UCD TOPMed10
Guide for Applicants for Call 2 (2016)
About this document
This document presents main features of the UCD TOPMed10 Fellowship Programme and provides
practical information for potential applicants on the application process, assessment procedure and
conditions of employment. The information presented within this document is also available on the
UCD TOPMed10 website (www.ucd.ie/topmed10).
1
2
UCD TOPMed10 Programme .......................................................................................................... 3
1.1
About UCD TOPMed10 ........................................................................................................... 3
1.2
University College Dublin (UCD) ............................................................................................. 3
1.3
Personalised Medicine ............................................................................................................ 5
1.4
Marie Curie ............................................................................................................................. 5
Fellowship Details ........................................................................................................................... 7
2.1
3
4
Fellowship Categories ............................................................................................................. 7
Eligibility Criteria ............................................................................................................................. 8
3.1
Eligibility of applicants ............................................................................................................ 8
3.2
Eligibility of project proposals ................................................................................................. 8
3.3
Eligibility of host organisations for outgoing phase................................................................ 8
Selection of Fellows ........................................................................................................................ 9
4.1
Assessment Criteria – written proposal .................................................................................. 9
4.2
Assessment Criteria – interview ........................................................................................... 10
4.3
Selection Process .................................................................................................................. 11
4.3.1
Publication of the Fellowship Call ................................................................................. 11
4.3.2
Preparation of the Application...................................................................................... 11
4.3.3
Submission of the applications ..................................................................................... 11
4.3.4
Eligibility checking ......................................................................................................... 12
4.3.5
International Peer-Review ............................................................................................ 12
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
4.3.6
Ranking of the applications ........................................................................................... 12
4.3.7
Interviews of top scoring candidates ............................................................................ 12
4.3.8
Fellowship offers for successful applicants................................................................... 12
4.4
Redress Procedure ................................................................................................................ 13
5
Ethical Issues ................................................................................................................................. 14
6
Intellectual Property Rights .......................................................................................................... 15
7
Employment Conditions................................................................................................................ 16
7.1
Contractual arrangements .................................................................................................... 16
7.2
Financial aspects ................................................................................................................... 17
7.3
Rights and obligations ........................................................................................................... 17
7.4
Training and Career Development aspects ........................................................................... 18
7.4.1
Personal Development Plan .......................................................................................... 18
7.4.2
Mentoring ..................................................................................................................... 18
7.4.3
UCD Research Skills and Career Development ............................................................. 19
7.5
Support for the Fellows......................................................................................................... 20
7.5.1
UCD Support.................................................................................................................. 20
7.5.2
EURAXESS Service Centre.............................................................................................. 20
7.5.3
Hosting Agreement (Researcher Visa Scheme) ............................................................ 21
8
Information on processing personal data ..................................................................................... 22
9
Relevant links ................................................................................................................................ 23
10
Contact details .......................................................................................................................... 24
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Application Templates for Call 1 (2015).................................................................................... 25
A. ONLINE APPLICATION REGISTRATION .......................................................................................... 26
B. PERSONAL DETAILS ....................................................................................................................... 27
C. PROPOSAL DETAILS ....................................................................................................................... 28
D. ETHICS ........................................................................................................................................... 29
E. RESEARCH PROPOSAL ................................................................................................................... 32
F. ACADEMIC CV TEMPLATE.............................................................................................................. 36
2
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
1 UCD TOPMed10 Programme
1.1 About UCD TOPMed10
UCD TOPMed10, Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND Action, is a new International Training and Career
Development Fellowship Programme at University College Dublin (UCD). The Programme offers 10
prestigious Personalised Medicine Fellowships to experienced researchers. All Fellowships are based
in UCD with an optional secondment at a partner organisation in academia or industry.
Training the next generation of leaders in Personalised Medicine
With an emphasis on interdisciplinary training and career support, TOPMed10 aims to serve as a
blueprint for what biomedical training can look like in the future.
1.2 University College Dublin (UCD)
University College Dublin has its origins in the mid-nineteenth century under the leadership of the
renowned educationalist John Henry Cardinal Newman. Since its foundation in 1854, the University
has flourished and made a unique and substantial contribution to the creation of modern Ireland,
based on successful engagement with Irish society on every level and across every sphere of activity.
UCD is one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities; an environment
where undergraduate education, masters and PhD training, research, innovation and community
engagement form a dynamic spectrum of activity.
The international standing of UCD has grown in recent years; it is currently ranked within the top 1%
of institutions world-wide. UCD is also Ireland's most globally engaged university with over 30,000
students drawn from over 120 countries, and includes 5,500 students based at locations outside of
Ireland. The University's main Dublin campus occupies an extensive parkland estate of more than
130 hectares and offers world-leading facilities including the UCD O'Brien Centre for Science, UCD
Sutherland School of Law, UCD Quinn School of Business and UCD Student Centre.
As Ireland's largest university, with its great strength and diversity of disciplines, UCD embraces its
role to contribute to the flourishing of Ireland; through the study and discussion of people, society,
business, economy, culture, languages and the creative arts, as well as through research and
innovation. The University's Strategy 2015-2020 outlines the objectives and major strategic
initiatives set in place in order to accomplish UCD's mission and vision for this era.
The TOPMed10 programme is hosted between a number of leading biomedical research centres
based in UCD:
Systems Biology Ireland is an international leader in the application of computational and
mathematical modeling to biomedical questions. Its research focuses on elucidating the basic
principles of the design and function of biological signal transduction networks so as to design new
therapeutic approaches based on a systems level, mechanistic understanding of biomolecular
networks. To do this, the centre draws on the expertise of experimentalists, computational
3
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
scientists, bioinformaticians, biostatisticians, physicists, engineers, software developers, chemists
and clinicians.
SBI specialises in the development of new network based diagnostics and treatment strategies in
cancer. Since its establishment in 2009, the centre has identified and validated new and promising
therapeutic targets for treatment of breast cancer, melanoma, neuroblastoma, and colorectal
cancer. The centre’s team of some 80 researchers from over 20 countries has secured ~€37 million in
direct funding, supported 26 postgraduate fellows and 35 internships, established collaborations
with >100 private and academic organisations worldwide; and published 198 original articles and 41
reviews.
UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research is the largest interdisciplinary Irish
life science institute dedicated to the investigation of the molecular causes of diseases. The institute
houses more than 450 research, technical and administrative staff amongst which are 120
postdoctoral and research fellows; making it Ireland’s largest postdoctoral training facility. The
international flavour of the institute is boosted by the fact that over 50% of the 350 early career
researchers who have trained in the Conway Institute in the past decade came from abroad. Key
research areas include cancer and inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Since its inception, the Conway Institute has sought to build critical mass in a number of well-funded,
developing scientific disciplines which are supported by a world-class suite of technology platforms
in areas of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics, flow cytometry
and imaging.
Over the last 10 years, Conway Fellows have produced more than 3200 publications. More than 80
scientific publications by Conway researchers have been cited over 100 times. These highly cited
studies have emerged from across the full range of scientific areas and reflect the world-class
research taking place. Prof Des Higgins, Professor of Bioinformatics at the UCD Conway Institute and
SBI, has over 100,000 total citations for his work on DNA sequence comparisons; making him the
most cited Irish, and one of the most cited researchers in the world.
UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology is the only dermatology research institute in Ireland. It has a
focus on skin inflammatory diseases and melanoma. In January 2014, Martin Steinhoff, a clinician
scientist, was appointed to the Professorial Chair of Dermatology and Director of the Charles
Institute. He joins UCD from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he was the
Professor in Residence in the Departments of Dermatology and Surgery. At UCSF he established
clinics for eczema and rosacea, a successful NIH-funded research group for neuroimmunology, and
clinical trials on novel treatments for pruritus and atopic dermatitis.
Prof Steinhoff’s vision for the Charles Institute is to become a world leader in dermatology research
and training in order to improve patient care through the discovery of molecular disease
mechanisms that result in new diagnostic tools and therapies. Associated with the Charles Institute
are two dermatology university clinics located in St Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) and the
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH) linked via UCD Clinical Research Centre. This
provides basic researchers with invaluable patient access for human studies and translational skin
4
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
research. The Charles Institute is equipped to the highest standards with state-of-the-art laboratory
space. Situated in the heart of the UCD Health Sciences Complex, researchers have full access to
comprehensive and advanced analysis platforms for life sciences and biomedical research available
in the Conway Institute and leading expertise in cellular signal transduction networks in SBI.
UCD Clinical Research Centre purpose-built clinical investigation and laboratory support facilities
were established in 2006 at MMUH and in 2007 at SVUH, two of Ireland’s largest teaching hospitals.
UCD CRC undertakes advanced research in a caring environment that aims to progress medical
treatment for patients suffering from a wide range of illnesses. The approach to this research is truly
a team effort with doctors, nurses, technicians, scientists and patients working together towards the
common goal of developing new treatments and improving patient health.
Over 3,000 patients participate annually in research studies in areas such as cancer, dermatology
and inflammatory arthritis. Core activities supported by UCD CRC include clinical research, clinical
trials phases I-IV, population studies, bio-banking, data collection/handling, biostatistics and
provision of training.
1.3 Personalised Medicine
Widely considered as the future of medicine, Personalised Medicine is an approach to medical
practice in which the individual aspects of a patient are directly considered to guide treatment
planning, including his or her genetic make-up, key biomarkers, prior treatment history,
environmental factors and behavioural preferences. This enables the development of personalised
treatments and therapies as opposed to a ‘one size fits all’, trial and error approach.
Personalised Medicine is now coming into reach because of advances in high throughput –omics
technologies and emerging disciplines such as computational modelling, molecular bioinformatics,
biostatics, statistical genetics and clinical informatics.
A new generation of scientists and clinicians with interdisciplinary expertise is now required to
harness these technologies and disciplines to produce tangible benefits for patients, practitioners
and society in general.
1.4 Marie Curie
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA), named after the double Nobel Prize winning PolishFrench scientist famed for her work on radioactivity, support researchers at all stages of their
careers, irrespective of nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines, from life-saving
healthcare to 'blue-sky' science, are eligible for funding. The MSCA also support industrial
doctorates, combining academic research study with work in companies, and other innovative
training that enhances employability and career development.
In addition to generous research funding, scientists have the possibility to gain experience abroad
and in the private sector, and to complete their training with competences or disciplines useful for
their careers. Internationally respected in industry and academia, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Fellowship is a recognised mark of research excellence.
5
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
Related Links
Testimonials from Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellows
Marie Curie Alumni Association
6
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
2 Fellowship Details
2.1 Fellowship Categories
UCD TOPMed10 Fellowships are for experienced researchers of any nationality and residing
worldwide, seeking a prestigious career development fellowship based in UCD, Ireland, including the
opportunity to work closely with a number of relevant academic and non-academic partners of their
choice and appropriate to their research, training and professional career development.
We welcome applications from candidates who have had career breaks and are looking to return to
a research-based career and from candidates who have had a non-traditional career path including
those who have built up research experience but who may not have a PhD.
Fellowships are open to candidates of any nationality, who at the time of the proposal submission
deadline have not resided in Ireland for more than 12 months in the preceding 3 years.
Fellow level 1
Candidates with 0-3 years post PhD (or equivalent) experience
This is a research training role, where applicants will conduct a programme of research and research
training, on a topic of their choice as proposed in their application to the programme, under the
supervision of the PI.
The primary purpose of the role is to further develop research skills and competencies including:
development of processes of publication; the development of funding proposals; and the
mentorship of graduate students.
Fellow level 2
Candidates with 3+ years post PhD (or equivalent) experience
This is an advanced research training role, building on prior experience as a post-doctoral fellow,
where Fellows will conduct their programme of research training on a topic of their choice as
proposed in their application to the programme, under the supervision and direction of the PI.
The primary purpose of the role is to develop new or advanced research skills and competencies that
will prepare them for an independent position following the programme, including: publishing
research outputs; acquiring independent funding; gaining experience in research
project management; training in leadership, and supervision and mentorship of graduate students.
