Incoming Short Term Travel Fellowship 2011 to
support international collaborations
Call for Submission of Proposals
DEADLINE for Proposal Submission
13.00hrs on Nov 1st 2011
Terms of Reference
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this document,
it is provided for information purposes only and as a guide to expected developments. It is
not intended, and should not be relied upon, as any form of warranty, representation,
undertaking, contractual, or other commitment binding in law upon Science Foundation
Ireland, Forfás, the Government of Ireland, or any of their respective servants or agents.
SFI Terms and Conditions of Research Grants shall govern the administration of SFI
grants and awards to the exclusion of this and any other oral, written, or recorded
statement.
All responses to this Call for Proposals will be treated in confidence and no information
contained therein will be communicated to any third party without the written permission
of the applicant except insofar as is specifically required for the consideration and
evaluation of the proposal or as may be required under law, including the Industrial
Development (Science Foundation Ireland) Act, 2003 and the Freedom of Information
Acts 1997 and 2003
Incoming STTF
1. Introduction
Science Foundation Ireland advances national scientific progress by awarding grants for
research on a competitive basis in those fields of science and engineering that underpin
biotechnology, information and communications technology, and sustainable energy and
energy efficient technologies.
In order to increase the transfer of skills and knowledge to Irish research groups, SFI is
pleased to launch the Incoming Short Term Travel Fellowship (Incoming-STTF) programme.
The Incoming-STTF programme will enable currently active SFI funded researchers to apply
for a travel fund to host a team member from an international academic or industrial
laboratory for a period of up to 6 months in Ireland. The programme will facilitate
collaborations with world-class centres of research excellence and raise international
awareness and recognition of Irish science and high-quality research. This programme will
enhance collaborations with international researchers from industry and academic groups by
allowing a team member (postdoctoral researcher, PhD student or technician) from the
international lab to travel to Ireland for a period of 1 month minimum to a maximum of 6
calendar months.
SFI is committed to supporting and developing excellent research through international
collaboration. As well as maintaining links with outstanding institutions in our more
traditional partner countries, (e.g. Europe, USA), SFI will strategically develop and enhance
research links with other countries aligned to SFI’s International strategy (SFI International
Strategy)1. For the Incoming-STTF programme, priority will be given to competitive
applications received with collaborators from the following countries:
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia, Singapore and South Korea
In addition, we would welcome applications to the programme that involve collaborations
with:
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The Dana Faber Cancer Institute
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The NASA-Ames Research Institute
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The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
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International industrial laboratories
As strategic alliances are formed, the list of countries and institutes may be extended and
applicants are therefore encouraged to check the website for updates. (SFI International
Strategy)
Please note that this does not exclude applications involving collaborations with other
countries and institutions.
1
http://www.sfi.ie/international
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Incoming STTF
2.
Objectives of the Incoming Short Term Travel Fellowship
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To forge collaborations with countries and institutes aligned to SFI international
strategy
To give Irish based researchers the opportunity to establish skills and techniques not
readily available in the Republic of Ireland
To forge collaborations between researchers in the Republic of Ireland and
international academic and industrial researchers
To further develop a component of the currently active SFI research programme
To develop international collaborations and networks
To facilitate links with industry
Definitions
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The Applicant is defined as the award holder on a currently active SFI award
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The International Collaborator is defined as the student, technician or post-PhD who
will travel to the Irish host laboratory to complete the Fellowship programme
4.
Eligibility
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The applicant must be an award holder of a currently active SFI award under the
following programmes: PI, PICA, RFP, SRC, CSET, Stokes, Research Professor,
PIYRA, SIRG, Charles Parsons, Mathematics Initiative, US-Ireland (excluding
US-Ireland planning grant holders)
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The applicant must be a member of staff with an employment contract that extends
beyond the period of the Fellowship
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With the exception of the CSET and SRC programmes (see below), one application
per award is allowed for the programmes listed above
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For SRC and CSET awards, SFI will accept one application per co-PI on the SRC
and CSET award. All applications from SRC and CSETs must be signed off by
the award holder
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The International Collaborator may apply for a maximum of one Fellowship.
5. Eligibility of Irish Research Body2
The research body is the body in charge of the financial and administrative co-ordination of
the research programme receiving a research grant from the Foundation. Research bodies
must be situated in the Republic of Ireland. Research bodies will include universities,
2
The term ‘Research Body’ and ‘Institution’ are equivalent and interchangeable in this documentation
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Incoming STTF
institutes of technology and independent not-for-profit public research organisations that
receive a significant share of their total funding from public sources. Queries regarding
eligibility of research bodies should be directed to SFI prior to submission. A list of eligible
research bodies3 is available on the SFI website.
