The draft decree on funding Research in higher education institutions was unanimously adopted at the plenary session of the Parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
The Wallonia-Brussels Federation funds all research supporting higher education, so the research funded may be fundamental, applied or related to the Arts.
The results of this research form a highly interesting and useful pool of knowledge for innovation. But funding for scientific research was until now governed by texts such as old laws or royal decrees, which were not always updated, very specific decrees with limited scope and successive additions of new measures through decree fragments, without overall coherence always being ensured and without allowing the various stakeholders a clear view of existing schemes. It is thus particularly difficult for a researcher to identify potential funding sources.
“It was therefore important for me to clarify all this and provide greater readability, and thus transparency. That is the aim of this draft decree, which brings together in a single text all the existing provisions on Research funding within the higher education institutions of the French Community, with a view to greater coherence, following the example set by Flanders in 2012. We have also introduced measures recognised as promoting the place of women in research. Thus, scientific juries or committees will have to ensure that no more than two-thirds of members are of the same gender, each selection or promotion committee will begin with information for its members on implicit gender bias, and higher education institutions and the F.R.S.-FNRS will ensure gender balance is considered among academics invited to events, conferences and academic panels,” explains Minister for Scientific Research Françoise Bertieaux.
The main contributions of this decree:
- Bringing together in a single decree all the decrees or decree fragments governing the funding of scientific research by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, with a view to codification. It was previously particularly difficult for a researcher to identify potential funding sources.
- Making the schemes coherent with one another, following the example set by Flanders in 2012 and taking into account the evolving landscape of scientific research in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
- Introducing new cross-cutting provisions, in particular to improve women's representation in scientific careers and take into account sustainable development goals within the grants awarded by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
- Ensuring better control of grants awarded and eligible expenses. Evaluation criteria have therefore been set for each provision of this decree providing for funding, while respecting academic freedom. In this context, universities and the Fund for Scientific Research/FNRS will have to submit an annual report to the government.
- Abolishing certain associated funds of the F.R.S.-FNRS, while clarifying what is expected regarding the funding granted to it, and ensuring in particular that it maintains a balance between the humanities, life sciences and hard sciences, as provided for in the Community Policy Statement.
- Providing a framework within which funding for the acquisition of research infrastructure could be considered, based on what was set up under the European recovery plan (RRF), so as not to have to legislate in an ad hoc and specific manner whenever a need arises.
- Introducing objective criteria for the selection of STEAM awareness projects funded by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation while giving it the means to guide the supported actions.
- Giving visibility to the significant funding provided by the FWB for Research.