Background
1. What is an ESF Research Networking Programme?
An ESF Research Networking Programme is a networking activity bringing together at the European level research activities which are already nationally funded. The proposed network should address a major scientific issue or a science-driven topic of research infrastructure which will benefit from the European-level activity. A programme proposal should therefore involve research teams from a sufficient number of European countries (at least seven ESF countries), propose networking activities and be planned for four to five years.
2. How is the Call operated?
Proposals of up to a maximum of 15 A4 single pages (+ 1 single page for global dimension if applicable) are requested by the deadline. They must be in English and submitted on-line using a specific form provided for the purpose. The proposals are peer reviewed by external referees. These assessments are considered in competition by the relevant Standing Committee(s) which selects, usually by mid-June, those proposals to be recommended to ESF Member Organisations for their à la carte support.
3. How is a Programme funded?
ESF Programmes are funded on an à la carte principle by ESF Member Organisations (MOs) and other partner organisations which decide to contribute. ESF normally only recommends a limited number of programme proposals to its Member Organisations based on their funding capacities. Only when sufficient financial support, allowing to reach the objectives of the Programme, has been obtained from ESF Member Organisations, are proposals for new Research Networking Programme approved by ESF for launching.
Eligibility of Applicants
4. Who is eligible to submit a proposal?
Only researchers based in European universities or research institutes in countries having agencies that are ESF Member Organisations (‘ESF MO countries’) are eligible to submit proposals (for the list of ESF Member Organisations, click here). Proposals may have co-proposers from non-ESF member countries. In this case, the co-proposers should assure their share of funding through their own sources (see Proposals with a global dimension section in the Call).
5. Can established societies submit proposals?
No. Applications must come from individual scientists/researchers.
6. Does the principal applicant have to be the proposed Programme Chair?
No. However, both the principal applicant and the proposed Chair should be from an ESF Member Organisation country and should be clearly indicated in the proposal. Note: Confirmation of the proposed Programme Chair in his/her position can only be made once the list of contributing countries is known (i.e. around December of the year in which the proposal has been recommended to MOs for funding) as the Chair must be from an ESF Member Organisation country actually supporting the proposal financially. (See also questions referring to the Steering Committee composition under the “Participation” section of this FAQ).
Activities
7. What does the open character of ESF Research Networking Programmes mean?
Activities of an ESF Research Networking Programme should have an open character. Principal participants within a Programme are expected to network during the Programme’s lifetime with colleagues in other relevant research groups, not necessarily listed in the proposal, to ensure that opportunities in the Programme’s activities are known and are open to other eligible participants. Activities proposed in the application should demonstrate this open character ensuring access to all the relevant research community through i.a. promotion of activities in the community and open calls for visits and science meetings.
Budget
8. What is the typical budget of an ESF Programme?
The typical annual budget of an ESF Programme averages € 105 – 130 000 per year of its duration (not including ESF administration fee) and it is suggested to keep the requested budget in this range. This suggestion is based on ESF experience with the costs of networking-type activities and with the funding capacities of ESF Member Organisations. However a smaller or larger budget can be requested but must be well justified. For example, some types of networking activities like the publication of books or a book series justify substantially larger budgets. It is however advisable to contact the relevant ESF Scientific Unit to discuss budgets substantially deviating from the suggested level.
It should be noted that it is the ESF Member Organisations' pledged contributions that ultimately determine the level of financial support for a particular Programme. This may in the end be less than the sum requested in the proposal. In this event, proposers will be asked to revise, without impacting on the scientific quality of the proposal, their budget (and scope of activities) in light of the funding effectively pledged so as to enable the launch of the Programme. In the case of a significant shortfall however, ESF may deem a Programme to be non-viable.
Assessment criteria
9. What are the main assessment criteria used?
The criteria are listed in the section “Assessment criteria and procedure” of the Call for Proposals.
When drawing up their final shortlist for recommendation, Standing Committees take into account the above criteria as well as their own policies including the scientific balance of their Programme portfolio. Therefore it is advisable to check the portfolio of each standing Committee especially current Research Networking Programmes or EUROCORES activities.
For the current Programme portfolio of each Standing Committee please click on the “Activities” option in the vertical menu on the left side of the relevant Standing Committee’s webpage indicated below, then choose “RNP”:
- Standing Committee for the European Medical Research Councils (EMRC)
- Standing Committee for the Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences (LESC)
- Standing Committee for Physical and Engineering Sciences (PESC)
- Standing Committee for the Humanities (SCH)
- Standing Committee for the Social Sciences (SCSS)
10. How are multi-disciplinary proposals and proposals with a global dimension assessed?
All proposals are assessed following the same procedure and criteria. Multi-disciplinary proposals and proposals covering just one discipline have equal chances to be recommended. Proposals with a global dimension must follow the normal requirements and criteria for an ESF Programme proposal and will be assessed in competition with all other proposals but high quality collaboration outside Europe will be a positive element in the assessment and final selection. See the section of the Call on “Proposals with a global dimension” for further details on this aspect.