6. Funding
The budget available, on a competitive basis, is up to €20,000 direct costs for a period up to a
maximum of 6 calendar months. Fellowships are not subject to an overhead contribution.
Eligible costs:
 Travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for the International collaborator to
carry out collaborative research in the Irish host laboratory for a period up to 6
calendar months
 Travel costs will cover the cost of one return trip from international collaborator’s
country to Ireland. Please note that applicants are required to procure the cheapest
available economy flights
 A subsistence rate of €1900 per month (inclusive of accommodation) is allowed
 Consumables and materials, (typical value €1,000 per month) to be used in the Irish
host laboratory during the fellowship
Ineligible costs include:
 Study tours
 Participation in conferences & workshops
 Laptops
 Car Hire
7. Proposal Review Criteria
Applications will be judged on the following:
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Evidence that the international collaboration will contribute to the progress of the SFI
funded research
Quality of the International collaborator and laboratory
Progress of the SFI award
The final decision on all awards rests with SFI.
8. Terms and Conditions
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The Letter of Offer will stipulate that the international collaborator must travel to the
Irish laboratory within the period stated in the Letter of Offer
Fellowships are non-transferable, the name of the international collaborator will be
stated in the Letter of Offer
A final report (template available from SFI), must be submitted to SFI within 45 days
of the applicant’s departure from the Irish host laboratory
http://www.sfi.ie/funding/sfi-eligible-research-bodies/
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Incoming STTF
9. Metrics for Success
Evidence that the Fellowship enabled the collaboration and benefited the SFI funded project
can be quantified by:
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Number of collaborative publications and presentations as a result of the fellowship
Transfer of new skills and techniques to Irish research groups
Increased number of industry collaborations
Strengthened collaborations with countries targeted in SFI international policy
Strengthened collaborations with research institutes targeted in SFI international
policy
10.Application Preparation
General Guidelines
 All text in attachments should be written in single-spaced using at least 12 point
Times New Roman font, or similar, with at least 2.54 cm (1 in) right and left margins.
 The number of words/pages in any given section must not exceed the specifications
 Appendices, or other unsolicited documentation, (e.g. team member CV’s, letters of
support from individuals other the official collaborators, equipment quotations) are
not permitted
 The currency to be used is the euro (€)
Cover Sheet
The following fields in the cover sheet must be completed:
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Applicants must declare their Research Area as either BIO or ICT or Energy. Please
choose the research area closest to your proposal
Full Name of International Institution and the International collaborator who will
travel to the Irish Laboratory
Full Name of SFI Award Holder
Irish Research Body
SFI Award Ref # and SFI Award end date
Fellowship Start and End Dates (fellowship must be completed by end of 2012)
Requested Budget
The cover sheet must be signed by the SFI award holder and must be signed and
stamped by the Irish research body. Proposals without approval signatures will be
deemed ineligible and returned without review.
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Incoming STTF
Section 1. Contact Details
Please provide the name and contact details of the SFI award holder, international research
institution and name of international collaborator who will travel to the Irish host laboratory
as part of the fellowship award.
Section 2. Justification of the need for the exchange, highlighting the benefit to the Irish
host laboratory (max 1 page). In this section, the SFI award holder must demonstrate the
added value that the international collaboration will bring to the SFI funded research project
and must highlight the skills or techniques that will be transferred to the Irish host laboratory.
Section 3. Budget
An indicative budget using the budget template provided with budget justification (max. ½
page). Justification should be provided for travel, subsistence, materials/consumables and the
requested duration of funding. All funding will be administered through the Irish research
body.
Section 4. Additional Content
 CV of the international collaborator (max. 2 pages)
 Letter of support from the Irish host institute that they will accommodate the
international collaborator (max. 1 page)
 Letter of endorsement from international laboratory (max. 1 page)
Applications not adhering to the above guidelines or with incomplete content will be
deemed ineligible and will be returned without review, regardless of the date of
submission.
