National Bank of Belgium (NBB) Research Fellowship Programme 2025-26
- Omran Aburayya
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
lIf you're a leading EU‑based academic… the NBB Research Fellowship Programme is now open!
You’re invited to apply for a fully funded research opportunity at Belgium’s central bank. Whether you're specializing in agent heterogeneity, climate change, digitalisation (AI included), international risks, or macroeconomic policy, this fellowship supports policy-relevant economics and finance studies tailored to Belgium’s context.
🎓NBB Fellowship Overview
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Host institution: National Bank of Belgium – Economics and Research Dept.
Academic level: Post‑doctoral or professorial research (Assistant, Associate, Full or Visiting Professor status required)
Target group: Academics employed at EU universities
Fields of Research: Monetary policy, fiscal economics, banking, digitalisation/AI, climate economics, international trade/finance, labor economics, macroprudential policy
value & coverage: €100,000/year (pro‑rated for 6‑month project; covers living, travel, accommodation, conferences; inclusive of all taxes)
Duration: 6 or 12 months total, potentially split over 2–3 years
Application deadline: 15 September 2025
Start date: As per candidate’s proposed period over 2025–2026, upon selection
Eligible to: Citizens or permanent residents of EU Member States, or working legally in EU; active university professor (full, associate, assistant, visiting) during fellowship
🧠 Programme Structure
Collaborate closely with NBB's in-house researchers
Offer feedback and guidance to junior analysts
Produce at least one working paper for internal presentation, publication in the NBB Working Papers series, and submission to a peer‑reviewed journal
Organise one external or internal academic event (e.g. workshop or training); proposal optional but encouraged
Engage in the Bank’s seminar series to strengthen ties between academia and policy
Use NBB’s library, statistical datasets, and technical infrastructure
✨ Benefits & Coverage
Grant funding: €100,000 per annum—pro‑rated for shorter or split stays
Fully inclusive: Covers accommodation, subsistence, travel, institutional affiliation fees, conferences/seminars
Tax and bureaucracy: All levies handled by the Bank; no extra fiscal burden on fellows
Research support: Access to NBB’s data, internal research network, events, and libraries
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Citizen, permanent resident, or legally authorised to work in an EU Member State
Engaged in research in the EU (majority activity must be in the EU)
Employed at a university in the EU as professor (any level) during the fellowship period.
🧾 Selection Criteria
Applications are reviewed by the Fellowship Committee (majority economists from NBB and other European central banks), weighted equally on:
Research proposal: relevance, innovation, policy orientation
CV: expertise, track record, academic leadership
Publication record: in peer‑reviewed journals, working papers, supervision, teaching
The Board of Directors of NBB makes the final decision. Fellowship recipients will be announced in October 2025
📑 Application Procedure
Prepare the following:
Detailed CV (with publications and academic experience)
One-page research proposal tailored to one of the call’s themes
Optional event/workshop proposal
Preferred timing for the fellowship
Proof of EU citizenship/permanent residence or work authorization
Confirmation of active professorial status during the fellowship period
(Optional) Letters of recommendation
Submit applications by 15 September 2025, emailed to catherine.fuss@nbb.be or rafael.wouters@nbb.be
📚 Research Themes
Fellows may apply under any of the following five specific programmes:
1. Agent Heterogeneity
Macroeconomic shock transmission across agents
Micro-to-macro aggregation effects; production‑network shocks
Structural measurement at agent-level using econometrics or agent-based models
2. Climate Change
Climate policy impacts on carbon emissions and firm behavior
Macroeconomic modeling of transition to neutrality, including monetary/fiscal interactions and electricity market dynamics
3. Digitalisation (AI & Automation)
How digitalisation influences firm strategy, innovation, productivity, market power
Labor market shifts—employment, skills, training
Regulatory frameworks for digital tech adoption
4. International Risks
Effects of geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation, tariff regimes, strategic commodity sourcing
International financial flows and monetary system design
5. Macroeconomic Policy
Transmission of monetary/fiscal policy amid agent heterogeneity
Expectations, fiscal‑monetary interactions, union-level policy responses, policy non-linearities
✉️ Contacts for Enquiries
Catherine Fuss — Economics & Research Dept (cc)
Raf Wouters — Economics & Research Dept
Submit your questions or required documents to: catherine.fuss@nbb.be | rafael.wouters@nbb.be
🔗 OFFICIAL LINK