7
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
3 Eligibility Criteria
3.1 Eligibility of applicants
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Must be experienced researchers as per the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions definition: at
the time of the deadline for submission of applications, applicants must be in possession of a
doctoral degree or, if the applicant has does not have a doctoral degree and is not in the
process of completing one, they should have at least 4 years of full-time equivalent research
experience
Must have 0-3 years additional research experience order to be eligible for a Level I
fellowship (not including career breaks)
Must be have 3+ years additional research experience in order to be eligible for a Level II
fellowship (not including career breaks)
At the time of the deadline of the call, applicants must have not resided in Ireland for more
than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline for submission date
(compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account)
May not be already permanently employed at UCD
3.2 Eligibility of project proposals
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Must be within the TOPMed10 research areas and identify a TOPMed10 PI
Must be complete and in English
Must be received by UCD through the online admission system on or before the deadline
Must include completed Ethics section, as outlined in the fellowship application form
Must adhere to the ethical rules of UCD and the European Union Horizon 2020 research
programme
3.3 Eligibility of host organisations for outgoing phase
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Must be able to provide a suitable research and training environment for the applicant,
including access to research facilities and appropriate supervision
Must be comparable to UCD in regard to the standard of research excellence
Must be an organisation in academic, industry or government sector
8
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
4 Selection of Fellows
4.1 Assessment Criteria – written proposal
All eligible applications will be evaluated by three independent assessors and will be given a score
from 0-100 in accordance with criteria for the selection of fellows outlined in the table below which
is based on the European Union Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions criteria.
A threshold of 70% will be applied to the final scores. Applicants scoring less than 70% will not
progress to the interview phase of the selection process. Of the applicants who score 70% or more, a
maximum of 3 applicants per fellowship position will be brought forward to the interview phase. All
applicants will be informed by the Programme Manager about the score they have achieved and
whether or not they have progressed to the interview phase of the selection process.
Excellence
Impact
Implementation
Quality, innovative aspects and
credibility of the research
(including inter/ multidisciplinary
aspects, and if appropriate,
intersectoral aspects)
Enhancing research and
innovation related human
resources, skills, and working
conditions to realise the potential
of individuals and to provide new
career perspectives
Overall coherence and
effectiveness of the work plan,
including appropriateness of the
allocation of tasks and resources
Clarity and quality of training and
career development for the
researcher in light of the research
objectives.
Effectiveness of the proposed
measures for communication and
results dissemination
Appropriateness of the
management structures and
procedures, including quality
management and risk
management
Quality of the supervision and the
hosting arrangements.
Appropriateness of the proposed
PI. If appropriate, quality of PI at
secondment host.
Appropriateness of the
institutional environment
(infrastructure). Appropriateness
of the institutional environment at
the secondment host (if
applicable).
Capacity of the researcher to
reach or re-enforce a position of
professional maturity in research
Competences and experience of
the secondment host organisation
(if applicable).
Weighting
50%
30%
20%
Priority in case of ex aequo
1
2
3
NB: An overall threshold of 70% will be applied to the total weighted score.
9
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
4.2 Assessment Criteria – interview
The interview stage gives us an opportunity to find out more about the applicant as well as giving an
opportunity for the applicant to address any potential queries arising from the proposal and to learn
more about UCD and the wider environment.
The interview will be carried out either in person or by video-conferencing. The interview panel will
be comprised of two members of the panel of independent international assessors who reviewed
the written proposals, a representative from UCD with personalised medicine expertise and a
representative from UCD Human Resources.
As part of the interview, the applicant will be asked to give a 15 minute oral presentation to address
the following topics:
◦
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Project proposal
Overview of applicant’s career and training development objectives
Impact of the fellowship on the applicant’s long-term career prospects.
At the end of the interview, the interview panel will assign a score of between 0-100 based on the
following criteria:
Criteria
Weighting
Priority in case
of ex aequo
Performance at the interview during which the selection committee
will assess:
◦ Scientific knowledge in the area of interest
◦ Analytical skills
◦ Communication and presentations skills
◦ Demonstration of coherency between fellowship and long
term professional development plan of the fellow
80%
1
Interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral value of the proposed research and
training plan
15%
2
Assessment of fellow’s past experiences including time spent in
industry or a research management related field
5%
3
The final mark for each application will be comprised of the score for the written proposal and the
interview with 50% weighting for written proposal and 50% weighting for the interview.
Applications will be ranked in order of score. A threshold of 70% will be applied once again.
Fellowships will only be offered to those candidates scoring on or above the 70% threshold. There
will be a fixed number of fellowships offered per call which will be offered to the highest ranking
fellows.
10
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
Those who score above the 70% threshold but are not in line for a fellowship offer are placed on a
reserve list. Applicants on the reserve list and those scoring below 70% will be informed about the
score they achieved and the outcome of the selection process by the Programme Manager.
4.3 Selection Process
4.3.1 Publication of the Fellowship Call
The application process starts with the publication of the Fellowship Call, with information about the
call disseminated to reach potential applicants. An online application system is open for the duration
of call which lasts approximately 12 weeks. The online application system will close on the date of
the application deadline.
4.3.2 Preparation of the Application
Applicants are encouraged to start the process of the application preparation as early as possible. All
relevant documentation, including A Guide for Applicants, Application Form, Assessment Procedures
document and Terms and Conditions document, is published on the Programme website in the
Application Documents section.
The online application system will require the input of personal details, details on your proposal and
completion of an ethics questionnaire. Applicants will also be required to upload a copy of their
detailed research proposal, an academic CV and a letter of support from their secondment host, if
applicable.
During this phase of the application process, the TOPMED10 Programme Manager will provide
support to applicants on all technical and eligibility issues via email, phone and skype.
At the outset of the application preparation, applicants are required to contact a potential UCD
PrincipaI Investigator (PI) with whom they would like to work on their research project to ensure
that their chosen PI will agree to work with them if the application is successful. Applicants will be
asked to nominate a UCD PI in their online application.
