

• Nathalie Van Damme, file administrator

• dr.ir. Dirk Otte, policy advisor strategic programmes

• Stephan Duray, head HR dept.

@university• stephanie.eggermont@kuleuven.be hanne.debrue@kuleuven.be

• vlaams-federaal@ugent.be (Fien Elderweirdt, Nina Dewilde)

• annfb.aerts@uantwerpen.be (Ann Aerts)

• annelies.stockmans@uhasselt

• rd.secretariaat@vub.be

• Tineke De Wispelaere (adm.), Christl Vereecken, Mieke Gijsemans (head R&D)

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Agenda

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• FWO: mission and key facts

• SB fellowship: agreement and rules

• SB fellowship: Financial aspects

• PhD fellow: job related aspects & travel

• “Out-of-Office”: holidays / illness / leaves

• Where to find more info

• Q&A