On the 8th of February 2024, the Council of Ministers approved the launch of two new programmes from 2024 to 2031: the P4Science Programme and the S4Policy Programme, implemented under the responsibility of the Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO).
[Note to council of ministers in Dutch or French]
These two new programmes succeed BRAIN-be 2.0 
and FED-tWIN and integrate most of the ongoing BESLPO actions. The programmes meet the needs of BELSPO's two main target groups: the Federal Scientific Institutions (FSIs)(1) and the Federal Public (FPSs) (2).
The P4Science Programme aims to strengthen the scientific expertise of the FSIs, coherently revolving around their strategic and priority research themes, and enabling the building of knowledge while engaging in inter- and trans-disciplinary collaboration with other institutions. This programme should help position the FSIs at the European level and, where possible, complement the programmes of the federated entities.
The S4Policy Programme will support decision-making by the federal government and FPSs based on scientific knowledge. The programme will provide a range of tools to provide evidence-informed policy making.
Having two distinct programmes allows catering to the different scientific needs and interests of FSIs and FPSs separately, and to better define the objectives of each funded project: supporting the scientific capacity of FSIs versus supporting political decision-making.
Ongoing programmes such as the DEFRA (3) - and POST-COVID (4) - fit perfectly into the philosophy of policy-oriented research within the S4Policy Programme, as does the ongoing DRUGS Programme which is being integrated into the new programme.
With the exception of the Flash projects, one call for proposals will be launched for both programmes every two years (call 2024-2025; 2026-2027; 2028-2029; 2030-2031), featuring a number of research priorities aligned with those of the Federal Scientific Institutions (P4Science) and the needs of the Federal Public Services (S4Policy).
In preparation of each call, and based on an long-term strategic research agenda, BELSPO drafts a list of eligible call priorities assisted by the corresponding Programme Committee (P4Science or S4Policy). BELSPO also ensures the neutral evaluation of submitted proposals by organising an international peer-reviewed evaluation.
