VLIZ
Enriched family-office · Found: 2026-03-11 08:11
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) stands for solid interdisciplinary research of the ocean, seas, coast and estuaries. More about VLIZ · Klimaat · Climate.
Source: https://vliz.be/en
Funding Details
- Funder
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- Funding Goal
- Support innovative marine research by PhD students and early-career researchers through small grants, travel funding, and research infrastructure access in Flanders/Belgium.
- Funding Amount
- EUR 5,000 per Brilliant Marine Research Idea grant (6 grants per year). Since 2017, 40 grants totaling EUR 193,000 have been awarded. (5.000 € – 5.000 €)
- Deadline
- January 19, 2026 (for 2026 BMRI grants) (Fixed)
- How to Apply
- Applicants submit via email to filantropie@vliz.be with a completed application form, CV, and supervisor approval letter. Applications are reviewed annually with a January deadline for the BMRI grants.
- Target Region
- Flanders/Belgium (with one grant slot for Global South researchers linked to Flemish institutions)
- Contact
- filantropie@vliz.be
- Last Checked
- 2026-03-11 19:41
Application Checklist
Eligibility
Project Scope
Required Documents
Constraints
Summary
The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) is a Belgian government-funded research institute based in Ostend, dedicated to interdisciplinary research on oceans, seas, coasts, and estuaries. VLIZ operates across six thematic domains: climate, biodiversity, sea & health, history of the sea, technology & innovation, and blue economy. It manages research infrastructure including the research vessel RV Simon Stevin, scientific diving services, robotics, and marine databases. Through its "The Sea as a Good Cause" charitable initiative, VLIZ administers several small grant programs. The flagship is the Brilliant Marine Research Idea (BMRI) grants, awarding EUR 5,000 each to PhD students and junior postdocs at Flemish institutions for innovative marine research. Since 2017, 40 grants totaling EUR 193,000 have been awarded. Additional programs include the Dr. Edouard Delcroix Research Grant and travel grants for young marine scientists. Eligibility is narrowly focused on academic researchers — PhD students at Flemish universities, junior postdoctoral researchers in Flanders, and PhD students from the Global South with ties to Flemish marine research groups. These are not open to NGOs or non-academic organizations. The grants support lab work, field research, data analysis, and equipment, but not salaries or conference attendance (travel limited to 50% of grant).
Historical Context
The BMRI grants have been awarded annually since 2017, with 40 grants totaling EUR 193,000 distributed. The 2026 cycle offered 6 grants with a January 19, 2026 deadline. VLIZ also hosts the annual Marine Science Day (520 participants in March 2026).
Sources
- https://vliz.be/en
- https://vliz.be/en/what-we-do
- https://vliz.be/en/brilliant-marine-research-idea
- https://vliz.be/en/support-us/realisations/brilliant-marine-research-idea-grants
- https://vliz.be/en/support-us/realisations