Applications
11. In what language(s) can I submit a proposal?
Applications must be in English.
12. Is there an application form?
Yes, proposers must use the template provided in the paragraph “Submission format” in the “Guidelines for proposal submission” section of the Call.
- Headings and structure in the form should not be modified and the requested information provided in the order listed.
- The formatting of the form as set out below must be respected: - Paper size: A4
- Body Font: Arial or Helvetica
- Body Font size: 11
- Margins: Left and right margins (at least) 3cm. Top and bottom (at least) 2cm
The complete proposal should be submitted on-line (see below).
13. Is there a limit to the length of a "full" proposal?
Yes. Proposals should not exceed 15 A4 single pages (+1 extra single page for global dimension where applicable).
14. What information should be provided?
A proposal should cover scientific, financial and administrative details. See the paragraph “Content of Proposal” in the “Guidelines for proposal submission” section for complete details.
15. How and when should I submit a proposal?
Proposals must be submitted online via the link to be found in the "Submission procedure" paragraph of the "Proposal contents and submission procedure" section of the Call. Before uploading the single file containing your proposal, you will be asked to provide a certain amount of information listed on the on-line form. Therefore, before starting, please ensure that you have all details available. See above mentioned paragraph of the Call for more details.
Submissions must be made on or before the application deadline, which is indicated in the Call.
Revisions will not be accepted!
16. Can I submit my application via e-mail?
No.
17. If I apply early, have I a better chance of being selected?
No. All proposals received by the deadline are dealt with together. It is however recommended not to wait until the last minute to submit your proposal as the possibility of encountering technical problems can never be fully ruled out.
18. If I apply after the deadline, will my proposal be considered?
No.
19. Can I expect an acknowledgement of receipt of my proposal?
Yes, if you are the 'contact person' and you provided a correct email address. The contact person will be sent an acknowledgement of receipt by email, within two weeks of the deadline. No acknowledgements will be sent via fax or surface mail.
20. When will I be informed of the outcome of my application?
The contact person will receive notification of the outcome of the assessment by the Standing Committee(s) normally by mid-June 2010 at the latest. An anonymous copy of the referees’ assessments will be provided as feedback shortly afterwards by post. The proposals that are retained will be sent to ESF Member Organisations inviting them to contribute on an à la carte basis. A decision on whether or not to launch a programme, which is dependent on sufficient financial support, will be taken in late 2010. The contact person will be notified. Approved Programmes can be launched in 2011.
Participation in an RNP
21. Who comprises the Steering Committee?
Each organisation contributing funds to the Programme (otherwise referred to as ‘contributing organisation’) is eligible to nominate a member for the duration of its contribution. However, it is usual for there to be only one Standing Committee member per country so that in case there are 2 organisations from the same country contributing they should try to agree on one representative (though flexibility may be shown if required). The usual practice is for organisations to nominate the scientist from their country suggested as Steering Committee member in the proposal* but the decision is at their discretion. Gender and age balance should be taken into account when forming the Steering Committee.
*Important note for CNRS affiliated researchers (FR) and Lithuanian researchers: such researchers should inform CNRS / the Lithuanian State Science and Studies Foundation (as appropriate) already at the proposal stage that they are involved in the submission of an RNP proposal or considered as future Steering Committee members. Otherwise these organisations may not support the RNP itself (if recommended) nor endorse the participation of the above researchers in the project. Please refer to the "Special Requirements of national funding agencies" page, accessible through the "Funding decision" section of the Call.
22. Can a scientist from a non-contributing country be on the Steering Committee?
No. Due to its budgetary responsibilities, membership is limited to contributing countries. However, a very limited number of experts whose presence is essential on scientific grounds may be invited to attend meetings of the Steering Committee. The basis for this will be decided at the first Steering Committee and is subject to approval by ESF. The expenses of such “advisory experts” may be paid out of the Programme funds. Note that “Advisory experts” have no voting power; only members representing contributing organisations have voting rights.
23. What is the Steering Committee's role?
The primary objective of the Steering Committee is to ensure that the high-level scientific objectives of the approved proposal are achieved. The Steering Committee is responsible for the management of scientific activities and the financial planning for the Programme in consultation with ESF. As Budget Holder, ESF reserves the right to ensure the Steering Committee’s decisions are in accordance with ESF principles and objectives. The Steering Committee should ensure that the “Guidelines for Management of ESF Scientific Programmes” and all other relevant information are disseminated among all participants at the beginning of an activity and that the contributing organisations are kept informed of the RNP’s activities. Recognising that a degree of flexibility in scientific and financial management is essential, ESF will normally, as the Programme develops, accept a degree of variation from the original proposal, provided this is justified in scientific terms and recognising that the Programme’s achievements and continuation are subject to review at selected intervals. ESF will not accept any adjustments that it considers to run counter to its responsibilities to the contributing organisations or counter to ESF financial regulations.
24. What is meant by 'Programme Collaboration'?
The Programme Collaboration is the group of researchers/research teams who it is envisaged will participate in the Programme's activities. It should have a truly European dimension. It is important that the Programme is open to the inclusion of all suitable European research groups. Participation in the RNP's activities is not limited to those groups listed in the original proposal; however, priority is given to supporting the participation of researchers from contributing countries.
