Doctoral mobility and Erasmus programme

Quick Guide – Erasmus+ PhD Traineeship Mobility Funding (through OSIS-Mobi)

This short guide summarizes the main steps to register and manage your PhD traineeship mobility in the OSIS-Mobi application. The detailed user's manual  remains available for further instructions. Please take the time to carefully read the guide as most of the questions you may have will probably find an answer in the guide.

STEP 1 – Register your mobility in OSIS-Mobi

Create your mobility application and complete the following sections:

1. Mobility

Select the destination country and host organisation. If the organisation is not listed, you can add it manually (it will need validation).

2. Period

Indicate the start and end dates of the mobility. Travel information can be modified later.

3. Language proficiency

Indicate your language level for the main language used during the mobility. Optional: Upload a language certificate if available.

4. Documents

Upload: A confirmation from your UCLouvain promotor authorising the mobility.
The message (an email is enough) must include: host institution+ host mentor+ mobility period

5. Confirmation

Review your information. Submit the application. Your application status will then change from Draft → Submitted.

STEP 2 – Create the traineeship agreement

Once your mobility application is submitted, you must create your traineeship agreement in OSIS-Mobi.

The agreement includes 7 sections:

1. About the traineeship

Provide a short description of the content /objetifs of the research traineeship.

2. Host organisation

Indicate: host institution; mentor/supervisor, please indicate if the mentor will sign the agreement; administrative contact please indicate if he/she will be the one signing the agreement

3. UCLouvain contacts

Administrative contact: Ana Fernández Gacio

Academic supervisor: your PhD promotor.

4. Content of the traineeship

Describe: objectives, activities and expected outcomes.

5. Insurance

Confirm that you understand and comply with UCLouvain insurance requirements.

6. Annexes (if requested)

Optional: Upload any additional documents if required.

7. Confirmation

Submit the traineeship agreement.

STEP 3 – Validation and signatures

The agreement will go through several validation steps:

Submitted – reviewed by UCLouvain

Accepted – approved by the mobility administrator

Sent – transmitted to the host organisation

To be signed – signed by the host organisation

Agreement – signed by all parties (host organisation, student, UCLouvain)

The agreement must reach the final status “Agreement” at least 4 weeks before departure and this is a necessary step before the mobility grant can be processed.

STEP 4 – During and after the mobility

If changes occur during the traineeship, an amendment can be requested.

At the end of the mobility, upload the Certificate of Completion completed by the host organisation in the OSIS Mobi App but also in the OSIS doctorate app

This page outlines the specific rules and procedures applicable to doctoral mobility within the sciences and technology sector for attending courses in the framework of a Circle U. Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). 

Doctoral BIP mobility is limited to Circle U. partner universities, concerns only the official BIP course title, and requires prior selection by the host institution.
As required by the Erasmus+ funding rules, the credits associated with this mobility must be validated by your CDD—even if you have already completed the number of credits required for your doctoral programme. 
Upon your return, you are required to upload the Certificate of Completion in both the Doctoral application and the OSIS Mobi application in order to enable this validation. You can check here the note regarding the recognition and award of Credits in the Context of Doctoral Mobility Abroad Eligible for Funding under the Erasmus+ Programme. 

Eligibility and Funding Conditions 

Circle U. Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)

1. Eligible Activities and Institutions

• Funding is available exclusively for doctoral participation in Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) organised by institutions that are members of the Circle U. Alliance.
• Mobility to institutions outside the Circle U. Alliance is not eligible for funding.
• Only official Circle U. BIPs organised by partner universities of the Alliance are eligible.

2. Academic Requirements

• The training activity must correspond to a minimum workload equivalent to 3 ECTS credits.
• The number of credits awarded will strictly correspond to the official ECTS value of the BIP course attended.
• Credits obtained through a BIP will be integrated in the doctoral formation into Category 4.1 – Scientific training, which includes: 
  • Disciplinary courses required for the doctoral research (typically doctoral-level courses)
• Transversal courses not directly related to the doctoral discipline
  
  For further details, please refer to the full text of Article 4.1 of the specific provisions.

3. Learning Agreement

• A Learning Agreement (Study Agreement) must be correctly completed and signed via OSIS‑Mobi.
• The Learning Agreement must be finalised no later than one month before the start of the mobility period.
• Doctoral candidates may encode only the official title of the Circle U. BIP in the mobility system.
• Encoding is permitted only after formal selection by the host (partner) institution.

4. Funding Limits and Duration

• Short-term mobility under the BIP framework is eligible for funding: 
  • Once per semester
  • Up to a maximum of three times per doctoral study cycle
• These limits apply within the overall Erasmus+ funding cap of 12 months per study cycle, combining short- and long-term mobility.
• A maximum of three short-term mobilities (courses and/or internships) may be fully funded by Erasmus+ during the entire PhD trajectory.

Circle U. Alliance – Partner Universities

The Circle U. Alliance is composed of nine European universities:

• Aarhus University (Denmark)
• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany)
• King’s College London (United Kingdom)
• UCLouvain (Belgium)
• University of Belgrade (Serbia)
• University of Oslo (Norway)
• University of Pisa (Italy)
• University of Vienna (Austria)
• Université Paris Cité (France)

Step 1 – Applying for a “Courses” Mobility (Circle U. BIP)

Access to the mobility platform

You can access the app OSIS-Mobi here or via your UCLouvain Dashboard (myUCL), in the widget 'My studies' > 'My student file' > 'My mobility'.

Key steps

1. Create a mobility application (status: Draft)
   • Select Mobility with courses
   • Choose a Circle U. partner institution only
   • Complete all mandatory fields
2. Complete the relevant tabs
   • Duration: Choose « Less than de 2 months” (Blended Mobility)
   • Period: indicative dates of the BIP
3. Submit the application
   • The application status becomes Submitted
   • If all the criteria are fulfilled, the administration of the SST will passed the application to the status Pre-selected and later on Selected 

✅ Selection is mandatory before creating any study agreement.

Step 2 – Creating the Study Agreement (Circle U. BIP)

Key steps

1. Create a study agreement (status: Draft)
2. Add the course : Encode ONLY the official title of the Circle U. BIP
3. Sign and submit the study agreement
4. Validation by the sector administration
   • Once Accepted, the doctoral candidate must send the accepted version to the partner institution in order to collect their signature
   • Upload the fully signed version to the mobility platform
5. Final status: Study Agreement
   • The agreement is signed by all three parties (doctoral candidate, home institution, host institution)
   • The mobility is then officially recognised and eligible for funding