FAQ

Yes. You must hold a doctoral degree at the call deadline. The copy of your PhD Degree must be uploaded in the submission form.
The applicant uploads either a scanned copy of the PhD diploma or an official statement confirming the successful defence of the PhD. The document must state the date of the defence and confirm that the PhD has been unconditionally granted, that is, that no major or minor modification or other condition remains to be fulfilled. Applicants who are unsure whether their evidence meets these requirements must contact the helpdesk (p4j@hzbaf.np.or) before the call deadline.

Applicants to UMONS must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 36 months preceding the call deadline. Similarly, applicants to the UVAASA must meet the equivalent condition for Finland. A researcher currently based in one host country may still be eligible to apply to the other. Short stays (e.g. holidays) and periods linked to refugee status application (1951 Geneva Convention / 1967 Protocol) are not taken into account.

No. The C4W programme is open to researchers of all ages.

30 months, full-time, fixed-term contract, governed by the labour law of the hosting institution (UMONS or UVAASA).

Your research project, if selected, will start between July and September 2027 (1st Call).

Yes. One of the main aspects of the MSCA program is international mobility. Researchers funded under C4W MSCA COFUND need to move to Belgium/Finland for the fellowship period. Researchers can, however, organise secondments and research visits abroad.

Secondments may be undertaken with / at academic and non-academic partner organisations. There are no geographical restrictions.

Yes, living allowance includes social security. The fellowship contract is fully subjected to the provisions of the Belgian/Finnish social security system. The social security regime covers: health insurance, maternity leave, sick pay in case of hospitalisation, disability insurance, national pension system (depending on the nationality), national unemployment system (depending on the nationality), insurance against workplace accidents, family benefits, and provisions towards occupational diseases.

The call covers the broad cleantech domain: renewable energy, energy efficiency, recycling, green chemistry, biotechnology, sustainable mobility, sustainable electronics, circular economy, and other innovations contributing to climate neutrality. More details

13 fellowships will be awarded under Call 1
25 in total across both calls, split between UMONS (15) and UVAASA (10).

The working language of the programme is English.

No, each candidate can apply with only one research project.

Official supporting documents, such as the doctoral diploma or certificates, may be submitted in any official language of the European Union. Documents written in English, French or Dutch do not need to be translated. Documents written in another official language of the European Union must be accompanied by an English translation, for which an unofficial translation is accepted. Documents written in a language that is not an official language of the European Union must be accompanied by an English translation certified by a competent authority.

Yes, but any suggestion of preselection must be avoided

• the contact must have a clear rationale (e.g. limited to scientific advice, discussing the proposed research, or information on available expertise/infrastructure);
• the supervisor must not be involved in drafting the proposal;
• no approval from the proposed supervisor or host organisation is required as part of the submission.

Supervisors have no role in the selection, recruitment, or decision-making process.

You may freely select a supervisor from the list of eligible supervisors at UMONS or the UVaasa available on this page.

Yes. If you apply to the first call, you may still apply to the second call, provided you meet all eligibility criteria.

Letters of recommendation are not required for the application.

1. Eligibility check (within 7 working days), cross-verified by an independent external institution
2. Remote peer review by 3 independent evaluators over 10 weeks, followed by a consensus meeting
3. Ethics review, where flagged
4. Interview for the top-ranked shortlisted proposals: 5-minute pitch + 15-minute Q&A (20 minutes total)
5. Final ranking and funding decision

Interviews will be held for top-ranked shortlisted proposals: a 5-minute project pitch followed by a 15-minute Q&A session (20 minutes total).

Yes. If a selected candidate withdraws, the fellowship may be offered to the next highest-ranked applicant on the list.

If you believe that a procedural shortcoming occurred during the eligibility check or evaluation process of your application, you may submit a written appeal within five (5) working days of receiving your results. The appeal must be sent by email (P4J@hzbaf.np.or) and the subject line should read “Redress_C4WCALL1_Surname_Firstname.” In your appeal, you must clearly explain the grounds for your request, focusing strictly on procedural or administrative aspects, as scientific assessments by expert evaluators cannot be contested.
The appeal will be reviewed by the C4W Redress Committee, which will verify whether procedures were properly followed as described in the Guide for Applicants. The Redress Committee responds within a further 5 working days. Its decision is final.

Yes, you may have 2 supervisors from different universities.

Yes. But the candidates must have different research projects.

Under this MSCA co-fund programme, a PI should supervise a maximum of three fellows simultaneously. Should a situation arise where a PI is matched with more than three successful candidates, arrangements could be made involving the Co-PI in order to ensure appropriate supervision and mentoring capacity.

PI’s eligibility criteria are:

• Be affiliated with UMONS or the University of Vaasa;
• Hold a permanent position, or a contract extending beyond the fellowship duration (30 months from approximately June 2027);
• Demonstrate significant postdoctoral supervision experience ;
• Have at least 50 peer-reviewed publications;
• Be able to dedicate at least 0.1 FTE to supervising the fellow;
• Conduct research activities aligned with the CleanTech focus of the project;
• Agree to the publication of a short profile (maximum five sentences) on the C4W website;
• Commit to following the MSCA Supervision Guidelines.