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?
Introduction
Presentation outline
> General remarks on grant opportunities and your
academic career
> Opportunities:
•
NWO: VENI and Rubicon
•
EU: Marie Curie actions
> Questions & more information
April 8, 2015
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
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
April 8, 2015
Introduction
NWO Innovational Research Incentives Scheme: VENI
Target group
Best 10-20% of the peer group: recent PhD
graduates / junior postdocs, must have
completed PhD within the last 3 years
Nature of the award
Own research (incl. salary) and technicians
to be engaged
Grant amount
€ 250,000
Grant period
3 years
Deadline
January 2012
Total number of awards
150
April 8, 2015
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
April 8, 2015
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!
April 8, 2015
Competition
- Every year about 1000 researchers apply for a VENIgrant, 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
April 8, 2015
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!
April 8, 2015
VENI-laureates
Please find a list of VENI-laureates in your discipline at:
http://www.uu.nl/university/research/nl/toponderzoeker
s/venividivici/Pages/default.aspx
(homepage > onderzoek > Utrechtse toponderzoekers >
Veni-vidi-vici-laureaten)
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 VENIworkshop in Oct/Nov (register at
vernieuwingsimpuls.oo@uu.nl)
April 8, 2015
Research
Prior to VENI: RUBICON
Target group
Nature of the award
(mobility)
Postgraduates (or PhD’s with
approved thesis)
Women especially are urged
to apply!
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
Deadline
31 March 2011 (this may be
the last opportunity!)
April 8, 2015
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.
April 8, 2015
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.
April 8, 2015
Research
7th Frame Work Programme: People (Marie Curie actions)
Initial Training
International dimension
ITN - Initial Training Networks
IOF - International Outgoing
Fellowships for career development
IIF - International Incoming
Fellowships
IRSES - International Research Staff
Exchange Scheme
Industry - Academia
Life-long training
IEF - 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
April 8, 2015
Research
Questions?
April 8, 2015
More information
-Corporate
website UU:
-http://www.uu.nl/NL/Informatie/medewerkers/onderzoek/subsi
diesenfondsen/Pages/default.aspx
-Search engines (funding):
-
ResearchReseach
- Community of Science
- More info on Marie Curie actions,
http://www.senternovem.nl/eglpeople/english.asp