4.3.3 Submission of the applications
The applications must be submitted via the online application system on the Programme website. In
order to submit an application, all applicants need to register in the system. Each applicant will
receive individual login details. Once registered, applicants can submit relevant information to the
system, which will be stored there until they submit the application or decide to make changes to
information recorded earlier.
The online application system will automatically close on the submission date specified in the Call
documents. For Fellowship Call 2 the system will close on 30 June 2016 at 23.30. After the closure of
the online application system, applicants will be able to monitor the status of their application
throughout the peer-review process.
Applicants experiencing any technical difficulties with the online application system are asked to
contact the Programme Manager for assistance.
11
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
4.3.4 Eligibility checking
Once the applications have been submitted and the online applications system is closed, all
applications will be checked for eligibility. This will include a check on any ethical issue raised in the
application. All applicants will be informed about the results of eligibility checking via email and
through their profile within the online application system. If an application is found ineligible,
applicants will be provided with explanation of the grounds for ineligibility.
4.3.5 International Peer-Review
All eligible applications will be sent out for external international peer-review. Each application will
be evaluated by three independent assessors.
Applications will be scored according the TOPMed10 Assessment Criteria.
All applicants will be informed about the final score they achieved and the broad place in the order
of merit. All applicants will also receive qualitative feedback from the assessors.
4.3.6 Ranking of the applications
Based on the scores assigned to each application through the peer-review assessment a final ranking
of the applications will be produced. All applicants will be informed about the outcome of the peerreview assessment and their place in the final ranking as soon as the review panel makes its
recommendations.
4.3.7 Interviews of top scoring candidates
A number of top scoring applicants from each category will be invited to the next phase – a
competency interview. The interview will be carried out in person or via teleconferencing facility.
The interview stage provides an opportunity to meet the candidates and ensure that they have all
the competencies required to implement the proposed project. It will also give the candidates an
opportunity to address any potential inconsistencies in the proposal and to learn more about UCD
and the wider environment.
The final mark for each application will be comprised of the score for the written proposal and the
interview with 50% weighting for written proposal and 50% weighting for the interview.
4.3.8 Fellowship offers for successful applicants
UCD Human Resources will issue letters of offer to the successful candidates based on
recommendations from the Interview Selection Board.
It is expected that successful Fellows will start the Fellowship at the earliest convenience within four
months of acceptance. Given that transnational mobility is a key feature of the programme, UCD
recognises that additional time may be required to allow a Fellow to complete their previous
activities before the move to UCD. Consequently, the starting date for each Fellow will be negotiated
on individual basis by the Fellow in question and UCD.
12
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
4.4 Redress Procedure
All candidates have a right to a redress procedure if they feel that there has been a shortcoming in
the way their proposal was evaluated and that this shortcoming may affect the final decision on
whether to fund it or not, or if they believe that the results of eligibility checks are incorrect.
To avail of that procedure a candidate needs to submit a request for redress. The requests for
redress will be examined by a specially formed internal UCD Committee.
Redress requests must be:
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Related to the evaluation process or eligibility checks, as described in the Guide for
Applicants for the call.
Completed by using the form available from the UCD TOPMED10, including a clear
description of the grounds for complaint.
Received within the time limit specified on the notification which has been received by the
applicant.
Submitted personally by the interested applicant.
Once the request is submitted by an applicant, the review Committee will review the case. If there is
clear evidence that a shortcoming has occurred that could affect the eventual funding decision, the
proposal will be re-evaluated.
This procedure is solely concerned with the evaluation and/or eligibility checking process. The
committee will not call into question the scientific or technical judgement of appropriately qualified
experts.
Only one request for redress per proposal will be considered by the Committee. All requests for
redress will be treated confidentially.
13
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
5 Ethical Issues
All applicants to the TOPMed10 Fellowship Programme are required to complete an Ethics
Questionnaire, which is part of the online application form, and submit it as part of their application.
A template is included in Section 11D of this Guide. Where ethics issues are identified in the Ethics
Questionnaire, an Ethics Statement (see Section 11E) of not more than 2 pages should be completed
and appended to the Research Proposal.
Research areas excluded from funding include:
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Research activities aiming at human cloning for reproductive purposes
Research activities intended to modify the genetic heritages or human beings which could
make such changes heritable
Research activities intended to create human embryos solely for the purposes of research or
for the purpose of stem cell procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear
transfer
Research activities involving human stem cells (both adult and embryonic)
Applicants must consider and address any of the following ethics issues, if they arise, in their
proposals:
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Humans
Human cells/tissues
Personal data
Animals
Third countries
Environment & Health and Safety
Dual use
Misuse
Other ethics issues
For more information on ethical issues please refer to the documents listed in Section 9 of this
Guide. You can also consult information provided by the UCD Office of Research Ethics.
UCD Research Ethics Approvals System will be used to ensure that all ethical issues arising from
TOPMed10 Fellows’ research are identified, reviewed and addressed in its implementation. The
TOPMed10 Programme is committed to ensure that all research is conducted according to best
ethical practice and thus maintain the good name of research in UCD, Ireland and Europe.
14
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
6 Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual Property is subject to UCD internal policy and provisions of the employment contract of
the TOPMed10 Fellows. For UCD Intellectual Property policy, please go to:
http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/UCD_IP_Policy%20(2010).pdf
and for more information on Intellectual Property please go to:
http://www.ucd.ie/innovation/researchers/intellectualpropertyguide/
The IP policy will apply during the Fellow’s stay in UCD and the optional Secondment phase. For
Fellowships, where an Secondment Host Organisation is industry based, the industry Host and UCD
must sign an Intellectual Property (IP) Agreement. Such agreement must be in place before the
Secondment phase of the Fellowship can start. For the outgoing phase of Fellowships based in
academia or other public organisations, UCD will recommend signing a Partnership Agreement that
will include provisions for IP, on which UCD has clear guidelines and policies.
15
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
7 Employment Conditions
7.1 Contractual arrangements
The contractual arrangements for TOPMed10 Fellowships are based on many existing postdoctoral
programmes currently being run in UCD.
