Doctoral Programme
PhD, Continuation of Research Master
Candidates typically enter this PhD programme after completing the Research Master in fluid dynamics.
Collaboration with universities
The PhD thesis may be presented in English, French or Dutch at any Belgian university or at a university abroad leading to a degree of doctor in applied sciences. The collaboration between university and the VKI leads to considerable benefits, allowing to perform research based on the outstanding facilities and unique experience available at the VKI and to work in an international excellence center with colleagues from all over the world.
International environment
Presently, about 80 candidates are enrolled in the doctoral programme of the VKI, representing more than ten countries from Europe and America.
Center of Excellence
The von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics operates a comprehensive range of experimental and computational facilities covering virtually all aspects of fluid mechanics. Support is provided by facility engineers, instrumentation and electronic laboratories, IT and HPC department, a technical library and a publishing office with photolab, a computer-aided drawing/design office and well-equipped workshops.
The benefits for the PhD candidate are considerable, allowing to perform research based on the outstanding facilities and unique experience available at the VKI and to work in an international top-level environment with colleagues from all over Europe.
- Access to an extraordinary set of wind tunnels
- covering all regimes, from low subsonic to hypersonic flow.
- FREE access to the internationally recognised VKI short course programme: VKI Lecture Series.
Collection of books
VKI-BAEF fellowships for US citizens
The Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF) in collaboration with the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) encourages applications for fellowships for advanced study or research during the academic year 2026-2027, at VKI. The offer is directed to US citizens.
The BAEF will award up to fourteen fellowships as outright non-renewable grants carrying a personal stipend of
- $ 30,000 for Master’s or Ph.D. students
- $ 34,000 for Post-doctoral Fellows.
Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States and fulfill one of the following conditions:
- Plan to register for study at a Belgian graduate program: Master’s, Ph.D., or equivalent professional degree while holding the BAEF fellowship.
- Be a registered student in a Master’s, Ph.D., or equivalent degree program in the United States at the time of application and plan applicable research in Belgium.
- Hold a Master’s, Ph.D., or equivalent degree and plan research in Belgium. Postdoctoral applicants should by July 1, 2026, have no more than 2 years of research experience since obtaining their Ph.D. degree.
Applicants should make their own arrangements to register or affiliate with a Belgian university or research institution. Knowledge of Dutch, or French, or German is optional.
BAEF fellowships 2026-2027 can be initiated between July 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026. Fellows should be in residence in Belgium during the tenure of their fellowship and stay for a period of 12 months. If the Fellow chooses to remain in Belgium for less than 12 months, the stipend will be prorated accordingly. The minimum duration of the fellowship is 6 months.
In addition to the stipend, the Foundation will defray the cost of health insurance in Belgium through its group policy. No additional financial aid is to be expected.
Application forms can be downloaded from the BAEF website here (US application). In addition to a completed application form, applicants must furnish undergraduate and graduate transcripts, a brief autobiographical statement, a plan of study or research, and 3 letters of recommendation.
Completed applications for the 2026-2027 fellowships must be submitted as electronic documents in pdf format attached to an email sent no later than October 31, 2025 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Letters of recommendation should be submitted by the recommenders separately to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Other funding for US students
- Flanders House: http://www.flandershouse.org/study-in-flanders
- The Fulbright Foundation: Americans living outside of Belgium may be eligible for Fulbright scholarships to come to Belgium for research or study. http://www.fulbright.be/study-in-belgium/scholarships-for-us-citizens-studying-in-belgium