Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies (BrIAS) fellowships:
Call for candidates in connection with this year's theme “Sustainable Robotics.”
One fellowship will be prioritised for a candidate coming from a CIVIS university (11 members and 6 African strategic partners).
The Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies (BrIAS), co-founded by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB-EUTOPIA) and the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB-CIVIS), is an incubator of ideas and research, focusing on sustainable development and urgent themes with a great societal impact.
Between May 2021 and May 2023, over 100 activities were organised around the theme of “The past, present and future of food, climate and sustainability”. BrIAS welcomed 46 Senior Fellows, 12 Junior Fellows, and over 200 guest speakers from very diverse disciplines to discuss, challenge, brainstorm, and propose ideas for future research. The fellows came from 25 countries including developing countries which face critical challenges concerning sustainability.
Following an independent evaluation of new theme proposals, a jury composed of representatives of the European University Alliances EUTOPIA and CIVIS, of VUB and ULB vice-rectors and of the directors of the R&D rectorates, BrIAS selected a new topic for the 2023-2024 edition: “Sustainable Robotics.”
As robotic and automated devices become an integral part of our lives, it has become critical to understand if they can be truly durable and how they could optimally contribute to sustainability. BrIAS will bring together experts from across the world to tackle critical debates, e.g. from food to war, and explore challenges for the present and future, e.g. from sustainable materials to life-cycle assessments.
BrIAS has preferential relations with members of the EUTOPIA and CIVIS University Alliances. For colleagues with expertise in the field of Sustainable Robotics, BrIAS may offer a fellowship to a candidate from one of the universities of EUTOPIA and another to one of CIVIS universities (11 members and 6 African strategic partners).
Fellowships involve coming to Brussels between 15 January and 15 May 2024, for a stay of minimum one month. When not in Brussels, the Fellows are strongly encouraged to participate online.
The Fellows are expected to provide at least one BrIAS Talk related to the year’s theme and will commit to attending and participating in the BrIAS events and social activities.
In addition to the reimbursement of travel expenses to and from Brussels, Fellows will be provided with accommodation and an additional contribution towards extra living expenses.
Interested candidates should send an application to brias@vub.be, indicating why they would like to participate and which expertise they can offer during their stay.
Requirements: Candidates must be Senior/Established researchers (Professors) and an employee of an institute that is part of the CIVIS alliance.
Deadline for applications is 31 December 2023. The selection will be based exclusively on scientific excellence.
More information on BrIAS in general or on the “Sustainable Robotics” theme, please check our website brias.be. More information on the Fellowships will be provided upon request by Anja Garone, BrIAS Administrative Manager, at brias@vub.be. You can also check “BrIAS Report 2021-2023” on the website.