25. Is there a minimum number of (ESF Member) countries which must be involved in the proposal and listed under “Programme Collaboration”?
Yes, seven. Below this, ESF considers that the proposal will not be able to secure sufficient funding from ESF MOs and will not send it for peer review (see paragraph on “Funding decision and à la carte principle” in the Call for proposals). Proposers should be aware that the less countries involved, the less probability their proposal has of getting sufficient funding if recommended.
26. Can scientists based in countries which are not ESF members be funded to participate in a Programme's activities?
Normally, such persons are expected to be ‘self-financed’, priority for Programme funds being the support of scientists from contributing countries. However, the Steering Committee, in agreement with the ESF, may decide, on the basis of individual merit and where there is added value, that scientists from other countries can be funded to participate in the Programme's activities. Requests are only considered once a Programme has been launched.
Concerning proposals with a global dimension, i.e. proposals that intend to interface the proposed network of European investigators with a network(s) of scientists in other, non-ESF, countries (e.g. Australia, USA, etc.) financing is expected to be kept separate. ESF funds will not be used to support the non-ESF network or the participation of its members in the ESF-funded Programme and vice-versa.
27. Is participation from industry / the private sector possible?
Yes. The participation of researchers from industry and the private sector in ESF meetings is welcome and is subject to the basic principles set out below:
- All scientific activities within ESF are based on the knowledge-sharing principle, i.e. there shall be no confidential information. Research methods, data and results should be shared among participants and made public. Intellectual Property Right or copyright are the property of all participants contributing financially or intellectually to the activity.
- ESF does not favour any one private sector participant over another and so ESF activities are open to all researchers who have the expertise to be involved.
- Industrial and other private sector participants are normally responsible for their own costs related to travel, subsistence and accommodation.
- In the case of full participation in an ESF Programme, it is expected that the organisation concerned will make a financial, or in some cases an ‘in kind’, contribution to the overall costs of the activity.
- In the case of support or sponsorship of any activity, ESF clearance must be obtained in advance – see appendix 2.1 of the “Guidelines for Management of ESF Scientific Programmes”.
Use of funds
28. Is the Programme award transferred to the principal applicant(s) or participating research groups?
No. The ESF acts as the Budget Holder.
29. What can Programme funds be used for?
Programme funds can be used to cover (part of) the costs of:
- Steering Committee Meetings;
- Science Meetings (Workshops, Conferences, Schools);
- Grants for Short and Exchange Visits;
- Publicity, Websites and Publications including DVDs and CD ROMs;
- Database costs (preparation and computing);
- External administrative costs (up to max. 10% of the annual budget);
- External Programme Coordinator.
Note: For each Programme launched, an administration fee is added by the ESF to the annual budget to cover coordination costs.
30. Can Programme funds be used for research?
No. Such costs are expected to be funded directly at a national or international level.
31. Can Programme funds be used to pay salaries?
No. Such costs are expected to be funded directly at a national or international level.
32. Can some of the Programme funds be used to cover hardware/equipment costs?
No. Such costs are expected to be funded directly at a national or international level.
33. Can some of the funds be used to cover external administrative costs?
Yes, a small percentage of the Programme's budget may be used to cover the administrative costs incurred by the Chair's and/or Programme Coordinator’s organisation in managing the various activities related to the Programme – see the “Guidelines for Management of ESF Scientific Programmes” for more details.
34. Can Programme funds be used to contribute to the funding of conferences/meetings organised and funded by other organisations?
Yes, in agreement with the ESF, and provided the ESF Programme and the contributing organisations are publicly credited in all related announcements, proceedings, programmes, etc., and the conference/meeting is directly relevant to the topic of the Programme.
35. Can Programme funds be used to support one in a series of meetings?
Yes, in agreement with the ESF, and provided the ESF Programme and the contributing organisations are publicly credited in all related announcements, proceedings, programmes, etc., and the conference/meeting is directly relevant to the topic of the Programme. However, funding one in a series of meetings cannot be considered a commitment to funding future meetings.
Reporting
36. What conditions are tied to a Programme award?
Halfway through the Programme, a Mid-term Report will normally be requested to form the basis for evaluation by the ESF Scientific Standing Committee(s), whose evaluation report will be sent to Organisations contributing to the Programme with a recommendation to continue or terminate funding. At the end of the Programme, a Final Report will be requested so that the Standing Committee(s) can evaluate the results. Failure to submit a report will proscribe the applicant(s) from submitting further proposals for ESF activities and may result in the retention of funds.
Reporting guidelines are available for:
- Mid-term Reports (see Appendix 5 of the Guidelines) and
- Final Reports (see Appendix 6 of the Guidelines).
For the “Guidelines for Management of ESF Scientific Programmes”, see: http://www.esf.org/activities/research-networking-programmes/guidelines-for-management-of-esf-research-networking-programmes.html
ESF provides the scientific, administrative and technical secretariat for COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).