After the evaluation procedure has been completed, UCD will send a letter of offer and an
Acceptance Form by e-mail (and also in hardcopy) to the successful applicants, who will be asked to
sign the Acceptance form and return it to UCD in soft and hard copy. Then, the successful Fellows
will be provided with two copies of a Standard Research Fellow Contract. Both copies must be signed
by UCD and the Fellow. One hard copy will be retained by the applicant and one by UCD. The signed
contract means all parties agree to the Terms & Conditions as set out in the contract. UCD will hold
an employment contract with the Fellow for the entire duration of the Fellowship, including during
the optional secondment. The employment contract will contain information about the statutory
working practices and will determine the conditions for the implementation of the project.
In addition to the general terms and conditions the employment contract will specify the following:
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The nature of the appointment of the researcher in terms of status (i.e Fellow Level 1 or 2)
The total duration of the Fellowship (36 months for Fellow Level 1 and 24 months for Fellow
Level 2)
Details of the Secondment Host Organisation.
Details of the names of the PIs (mentors) in charge of supervising the project.
The salary level of the Fellowship, including any additional payments, such as mobility
allowance etc. and payment information for the Fellow.
Annual leave entitlement and other leave entitlements, such as sickness and maternity
leave.
Arrangements between organisations and the researcher relating to IP rights.
The TOPMed10 Fellows will have the following entitlements:
◦
◦
◦
The Fellows will have the option to join a group scheme with one of the Irish private health
insurance companies and the University will facilitate payment through payroll.
All Fellows will receive a pension from UCD. Once they have paid into the pension fund for
two years, they are entitled to receive a pension upon retirement.
All TOPMed10 Fellows, where relevant, are entitled to 26 weeks maternity leave. Under Irish
law, mothers receive a basic social security Maternity Benefit. UCD will also continue the
Fellowship to its full 2-year term. Fellows are also entitled to 16 weeks of unpaid maternity
leave by Irish law; they may use this as a ‘no-cost extension’ to the duration of the award.
16
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
7.2 Financial aspects
Cost
categories
(€/year)
Fellowship
Level 1
Fellowship
Level 2
Living
allowance
37 060
41 630
Mobility
allowance*
6 500
6 500
Family
allowance**
2 700
2 700
Contribution
to research
costs***
15 900
15 900
Please note that all or part of the costs may be liable for taxes.
* The mobility allowance is provided to cover expenses linked to the personal household and relocation of the
Fellow.
** family is defined as persons linked to the Fellow by (i) marriage, or (ii) a relationship with equivalent status
to a marriage recognised by the legislation of the country where this relationship was formalised; or (iii)
dependent children who are actually being maintained by the Fellow.
*** to cover consumable costs, publication costs and travel to attend an international conference, workshop
or summer school or to facilitate training activities.
7.3 Rights and obligations
Fellows will be employed full time for the period of 24 months. All absence will be regulated by the
employment contract and where appropriate by the National Legislation. Serious justified reasons
connected to personal or family circumstances can authorise a temporary break in the research
activity but the total project length cannot, in any case, exceed the duration of the European
Commission Grant Agreement from which the TOPMed10 Programme is co-funded, specifically must
end by 30th June 2020.
Fellows will receive all the necessary administrative and technical support to ensure access to the
facilities required to carry out their research. The agreement will include a section where the
Secondment Host Organisation affirms that any necessary equipment and resources are available to
progress the work. Technical conditions that will be provided by UCD and the Secondment Host
Organisations will also include access to the office and lab space needed to carry out the research
17
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
project. Fellows will have the same rights of access to space as regular staff. Office space will contain
the usual facilities, such as a personal computer, Internet connection, e-mail facilities and telephone,
and access to general office equipment. The Secondment Host Organisations will offer similar
technical conditions and this will be documented in the partnership agreement signed by both
parties.
7.4 Training and Career Development aspects
7.4.1 Personal Development Plan
It is a requirement of the fellowship that all fellows engage in developmental conversations with
their dedicated PI and that a personal development plan template is used to track long-term career
goals as well as the aims of the research, to record progress and to provide reflective space for
identifying growth areas within the fellows/PI relationship. This personal development plan aims to
support the Fellow in their current role as well as prepare them for their future chosen career. The
Fellow is responsible for his/her own development and is supported by the PI, who, with the support
of the TOPMed10 Programme Manager and relevant UCD departments, will assist the Fellow in the
realisation of their career development plan.
To ensure that a balance between the demands of the Fellow’s role and the desire for development
is maintained, it is recommended that the Fellow will plan for up to 3 development objectives over a
9-12 month period.
The personal development plan should cover all stages of the research career, providing checks and
balances, feedback and counselling. Fellows will be required to liaise with their PI in this regard and
submit annual reports outlining their progress in the implementation of their personal development
plan.
7.4.2 Mentoring
Within three months of starting work at UCD, all fellows will take part in one-to-one career coaching
conversations with the Research Careers Manager (based in the UCD Career Development Centre,
this role supports the UCD Research Career Framework which establishes a structured and
supportive skills and early career development model for postdoctoral researchers at UCD). These
sessions apply a person-centred, values based approach to professional development, integrating
self-awareness exercises with competency awareness exercises so that fellows can conduct a
competency gap analysis for themselves and make informed decisions about training needs and
career transition options. This is a confidential space where fellows can consider the most effective
approach to working with their PI and completing their personal development plan.
The UCD Career Development Centre provides a mock interview service for fellows applying for jobs
inside or outside academia. An interview panel is formed by the fellow sourcing a panel member,
and the Research Careers Manager (chair) sourcing a panel member. This provides an environment
that is more ecologically valid than one-to-one mock interviews. A feedback session with the
Research Careers Manager uses panel interview assessments and score sheets and a fellow selfassessment score-sheet to ensure the fellow has explicated his/her positive learning from the
exercise.
