The Open Call for research projects at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp for 2027 is now declared open. Currently we’re only offering two-year research projects. You can find more information about the different stages of the application process here. Below you can also find a list of FAQ’s that hopefully will shed some more light on the procedure. Be sure to read part 4 and 5 because they detail some important requirements for applying.

 

FAQ

 

Applying for a two-year research project at RAFA/Thinking Tools

 

Procedure: first step

 

The procedure consists of three steps. First, you send a filled in Expression of Interest form to the research department ([email protected]) before November 3, 2026 at noon. You can find the Expression of Interest form here. The form consists of two parts. In the first part you describe the research project you would like to undertake within the research group and how it relates to your artistic practice. A good starting point to define your research project would be to begin with describing the artistic problem you try to deal with in your practice and then make clear how this research project might activate or expand your practice. The second part requires you to argue why you think Thinking Tools would be the right fit for your research project. To get a better understanding of what we stand for, you are invited to consult our website: www.thinkingtools.art. For this part, you are also kindly asked to mention the support you expect to receive from the research group or from other affiliated departments within the Academy or the University. For instance: do you wish to collaborate with specific scientists? If so, be sure to mention that in the form. If you have some more question about your Expression of Interest, you can reach out to the chair of Thinking Tools from September 26th by sending an email to this address: [email protected].

 

Procedure: second step

 

Once all proposals are received, the permanent members of the research group come together to discuss them and decide which projects will be chosen for further development. If your project is selected, the chair will contact you in late November and introduce you to the final application form. For completing the final application form, you can of course rely on the support from the chair of the research group and/or the promoter of your research project. When finished, you have to send this final application form before February 1st, 2027 before noon to the research department ([email protected]).

 

Procedure: third step

 

Once all final application forms have reached the research department, they will be sent to an external and independent reading commission who will discuss the quality of each proposal and will allow or reject the proposed project. Their final decision will be made public during the month of April. You will be notified of their decision by April or May 2027. If successful, you can start up the project in September 2027.

 

What do we offer?

 

We offer an employment of 55 % and an operating budget of 1000 € per year. Before sending in your expression of interest you should check if you could be employed for this percentage at the Academy. Due to the strict regulations concerning the employment of artists outside of the EU, we can only accept proposals from artists who live in the EU or have an EU-citizenship.

 

What do we expect from you?

 

Although it is not necessary to reside in Belgium for the execution of your research project, we do expect you to come on a regular basis to Antwerp. We find it important for the researchers to feel (and be) connected with the Academy, not only with its research department (where you could meet and exchange ideas with other researchers), but also with its educational department. Therefore, we organize different opportunities for you to meet with students, to talk about the progress of your project, to give a workshop or talk, etc.