Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Research policy

• Policy Plan
• Research culture
• Research Coordination Unit

Policy Plan

The outlines of the VUB's long-term research policy were laid down in the Research Council's Policy Plan for 2001-2006.

Specific points of particular interest in this context are:

• the fair allocation of research funds among the major domains: the Human Sciences; the Basic, Natural and Applied Sciences; and the Biomedical Sciences;
• the encouragement of the creation of cross-disciplinary expert networks with all-round expertise on particular subjects;
• the further elaboration of a research culture that gives particular attention to doctoral students: appointment possibilities, guidance, framework;
• the creation of a VUB contingent of research fellowships at independent academic staff level and sabbatical leave for independent academic staff;
• the further expansion of the university's service to industry and society and the valorisation of research results;
• good communication, both internal and with external partners.

Research Culture

The provisions with regard to research culture and deontology at the VUB are laid down in two documents:

• a. Appendix 3 to the Research Council's Policy Plan for 2001-2006 (VUB Governing Council 20 March 2001) on Research Culture and Deontology;
• b. Procedure for the treatment of suspected scientific misconduct, incorporated in the VUB Regulations for Academic Staff (VUB Governing Council 19 February 2002).

The Research Coordination unit is in charge of the preparation, processing and follow-up of policy documents on research culture and deontology.

The Research Coordination Unit

This unit is charged with giving overall support to the research and the research policy of the VUB. In concrete terms, the unit is responsible for:

• providing the conceptual, logistic and administrative basis for the VUB's research policy, supporting the vice-rector for research, the rector and the various decision-making and advisory bodies of the VUB, including the research council;
• the collection and targeted distribution of information on funding possibilities for research;
• the preparation, processing and follow-up of the allocation of funds for research via the Research Council;
• the preparation, processing and follow-up of research quality control measures; § the preparation and follow-up of the research-related files that are handled by the Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Fund for Scientific Research, FWO), the Flemish, Federal and Brussels Science Policy Councils, the Flemish Inter-University Council (Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad, VLIR), etc., or by the government in general;
• and the coordination of the administrative management of the research projects.

Academic Coordination
Prof. Dr.Lode Wyns
Vice-rector for Research
E-mail: vicerector.research@vub.ac.be

R&D Research Coordination
Mieke Gijsemans
Research Coordinator
E-mail: mgijsema@vub.ac.be

Quality Assessment and Policy Research
Nadine Rons
E-mail: nrons@vub.ac.be

EU and International Research
Martine Follet
E-mail: mfollet@vub.ac.be

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