for workshops to be held in 2008, across all scientific domains
Each year, ESF supports approximately 50 Exploratory Workshops across all scientific domains.
The focus of the scheme is on projects aiming to open up new directions in research or to explore emerging research fields with potential impact on new developments in science. Proposals should demonstrate the potential for initiating follow-up research activities and/or developing future collaborative actions. Interdisciplinary topics are encouraged.
Proposals may be submitted in any or across several of the following broad scientific fields:
Biomedical Sciences
Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Physical and Engineering Sciences
Social Sciences
Humanities
Science driven issues of Research Infrastructures in any of the above fields
The 2007 Call for Proposals is for workshops to be held between 1 January and 31 December 2008.
The deadline for submitting proposals is 27 April 2007, 16:00 CET.
Format
ESF Exploratory Workshops are discussion meetings with an aim to develop new strategic directions for research. They are intended to be small, interactive and output-oriented gatherings following the format below:
- A maximum number of 30 participants (including speakers and convenors).
- A usual duration of 1-3 days.
- Ample time for discussion must be provided in the scientific programme.
- A workshop shall conclude with plans for follow-up research activities and/or collaborative actions or other specific outputs within or outside the frame of ESF (e.g. prepare the ground to develop a Forward Look, a Research Networking Programme, a EUROCORES proposal or an application to the EC Framework Programme).
- A workshop should have wide participation from across Europe. No more than 5 participants may come from the applicant’s own country.
Level and use of ESF support
The award will be up to a maximum value of 15 000 €.
The award will cover the costs of workshop activities and travel, accommodation and subsistence for participants.
Criteria for applicants and participants
Applicants (convenors) must be scientists or scholars from European universities or research institutes in countries having agencies that are Member Organisations of the ESF. Proposals may have co-applicants from other countries. In this case, the co-applicants should assure their funding through their respective national agency or through other funding bodies. Main applicants cannot belong to the private sector.
Participants should be selected on the basis of their scientific excellence and potential contribution. The aim should be to have wide participation from across Europe, with due regard also to age, gender and geographical balance. The involvement of younger, independent researchers and scholars with leadership potential is encouraged.
Priority should be given to scientists and scholars based in ESF Member Organisation countries. A limited number of participants from European countries not having ESF Member Organisations and from countries outside Europe may be included in the workshop where such involvement is essential on scientific grounds. Such participants should normally obtain support from their appropriate national agencies or from relevant international organisations. Any request for financial support from the ESF for participants based outside countries with ESF membership must be justified on scientific grounds.
Consult the directory of ESF member organisations and countries.
Assessment
The main criterion for the assessment of proposals is whether the proposed workshop will explore new directions in research or emerging research fields with potential impact on new developments in science.
Other criteria:
Benefits of a collaborative European approach / a European-scale event;
Potential for initiating follow-up research activities and/or developing future collaborative actions within or outside the frame of ESF
Suitability of the principal applicant(s) to convene the workshop.
The final funding decision on proposals will be made by the ESF Chief Executive on the recommendation of the appropriate ESF Standing Committees. The Committees formulate their recommendations on the basis of written assessments provided by external referees and taking into account the scientific balance of their Exploratory Workshops portfolio. The selection outcome will be announced by the end of November 2007 at the latest.
To access the assessment form for information, click here: (PDF 42 KB)
Conditions of award
The workshop must take place in an ESF Member Organisation country during the calendar year 2008.
The workshop must comply with the profile of Exploratory Workshops as defined under "Format".
ESF supports scientific meetings through a range of mechanisms. ESF will not consider for support under the Exploratory Workshop scheme workshops in scientific topics covered by current ESF activities (e.g. Research Networking Programmes, EUROCORES).
The workshop should be financed mainly by ESF; awards are not meant to contribute to or subsidise the funding of meetings mainly funded or organised by other organisations. However partnership funding arrangements for individual workshops are welcome.
ESF will not consider for support under the Exploratory Workshop scheme:
Events which are part of a series of workshops or regular meetings of existing formal or informal networking groups.
Events designed as summer schools, training/lecture/examination courses for students, or large conferences (whether upon application or open to the public).
Events integrated into another event (i.e. as one or more sessions) or organised “in parallel” to a large event on a similar topic on the same premises. “Back to back” organisation is accepted.
Events open to an audience or “observers” (beyond the list of maximum 30 participants submitted in the proposal).
The meeting should be clearly identified as an ESF event, in particular by including the ESF logo and announcing the meeting as an "ESF Exploratory Workshop on: ..." in any advertisements, posters, websites, abstracts, proceedings, etc. Additional support from other organisations should also be acknowledged.
Participants should not be requested to pay a registration fee.
A concise report of the scientific/strategic output of the workshop, as well as a financial report on workshop expenditure and statistical information on the workshop participants, must be submitted within two months of the event. The scientific report will be submitted to the relevant ESF Standing Committee(s) and published on the ESF website.
