WEL-T INVESTIGATOR PROGRAMME CALL 2026
The FRFS and the WEL Research Institute announce the opening on17 September 2026 of the third “WEL-T Investigator Programme” call, funded by the Walloon region, for strategic research in engineering, chemistry and physics with a view to translate breakthrough discoveries into industrial applications aimed at sustainable transition. This call is open to researchers from the universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation who are either established (Advanced grants, max. €350,000/year) or at the beginning of their career (Starting grants, max. €200,000/year).
Context of the call:
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. 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.
Timetable:
- Opening of the call : 17 September 2026
- Deadline for PI’s electronic validation : 5 November 2026
- Evaluation process : February 2027 – April 2027
- Scientific Commission : April 14 & 15, 2027
- Communication of the funding decision : End of June 2027
- Start of the programmes : 1st of October 2027
