# Tier-1 Data

**Funder:** FWO
**Duration:** 8 months to 3 years
**Consortium:** No - individual research groups at Flemish universities, SOCs and public knowledge institutions apply
**Application:** Single stage
**Frequency:** Continuous
**Eligible countries:** BE
**Official call:** https://www.fwo.be/en/support-programmes/all-calls/senior-researchersresearch-teams/vsc-computing-time/
**Last updated:** 18 Oct 2026

## Eligibility & scope

Research data storage and management resource (5 TiB to 1 PiB) built on iRODS and Globus for datasets used alongside HPC infrastructure, for a duration of 8 months to 3 years.

## Summary

Tier-1 Data is a permanent infrastructure service from FWO offering iRODS-based data storage (5 TiB-1 PiB) integrated with HPC systems for researchers at Flemish universities, spin-off companies, and public knowledge institutions. The service includes metadata management, workflow automation, and data-sharing tools at no cost. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis year-round.

## Who should apply

- Researchers at Flemish universities, spin-off companies (SOCs), and public knowledge institutions
- Projects requiring scalable data storage closely coupled with high-performance computing
- Teams managing large datasets requiring automated workflows and metadata organisation
- Researchers seeking data-sharing capabilities without infrastructure procurement costs

## Key dates

- Permanent rolling call; apply year-round via data@vscentrum.be
- Project duration: 8 months to 3 years

## Tips for applicants

- Contact data@vscentrum.be early for a technical scoping conversation; they help right-size storage allocation and confirm HPC integration feasibility.
- Emphasise workflow automation and metadata use cases in your application, passive storage requests are lower priority than active data-management needs.
- Tier-1 Data pairs with VSC compute allocations; if your team lacks existing HPC access, coordinate applications through the same contact.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much storage does FWO Tier-1 Data provide?

Between 5 terabytes and 1 petabyte per project, tailored to your needs.

### Does Tier-1 Data charge for storage or infrastructure?

No; Tier-1 Data is provided at no cost to eligible researchers.

### Who is eligible to apply for Tier-1 Data?

Researchers based at Flemish universities, spin-off companies, and public knowledge institutions.

### How long is a Tier-1 Data allocation?

Projects run for 8 months to 3 years, and you can request renewal.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/fwo-tier-1-data-2026) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.

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