Nokia Bell Scientific Award

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The Fund for Scientific Research-FNRS and the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) will grant, in 2026, the Nokia Bell Scientific Award  in recognition of an outstanding PhD thesis  that brings the most original contribution in the field of Information and Communication Technologies . 

Category
Awards & Philanthropic Funding
Profile
PhD (R1)
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Financing description

Main features

  • Eligible topics:
    • Artificial and connected intelligence
    • Artificial Intelligence assisted software development
    • Decentralized/Trustless and secure Software Systems
    • Edge and cloud computing
    • Fixed and wireless communication
    • Optical communication
    • Signal processing
    • AI-native, autonomous and mission-critical networks
  • Amount: 8.000 € for personal use.

Eligible applicants

  • The PhD thesis must have been  publicly defended between 1st January 2025 and 31st December 2025 in a Belgian university or the Royal Military Academy.
  • Candidates must hold a research position at a university or research institute  at the submission deadline. This can also be an unpaid affiliation.
  • The PhD thesis may have been partially or entirely conducted in collaboration with Nokia Bell and its subsidiaries.
  • Employees from Nokia Bell and its subsidiaries are not eligible for the Award.

Call timeline

  • Opening of the call: December 17, 2025
  • Deadline of the call: March 16, 2026
  • Panel meeting: Spring 2026

How to apply? 

Applications, written in English, must be sent electronically to prix@frs-fnrs.be on 16 March 2026 (midnight Brussels time), at the latest.

The requested documents are:

  • Tea application form duly completed and signed.
  • A detailed curriculum vitae.
  • A complete list of publications.
  • An electronic version of the thesis.

The complete regulations of the Award are available here.

The list of the previous winners  is available here.

Questions about the Award should be addressed via email to prix@frs-fnrs.be.