18
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
From the beginning of their fellowship, peer mentoring sessions for fellows will be facilitated (jointly)
by UCD Research, UCD Learning and Development, the UCD Career Development Centre and the
Research Staff Association. These networking events will provide regular interaction for those
working in interconnected research areas, experiencing many of the same challenges – such as
managing work-life balance while advancing a research career. Through these sessions, the fellow
group is encouraged and supported to maintain their peer-mentoring sessions themselves, seeking
mentoring in specific areas as required (e.g. contacting a specific PI or the UCD Learning and
Development Unit to source a speaker to address a particular issue). The ultimate aim of the above
approaches is to establish a culture of ‘constellatory mentoring’, whereby this team of fellows, in
keeping with the interdisciplinary nature of their research, generate a network or ‘constellation’ of
mentors to support them in their professional and personal development.
7.4.3 UCD Research Skills and Career Development
It is a condition of the fellowship that all fellows actively and fully participate in the postdoctoral
professional training, research skills and career development process in UCD. A Postdoctoral Fellow
Specific Orientation Event will focus on linking fellows directly to information and supports available
to them to carry out high quality, interdisciplinary research as well as to the UCD Research Staff
Association and other internal researcher networks. The interactive afternoon session of this event is
dedicated to professional and career development, encouraging fellows to consider career options,
transferable skills, competency gaps and training needs from the outset of their fellowship.
Fellows can access a range of short courses and modules in clinical translational research (module
topics to include clinical trial design, clinical bioinformatics, biostatistics, data handling etc) which
are being specifically offered to the programme by the UCD Clinical Research Centre who have an
established partnership with ICON plc (a partner organisation on TOPMed10) in provision of training
in clinical and translational research skills to respond to current industry needs.
It is a requirement of this programme that all Fellows take part in a minimum of three professional
development training events focused on (non-research-oriented) transferable skills. Supports are
delivered through tailored and bespoke workshops, seminars, one-to-one coaching sessions,
employer/ recruiter liaison events, informal networking events and online support activities, across
four key development areas:
◦
◦
◦
◦
Research and Research Management
Personal and Professional Excellence
Teaching, Learning and Mentoring
Innovation and Transferable Skills
Potential training course include:
◦
◦
◦
Research skills and techniques, such as managing research projects, grant writing.
Communication skills, e.g. science communication, community engagement, report writing,
presentation skills, teaching skills.
Outreach through UCD Imagine Science, including the making of short films in collaboration
with the Film School at the Institute of Art Design and Technology.
19
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Interpersonal effectiveness, e.g. time management, building research leaders.
Awareness of knowledge transfer opportunities and methods, IPR issues, e.g. patents,
copyright etc.
Career management, e.g. career planning and development, accessing the hidden job
market, writing a CV, developing interview strategy.
Teaching towards a certificate for those wishing to remain in academia.
Innovation and entrepreneurship training provided by the UCD Innovation Academy.
Additionally, fellows have access to a wide portfolio of training and development events open to all
academic staff, including academic leadership training, health and wellbeing seminars and IT/ Library
and finance skills seminars.
All fellows will take part in an exit interview with the Research Careers Manager anytime from three
months to the end of their contract to discuss their personal development plan, and in particular the
next step in their career. An online system has been designed by UCD to record the fellow’s
development from orientation though to exit, so that upon fellowship completion, an official
transcript outlining all development activities participated in can be generated. This transcript will
capture the key activities undertaken as part of the personal development plan and can be used to
support future job/ grants applications.
7.5 Support for the Fellows
7.5.1 UCD Support
UCD will offer support to all applicants during the entire period from application preparation stage
until the end of the Fellowship and beyond, where appropriate. The TOPMed10 Programme
Manager will run a support helpdesk for applicants and Fellows throughout the duration of the
Programme. Helpdesk Support will include provision of information on:
◦
◦
◦
◦
the application
the eligibility criteria
the submission procedure
suitability of a research topic
The Programme Manager will also facilitate technical support for any problems associated with the
online application system.
7.5.2 EURAXESS Service Centre
Applicants and Fellows can avail of a range of services offered by the Irish EURAXESS Office.
EURAXESS.ie provides information on a range of issues and areas affecting researchers, including
immigration and visas, employment law, healthcare, childcare, social services and life in Ireland.
EURAXESS, in collaboration with the TOPMed10 Programme, will organise a welcome event for all
Fellows.
20
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
7.5.3 Hosting Agreement (Researcher Visa Scheme)
Ireland is a signatory of the Hosting Agreement Scheme. The Scheme offers a free and fast track
service for visa applications for higher education institutions and the private sector, who wish to
recruit non-EU researchers to the country. Under the Scheme visas are issued rapidly and work
permits are not required. Researcher’s families can accompany them immediately and use public
schooling. Family members have access to the job market and the researchers can stay on to look for
a job after their contract ends.
The Scheme is operated by the EURAXESS Ireland office based in the Irish Universities Association
and is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
21
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
8 Information on processing personal data
Personal data of applicants submitted as part of the application for the TOPMed10 Fellowship will be
processed only for the purposes of the present call and the possible signing of the employment
contract with UCD. The processing of personal data will adhere to the UCD Data Protection Policy.
22
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
9 Relevant links
European Charter for Researchers
http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/europeanCharter
Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers
http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/codeOfConduct
EC Guidance: How to complete your ethics self-assessment
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/ethics/h2020_hi_ethic
s-self-assess_en.pdf
European Textbook on Ethics in Research
http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/textbook-onethicsreport_en.pdf
UCD Research Skills & Career Development
http://www.ucd.ie/researchcareers/trainingdevelopmentopportunities/
UCD Research Careers Framework
http://www.ucd.ie/hr/rcf/
UCD HR Strategy for Researchers
https://www.ucd.ie/research/about/officeofthevpforresearchinnovationandimpact/hrstrategyforres
earchers/
UCD Innovation Academy
http://www.innovationacademy.ie/
Toolkit “Gender in EU-funded research”
http://www.yellowwindow.be/genderinresearch/index_downloads.html
23
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
10 Contact details
UCD TOPMed10 Programme
Systems Biology Ireland
University College Dublin
Belfield, Dublin 4
Ireland
Programme Manager: Will Fitzmaurice
E: topmed10@ucd.ie
W: www.ucd.ie/topmed10
T: +353 1 716 6308
24
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
11 Application Templates for Call 1 (2015)
All applications for the UCD TOPMed10 Fellowships must be submitted using the online application
system on the Programme website.