Institutional Approval
It should be noted that institutional submission of an application encompasses approval of an
application and agreement to SFI Terms and Conditions of Research Grants4 . Submission
must only be made by an authorised institutional representative. In particular, the institution
is approving:
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Eligibility of the applicant;
Applicant is, or will be upon receipt of the grant, a full-time employee of the
research body
The applicant must have a contract in place which will enable him/her to host the
International collaborator
The Research body has the infrastructure and office space available to host the
International collaborator
http://www.sfi.ie/funding/grant-terms-conditions/
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Incoming STTF
11.Ethical Issues
Research supported by SFI must respect fundamental ethical principles. Applicants must
ensure that the proposed research respects all national rules and procedures. It is the
responsibility of the applicant to identify if their proposed research requires ethical approval.
Where ethical approval is required, applicants must inform SFI (STTF@sfi.ie) and may be
requested to provide further detail. Ethical approval must be obtained from the relevant
national or local ethics committee prior to the start of the project.
Pending legislation from the Department of Health and Children governing assisted human
reproduction and related practices, and in line with a current directive from the Department of
Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, SFI is not in a position to fund research using human
embryonic stem cells.
12. Non-compliance
Proposals not in compliance with any details specified in this document or in the “SFI Terms
and Condition of Research Grants” will not be eligible for a grant and will be returned
without review.
13. Confidentiality
Science Foundation Ireland takes all reasonable steps to ensure that information provided in
the application is treated as confidential subject to submission to the members of its
committees and merit review and to any obligations under law.
14. Application Submission
One copy of the proposal as a single document in pdf format must be submitted by email to
STTF@sfi.ie. The subject line of the email should be Incoming - STTF. The cover letter
must be signed by the SFI award-holder, and signed and stamped by the Irish research body.
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One application per SFI award and one application per person will be accepted
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For SRC and CSET awards, SFI will accept one application per co-PI on the SRC
and CSET award. All applications from SRC and CSETs must be signed off by the
lead PI.
Deadline for Applications is 13.00hrs on November 1st 2011
Applications received after this deadline will be deemed ineligible and returned without
review
Questions
If you have any questions with regard to eligibility, please contact STTF@sfi.ie before
submitting your application.
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SFI Short Term Travel Fellowship
COVER SHEET
For Official Use Only
PROGRAMME NAME
Incoming - Short Term Travel Fellowship
(STTF)
RESEARCH AREA
 BIO
 ICT
 Energy
IRISH RESEARCH BODY
FULL NAME OF INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTION
FULL NAME OF SFI AWARD HOLDER
FULL NAME OF INTERNATIONAL
COLLABORATOR
SFI AWARD REF #
SFI AWARD END DATE
PROPOSED Incoming STTF Start & End Dates
TOTAL REQUESTED BUDGET (euro)
Signatures below confirm acceptance and agreement with the SFI grants and awards Terms and Conditions, and
that the institution ensures the applicant meets eligibility requirements, and that the project is in full agreement
with all legal and regulatory matters governing research in Ireland, and no aspect of this project is already being
funded from another source and all details provided are correct .
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SFI Short Term Travel Fellowship
SFI AWARD HOLDER
IRISH RESEARCH BODY -INSTITUTIONAL
SIGNATORY AUTHORITY
Name:
Name:
Position:
Position:
Email:
Email:
Correspondence Address:
Correspondence Address:
Signed:
Signed:
Date:
Date:
SECTION 1: CONTACT DETAILS
SFI Award Holder
Title
Name
Department
Institution
Address
Telephone
Fax
Email
SFI Award Ref #
International Collaborator
Title
Name
Department
Address
Country
Telephone
Fax
Email
Year PhD
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SFI Short Term Travel Fellowship
SECTION 2. Justification of the need for the exchange, highlighting the benefit to the Irish
laboratory (max. 1 page). In this section, the SFI award holder must demonstrate that the International
collaboration adds value to the SFI funded research project and must highlight the skills or techniques
that will be transferred to the Irish host laboratory
SECTION 3 Budget
The budget available, on a competitive basis, is up to €20,000 direct costs for a period up to maximum 6
calendar months. Please complete the budget template and include a half page budget justification.
TOTAL Proposed budget (in euro):
Cost items
€
Travel
Subsistence (inclusive of accommodation)*
Materials &Consumables
Total
BUDGET JUSTIFICATION (max. ½ page)
* A subsistence of €1900 per month (inclusive of accommodation) is available.
SECTION 4. ADDITIONAL PROPOSAL CONTENT
The following documents must also be included.
 CV of the international laboratory collaborator (max. 2 pages).
 Letter of support from host institute that they will accommodate visitor (max 1 page)
 Letter of endorsement from International Institution laboratory (max 1 page)
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