An interuniversity team of 40 Belgian scientists has begun production of these parts, which will be incorporated into the new version of CMS, one of CERN's two major particle detectors. Its mission is a major one: to build 1,600 high-precision modules in 2 years!

In a clean room at the Interuniversity Institute for High Energies (IIHE-ULB/VUB) in Brussels, the first modules have already seen the light of day. They are the fruit of collaboration between researchers, physicists and engineers from ULB, VUB, UCLouvain, UGent and UAntwerpen. These Belgian universities have been asked to design and build one of the components of the new trajectograph that will be integrated into the new-generation CMS and will be capable of detecting the trajectories of thousands of particles produced by collision, 40 million times per second. 

In addition to this mission, the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS) and the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO) have provided substantial support, allocating a total of over €12 million to upgrade the CMS experiment.

See the press release...

The State visit to Vietnam was an opportunity for the FNRS, represented by its Secretary General Véronique Halloin, to sign a letter of intent with the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST): the two parties undertake to discuss the implementation of an agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation between Vietnam and the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles in the field of research. 

This agreement could lead to the funding of bilateral mobility projects aimed at supporting the mobility of Vietnamese and FWB researchers and the organisation of scientific activities.

On the initiative of the AstraZeneca Foundation, the Fund for Scientific Research-FNRS and the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) will grant, in 2025, 3 Scientific Awards to researchers from postdoctoral level onwards who are affiliated to a Belgian university or a Belgian university hospital.

Main Features

• Reward established investigators on the basis of their previous work, with a perspective of future development in the same field.  
• Amount: 25.000 €/Award. Half of the amount will be attributed to the laureates for personnal use, the other half will be attributed to the laureates' laboratory.

Eligible topics

One Award will be granted in each of the following topics:

• Innovative applications of AI to the benefit of patients' heath
  Research advancements in artificial intelligence that significantly enhance patient care, treatment outcomes, and healthcare delivery, including but not limited to innovative solutions that utilize AI to personalize medicine, optimize medical processes, or predict and manage health conditions.
   
• New approaches of early detection and prevention of non-communicable diseases
  Research on strategies or methodologies that improve early diagnosis and prevention of non-communicable diseases. It encompasses innovative screening methods, risk assessment tools, and preventive interventions that can mitigate the impact of non-communicable diseases such as (but not limited to) diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders.
   
• Harnessing stem cell models and organoids for disease discovery and therapeutics
  Research in the context of use of stem cell technologies and organoids to advance our understanding of diseases and develop novel treatments. Research that explores how these biological models can simulate human disease conditions, enabling discoveries in disease mechanisms and facilitating the development of effective therapies.

Eligible Applicants

• Applicants should be active in the above mentioned fields of research, with both ongoing work related to the focus of the Award and future prospects.
• Applicants must be individual scientist from postdoctoral level onwards who are affiliated to a Belgian university or a Belgian university hospital at the deadline of the call.
• Applicants must have held a research position in Belgium for at least five years (in a consecutive or cumulated period). 
• Applicants must have obtained their first PhD degree maximum 15 years before the date of the submission deadline (possibly extended in case of eligible career breaks).
• Applicants can only apply to one AstraZeneca Award per call.
  
  
• Applicants may not have received an Award for the work submitted with the same amount (or higher) in the last 3 years (at the deadline of the call).
  
  
• Personnel of the AstraZeneca Foundation or affiliated to the AstraZeneca Foundation are not eligible for the Awards.

Call timeline

• Opening of the call: April 16^th, 2025
• Deadline of the call: June 9^th, 2025
• Jury meeting: Fall 2025

How to apply?

Applications, written in English, must be sent electronically to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. on June 9^th, 2024 at the latest.
 
The requested documents are :

• The application form pertaining to the Award you wish to apply to (see below), duly completed and signed.
• A detailled curriculum vitae.
• A complete list of publications.

Regulations:

• AI to the benefit of patients' health
• Non-communicable diseases
• Stem cell models and organoids

 Application forms:

• AI to the benefit of patients' health
• Non-communicable diseases
• Stem cell models and organoids

 The list of the previous laureates is available here.

Questions about the Award should be adressed via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On 10 April 2025, the FRArt Management Board awarded funding to the following FRArt Research Projects.

On 9 April 2025, the FNRS Board of Directors granted the following applications under the Infrastructure & Large Equipment Call 2024.

The aim of this new version of the Large Equipment Call (GEQ) is to promote and consolidate the state-of-the-art infrastructure in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation by financing the acquisition of major equipment, the establishment and development of research infrastructures and the upgrading of existing facilities.