This document presents the templates of documents that are required to be submitted as part of an
application.
A. Online application registration
B. Personal Details
C. Online proposal details
D. Ethics
E. Research proposal
F. Academic CV
Please note that sections A, B, C and D (‘Online application registration’, ‘Personal Details’, ‘Online
proposal details’ and ‘Ethics’) will be completed as part of the online form, while the remaining
documents (E & F) shall be submitted in pdf format as an attachment.
25
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
A. ONLINE APPLICATION REGISTRATION
Before submitting an application all applicants are required to register with the online application
system. The required registration details are presented in the table below.
First Name
Last Name
Email
Website
Mobile number
Phone number
Password
Security Question
Security Answer
26
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
B. PERSONAL DETAILS
On logging on to the application system, you will be prompted to complete the following details
Person details
Title
First Name
Last Name
Gender
Contact Details
Mobile Number
Phone Number
Email Address
Personal Website
Citizenship Details
Country of Citizenship
Address
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Address Line 3
Postcode
County
Country
27
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
C. PROPOSAL DETAILS
Proposal Title
Research Area
Proposal summary
Fellowship Type (choose one)
Proposed UCD Principal Investigator
(PI)
A short summaryof the proposal of up to
2000 characters
• Incoming Fellowship Level 1
• Incoming Fellowship Level 2
Applicants are strongly encouraged to
contact potential PIs in UCD with whom they
wish to collaborate on the development of
their application prior to the submission of
their application
Proposed Secondment (optional)
Proposed Secondment Principal
Investigator (PI) (optional)
Key words (maximum five)
28
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
D. ETHICS
The following research areas are excluded from funding:
-
Research activities aiming at human cloning for reproductive purposes
Research activities intended to modify the genetic heritages or human beings which could make
such changes heritable
Research activities intended to create human embryos solely for the purposes of research or for
the purpose of stem cell procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer
Research activities involving human stem cells (both adult and embryonic)
All questions marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory. If you answer YES to any mandatory
question, please answer the follow up questions in that section and please provide further
information on how these issues will be addressed in your research in the Ethics Statement (section
E).
Please consult the 2013 People Programme Guide for Applicants for Marie Curie Actions on Ethics
for further information. The Guide is available on the TOPMed10 programme website.
1. Humans
Does your research involve human participants?*
Are they volunteers for human sciences research?
Are they persons unable to give informed consent?
Are they vulnerable individuals or groups?
Are they children or minors?
Are they patients?
Are they healthy volunteers for medical studies?
Does your research involve physical interventions on the study participants?
Does it involve invasive techniques?
Does it involve collection of biological samples?
2. Human cells/tissues
Does your research involve human cells or tissues?*
Are they available commercially?
Are they obtained within this project?
Are they obtained within another project?
Are they deposited in a biobank?
3. Personal data
Does your research involve personal data collection and/or processing?*
Does it involve the collection and/or processing of sensitive personal data (e.g.: health,
sexual lifestyle, ethnicity, political opinion, religious or philosophical conviction)?
29
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
Does it involve processing of genetic information?
Does it involve tracking or observation of participants?
Does your research involve further processing of previously collected personal data
(secondary use)?
4. Animals
Does you research involve animals?*
Are they vertebrates?
Are they non-human primates?
Are they genetically modified?
Are they cloned farm animals?
Are they endangered species?
If yes please indicate the species involved (Maximum number of characters allowed:
1000)
5. Third countries
Does your research involve non-EU countries?*
If Yes specify the countries involved (Maximum number of characters allowed: 1000)
Do you plan to use local resources (e.g. animal and/or human tissue samples, genetic
material, live animals, human remains, materials of historical value, endangered fauna or
flora samples, etc.)?
Do you plan to import any material from non-EU countries into the EU?
If yes specify material and countries involved (Maximum number of characters allowed:
1000)
Do you plan to export any material from the EU to non-EU countries?
If yes specify material and countries involved: (Maximum number of characters allowed:
1000)
If your research involves low and/or lower middle income countries, are benefits-sharing
measures foreseen?
Could the situation in the country put the individuals taking part in the research at risk?
6. Environment & Health and Safety
Does your research involve the use of elements that may cause harm to the
environment, animals or plants?*
Does your research deal with endangered fauna, flora, or protected areas?*
Does your research involve the use of elements that may cause harm to humans,
including research staff?*
7. Dual use
Does your research have the potential for military applications?*
8. Misuse
30
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
Does your research have the potential for malevolent, criminal or terrorist abuse?*
9. Other ethics issues
Are there any other ethics issues that should be taken into consideration?*
I confirm that I have taken into account all ethics issues described above and
that, if any ethics issues apply these have been fully addressed in my
application.*
31
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
E. Ethics Statement
If you answer YES to any questions in the Ethics Questionnaire (section D), please provide further
information on how these issues will be addressed in your research in the form of an Ethics
Statement, which should be a maximum of two pages long and appended to your Research Proposal
(section F).
The statement should demonstrate how you will address any of the issues raised in the
questionnaire, conforming to institutional, national and international ethical and regulatory
requirements.
Applicants should seek advice from their proposed Principal Investigator on completing this section
and should refer to the EU Horizon 2020 Ethics Self Assessment Guide (below) which covers the
majority of ethics issues that normally arise in research projects and gives advice on how to deal
with classic cases.
Further information:
EU Horizon 2020 Ethics Self Assessment Guide
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/ethics/h2020_hi_ethic
s-self-assess_en.pdf
Further reference documents are available from the European Commission website at the bottom of
this webpage:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/docs/h2020-funding-guide/cross-cuttingissues/ethics_en.htm
32
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
F. RESEARCH PROPOSAL
The maximum number of pages for the research proposal document is 12. Font size to be used is 11
for main text and 10 for tables.
Literature should be listed in footnotes, font size 8 or 9. All literature references will count towards
the page limit.
The applicants should use the structure outlined in the table below for the research proposal.
