Grant Opportunities for PhD’s

General introduction into European and Dutch research grants

PROUT-meeting, February 9th 2011

by dr. Esther Stiekema, Academic Affairs, Corporate Offices

Introduction

Who are you?

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Introduction

Presentation outline

> General remarks on grant opportunities and your

academic career

> Opportunities:

• NWO: VENI and Rubicon

• EU: Marie Curie actions

> Questions & more information

Grant opportunities in general

• By far the majority of grants must have a Principle

Investigator as applicant who has several years of

research experience

• Your best chance is to network, network, network...

Don’t forget

At Utrecht University there are:

• More than 6000 first-year bachelor students

• Approx. 500 PhD degrees each year

• Approx. 40 new professors appointed each year

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Introduction

NWO Innovational Research Incentives Scheme

Aim of the Scheme:

-to promote innovation in research;

-to create research opportunities for individual

postdoctoral researchers at various stages in their

careers

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Introduction

NWO Innovational Research Incentives Scheme: VENI

Target groupBest 10-20% of the peer group: recent PhD graduates / junior postdocs, must have completed PhD within the last 3 years

Nature of the awardOwn research (incl. salary) and technicians to be engaged

Grant amount € 250,000

Grant period 3 years

Deadline January 2012

Total number of awards 150

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Introduction

Assessment criteria VENI

1. Researcher quality: outstanding talent for academic

research, persuasiveness and 10-20% of peer group

2. Proposal:

a. quality: content is challenging and proposed methodology is

appropriate

b. innovative nature: an original research question or

other innovative elements

c. academic impact

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Introduction

Assessmentcriteria VENI

3. Optional criteria: cultural, social, technological or

economic impact

- Has the potential to help solve a problem

- Has the potential for practical application

- Has cultural, social, technological or economic impact

Extra opportunity to influence the final rating!

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Competition

- Every year about 1000 researchers apply for a VENI-

grant, only 150 are awarded (15 %)

- UU receives about 15-16 % of the awards (23-24)

- Procedure (4 stages): preselection, peer review,

interviews, division/domain panels.

Moments of influence:

1.) submission of application

2.) response to (assessment by) referees

3.) interview by the division

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Research

Advice of VENI-laureates

1.) Have others read the proposal, experts as well as

outsiders (the first NWO selection round is conducted

by a broad-based committee).

2.) Hold a mock interview with colleagues.

3.) Have a native speaker of English screen the

proposal.

4.) Start in time.

You are welcome to contact a laureate for an example

of a successful application!

VENI-laureates

Please find a list of VENI-laureates in your discipline at:

http://www.uu.nl/university/research/nl/toponderzoekers/

venividivici/Pages/default.aspx

(homepage > onderzoek > Utrechtse toponderzoekers >

Veni-vidi-vici-laureaten)

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Research

Planning to apply for VENI 2012?

> Contact the contact person of your Faculty in an early stage (contact the Grant office at your Faculty)

> When offered: participate in a VENI-workshop in Oct/Nov (register at vernieuwingsimpuls.oo@uu.nl)

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Research

Prior to VENI: RUBICON

Target groupPostgraduates (or PhD’s with approved thesis)Women especially are urged to apply!

Nature of the award

(mobility)

A research period at an institution other than the one where he or she graduated or that awarded his or her doctorate (salary, travel and accomodation costs for congress visits).

Grant period 12-24 months

Deadline31 March 2011 (this may be the last opportunity!)

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Research

Procedure

- Multidisciplinary advisory committees will assess the

applications.

- The views of external referees will not be sought.

- The final award decisions will be made by the boards

of the relevant divisions/foundation.

- The entire assessment procedure will take

approximately 4 months.

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Research

European Union: Marie Curie Actions (part of 7th framework People Programme)

Mobility! To take part in most of the Marie Curie Actions, a

researcher must be prepared to move country.

Mobility is defined using the following criteria:

1.) the researcher should not be a national of the state

in which they plan to move and carry out their research;

2.) the researcher should not have lived, worked or

studied in that country for more than 12 months out of

the three years immediately prior to either the time of

application, or the start of their work.

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Research

7th Frame Work Programme: People (Marie Curie actions)

I nitial Training International dimension I TN - Initial Training Networks

IOF - International Outgoing Fellowships for career development I I F - International Incoming Fellowships IRSES - International Research Staff Exchange Scheme

Life-long training Industry - Academia I EF - Intra-European Fellowships for career development CIG - Career Integration Grants ERG - European Reintegration Grants IRG - International Reintegration Grants COFUND - Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes

IAPP - Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways

Information:- Europe4Researchers Newsletter - http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/mariecurieactions/home_en.html

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Research

Questions?

More information

-Corporate website UU:-http://www.uu.nl/NL/Informatie/medewerkers/onderzoek/

subsidiesenfondsen/Pages/default.aspx

-Search engines (funding):- ResearchReseach- Community of Science

- More info on Marie Curie actions, http://www.senternovem.nl/eglpeople/english.asp