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Belgium is a federal state, which is divided into three regions (Flanders, Wallonia ‎and Brussels-Capital) and for education and culture into three "communities" for the ‎Dutch, French and German language groups. The regions and communities have ‎competence over a large part of science policy and all innovation policy.
All the ‎federalized entities (federal, regional, communities) are equal and common 'Belgian' ‎positions are defined in the International Cooperation Commission (ICC).‎

Belgium is in IGLO represented by two organisations:‎

*  Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS (French-speaking community)

* Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders- IWT (Dutch speaking community)‎

Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS

This research council, was established in 1928. Its founding principle is the ‎promotion of basic scientific research in the French-speaking Community of Belgium. ‎The organisation has four associated funds: Medical Research, Nuclear Science, ‎Collective Basic Research and Agro-Industrial Research. As the organisation does ‎not harbour laboratories in its premises, all the research is carried out in universities. ‎The organisation supports individual researchers. It awards temporary grants to ‎fund doctoral students and grants for qualified researchers, scientific research ‎workers and research managers. The resources available to the F.R.S.-FNRS and its ‎associated funds consist mainly of subsidies granted to them by the French ‎Community and the Federal State of Belgium. Also, the Fonds receives private funds ‎to be spread within the scientific community on the sole basis of scientific excellence. ‎The applicants are selected via peer-review evaluation. The evaluation is done by 32 ‎scientific committees, whose members are leading national and international ‎scientists in their respective field. The Fonds works on a bottom-up approach, which ‎means that there are no targeted approach calls but exclusively proposals freely ‎created by the interested researchers or researchers-to-be. All scientific areas are ‎covered and scientific excellence is the only criterion. The organisation funds Belgian ‎researchers who will coordinate or participate in a FP7 project.‎

Contact details
M.-J. Simoen, Secretary General
Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS
Rue d’Egmont, 5‎
B-1000 Brussels‎
Tel: +32 -2-5049211‎
secr-gnl@frs-fnrs.be
http://www.frs-fnrs.be

In 2006, the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS has created a National Contact ‎Point for the7th Framework Programme (FP7). The NCP-FNRS is located in its ‎premises and benefits from its existing structure. ‎

Mission
To stimulate, promote and strengthen participation of the researchers from universities belonging to the French-speaking Community of Belgium in other research activities sponsored ‎by the EU
To provide advice and assistance to French-speaking Belgian university researchers
To liaise with the EU Commission/EP officials on specific issues

Clients
Doctoral students, qualified researchers, scientific research workers, research managers (F.R.S.-FNRS) 
Researchers, research groups, administrators from French-speaking Belgian universities

Services
Monitoring and analysing EU RTD policy through close contact to key personnel in the European Commission and European Parliament
Disseminating information via direct contact, e-mail, newsletters, help-desk service, website, seminars and workshops for Belgian researchers and university administrators
Liaising with the Belgian Inter-ministerial Commission on Scientific Policy
Offering top-down and bottom-up advice to researchers

For more information contact:
Monique Septon
FNRS-NCP
Rue d’Egmont, 5
B-1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 -2-5049351
e-mail: septon@ncp.fnrs.be
http://www.frs-fnrs.be

 IWT
Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders

Mission
IWT is a governmental funding agency of the Flemish Government. It is responsible ‎for the promotion of innovation through science and technology in Flanders. In this ‎framework one of the missions of IWT is to stimulate the Flemish participation to ‎international RTD and innovation programmes. IWT is besides the NCP-organisation ‎for Flanders also the Eureka office and Innovation Relay Centre.‎

Clients
Researchers from industry, universities (incl. high schools) and their ‎intermediary organisations, private and public research institutions in ‎Flanders‎
European R&D networks

Services
Updated information on EU programmes and opportunities through website, ‎newsflashes and newsletters ‎
Advice (administrative, contractual, financial, legal) and assistance on ‎proposal preparation of European projects seeking additional R&D partners in ‎Flanders
IWT-NCP forms together with the department of Economy, Science and ‎Innovation of the Flemish Government the coordination structure called ‎Flemish Contact
Unique contact point to interface between the European research and ‎innovation policy and the Flemish research council

For more information please contact:
IWT
Alain Deleener
Coordinator European programmes
Bischoffsheimlaan 25
B-1000 Brussels
Tel: +32-2-209 09 25
Fax: +32-2-223 11 81
e-mail: europrogs@iwt.be
http://www.europrogs.be

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