Indicative word counts/page counts and comments on content are provided in each section (grey
text) below to serve as a guide on structuring the proposal. These are guidance notes and do not
have to be strictly adhered to.
Headings
COVER SHEET (~1 page)
Name of the Applicant
Title of the project
Summary (~200 words)
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION (~6 pages)
1.1 Introduction
Comments on the content

Provide a short summary of the proposal. This should be
an overview of the entire research proposal text. Many
authors postpone writing the summary until the rest of
the document is finished.

State the research problem (often referred to as the
purpose of the study).
Provide the context and set the scene for your research
project in such a way as to show its necessity and
importance.
Present the rationale of your proposed project and
clearly indicate why it is worth doing.
Briefly describe the major issues to be addressed by
your research.
Proceed with a concise research statement, which can
take the form of a hypothesis, a research question, a
goal statement - followed by a clarification of the extent
to which you expect your project outcomes to represent
an advance in the current knowledge domain.
All relevant references pertaining to the major issues
described should be cited.
Outline what is currently the most important research in
the field relevant to your proposed project
Demonstrate that you have built a solid knowledge of
the field where the research is taking place, that you are
familiar with the main issues at stake, and that you have
critically identified and evaluated the key literature.
Credit/cite authors who laid the groundwork for your
research.
State the research aims and objectives of your project
bearing in mind the background/state of the art.





1.2 State of the art



1.3 Aims and objectives of the
project

33
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
1.4 Research methodology and
approach
1.5 Originality and innovative
aspects
2. CAREER TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT PLAN (~1 page)
3. SECONDMENT/TRANSFER OF
KNOWLEDGE (if applicable) (~ 0.5
page)
4. SUPERVISION AND HOSTING
ARRANGEMENT (0.5 page)

This is the ‘how to’ component of the proposal and
should provide an overview of the research activities and
methodological approaches you have in mind to face the
key research challenges of your project.
 It should be detailed enough to let the reader decide
whether the methods you intend to use are adequate for
the research at hand and are the best available
approaches for the proposed project.
 Include ethical considerations if relevant.
 Explain the contribution that the project is expected to
make to advancements within the project field.
 Emphasise innovative elements in comparison with
previous or on-going research i.e. any novel concepts,
approaches or methods that will be employed.
 Outline your immediate and long-term goals for your
career.
 Provide a description of your plans for the acquisition of
new knowledge and skills during the period of this
Fellowship in the context of the long-term goals.
 Explain your reasons for choosing this Fellowship and
how this Fellowship programme will contribute to
reaching these goals.
 Detail how the Fellowship will enable you to gain skills
relevant to employment outside the traditional
academic sector.
 Detail how the Fellowship will enable you to acquire
competencies that improve the prospects of reaching
and/or reinforcing a position of professional maturity,
diversity and independence.
 Discuss how you will gain new knowledge from the
secondment organisation during the Fellowship.
 Explain how both hosting organisations may benefit
from the proposed secondment and describe how you
intend to share your knowledge with the host
organisations.
 Outline qualifications and experience of the UCD
Principal Investigator (PI) and the Secondment PI, if
proposed, including experience on the research topic of
the proposal, track record and other relevant
information.
 Explain why you have chosen to carry out research at
UCD and how UCD can support you and your research.
Relevant information is available on the TOPMed10
website under ‘working environment’ and ‘support
services for fellows’. In particular you can ascertain
information on the following through these pages:
- The UCD postdoctoral career development
framework
34
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
-
5. IMPACT (~1 page)
6. IMPLEMENTATION (~2 pages)
Professional development services/courses
available to postdoctoral researchers through UCD
- Central UCD supports for research funded staff
- Access to state-of-the-art core technologies
- Access to clinical research centre (including
associated courses/services)
 Briefly summarise the impact of the Fellowship on your
career path referring back to the section 2. Career
Training and Development plan.
 Briefly summarise how the potential project outcomes
advance science and technology referring back to
section 1.5 Originality and innovative aspects.
 Explain how the potential project outcomes will address
the present and future social/economic needs (such as
industry needs, clinical needs, healthcare needs,
training and education needs etc.)
 Outline the measures you propose to employ in order to
communicate and disseminate the results. The most
common dissemination methods adopted by research
projects include Institution newsletters, Project web
site, Social media, Journal articles, Conference
presentations, Conference posters, Workshops,
Demonstrations, Online discussion forum/blogs/lists,
Press releases, Flyers/brochures, Projects / cluster
meetings, Case Studies, Reports and other documents.
The choice of dissemination method is dependent on
the target audience. Details of UCD’s open access policy
and research repository are available the TOPMed10
website under ‘support services for fellows’.
 Present your Work Plan, including Work Packages,
deliverables, and milestones.
 Outline the allocation of tasks over time (using a Gantt
Chart) and the allocation of resources.
 Describe the potential risks associated with project
implementation and propose contingency plans.
Templates for each of the above is available as part of the
resources on the TOPMed10 website under ‘Application
Process’
35
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
G. ACADEMIC CV TEMPLATE
All applicants should use the following CV format.
Font: Arial, Font size: 11
Personal Information
First name
Last name
Address
Postal code
City
Country
E-mail
Phone
Education
University level
Degree
University name
Dates (start – finish)
Grades
Other
Course
Name of the institution
Dates (start – finish)
Grades
Employment
Dates (start – end)
Position
Teaching experience
Organisation/school
Employer
Responsibilities, tasks and skills
Subject
Description
Leave of absence (e.g. sickness, family- parental leave or military service)
Dates (from – to)
Type of leave of absence
Prizes and awards
Date
Prize/award
36
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.
Conferences
Date
Title and involvement (paper, presentation, poster, chair, organisation, etc.)
Memberships of professional organisations, committees and other community roles
Organisation
Status (member, fellow, reviewer, advisor etc.)
Language skills*
Language
Reading
Writing
Verbal
*Please use the following scale for describing your language skills: native, very good, good, fair and
poor.
List of publications
Please list all relevant publications including journals, books, book chapters, and reports using
Harvard Referencing style (http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/Guide69.pdf
37
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020
research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie
grant agreement No. 666010.