AFR PHD AND POSTDOC GRANTS

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1 AFR PHD AND POSTDOC GRANTS INVESTIGATing future challenges

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3 FNR - Objectives, Strategy, Policy Since the year 1999, the National Research Fund (Fonds National de la Recherche, FNR) has fostered the creation of a pool of knowledge and expertise in Luxembourg. With its current funding activities for public research CORE, ATTRACT, PEARL, INTER, AFR and AM the FNR pursues its strategic objectives, such as supporting researchers to build up scientific quality and excellence; improving Luxembourg s research environment and institutional framework; promoting scientific culture among a greater public and the young. The FNR will continue its efforts to support research at the very highest standards of international R&D in order to achieve critical mass in certain fields of public research. Within all its activities, the FNR encourages research projects with a direct link to Luxembourg s socio-economic challenges and welcomes private-public partnerships of Luxembourg s key players in R&D. The FNR launches regular calls for its funding programmes. The selection process follows strict rules and is based on peer review of the proposals. For further information, deadlines and guidelines of each funding programme, go to or to info@fnr.lu AFR Research = training + perspective See what s behind IT

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5 AFR - What s Behind It? 05 Who Is Eligible? 06 Selection Criteria 07 Contributions 09 AFR Accompanying Measures 09 Public-Private Partnerships (AFR-PPP) 10 How to Apply for AFR Funding? 11 Request for Prolongation 12 Contact 13 Useful Links 14 AFR Research = training + perspective See what s behind IT

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7 AFR What s Behind It? The AFR Grant Scheme (Aides à la Formation-Recherche) provides financial support for PhD and postdoctoral research training projects in Luxembourg and abroad. Within the FNR s general strategy, the objective of the AFR instrument is to contribute to the development of human resources in Luxembourg research, translated in the long term by an increased number of qualified researchers pursuing a research career beyond their period of AFR funding. By managing the AFR scheme, the FNR gives particular importance to the selection of high-quality proposals with a special focus on research training. The AFR scheme contributes to the improvement of working conditions and career perspectives for researchers. Thus the establishment of work contracts between AFR beneficiaries and their host institutions is considered as standard. Fellowships without work contracts are only awarded as an exception. The AFR programme also fosters the information exchange among AFR fellows with the creation of a database of current and former beneficiaries and their respective projects. One main goal is to create synergies between researchers at national and international level. Moreover, the AFR programme promotes public-private partnerships (AFR-PPP) by paying an incentive for research projects carried out in collaboration with the private sector. The AFR programme has no thematic limitations and is open to all researchers, regardless of their nationality, who are desirous of doing research training in Luxembourg or abroad. In the selection process, the interest of the project in the context of Luxembourg R&D will nevertheless play a key role for the funding decision. The AFR Grant Scheme is in line with the principles advocated in the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their Recruitment. Following the AFR scheme s successful application under the Marie-Curie-Actions of the European Commission (FP7-People-CoFund) in 2008, the European Commission financially supports the AFR postdoctoral scheme for the period AFR Research = training + perspective See what s behind IT

8 Who Is Eligible? At PhD level, applicants must be holders of a University degree, allowing them to enter into doctoral training. At postdoctoral level, applicants must be holders of a PhD diploma of a recognised public or private Higher Education Institution. They can apply until up to 8 years after the date of their PhD degree. In addition, postdoctoral candidates are subject to a mobility clause: The postdoctoral training has to be carried out in a country different than the one in which the applicant has been principally working in the 24 months preceding the intended postdoctoral funding period. The initial duration for PhD grants within the AFR scheme is three years with a possible prolongation of maximum 1 year. Postdoctoral training is financed up to two years. AFR beneficiaries are eligible consecutively for PhD and for postdoctoral funding, but should keep in mind the binding mobility clause for a postdoc grant. The candidates for an AFR grant ought to be the principal authors of the project proposal. It is their responsibility to find a suitable host institution with a competent research group/ supervisor in their field.

9 Selection Criteria The project proposals for PhD and postdoctoral research training projects will be assessed according to the following key criteria: 1. Scientific quality of the research project 2. Profile of the applicant 3. Quality of the host institution 4. Interest of the research project in the Luxembourg R&D setting 5. Additional criterion for postdocs: Potential for career development The evaluation of the research projects will be carried out by external experts in the domain of the proposals. In order to keep the review process as transparent as possible, applicants will receive written feedback on the arguments that led to the funding decision. 07 AFR Research = training + perspective See what s behind IT

10 Contributions For AFR beneficiaries with work contracts, the FNR pays a contribution to the annual salary costs of the Host Institution as follows: PHD POSTDOC max. AFR contribution (including employers charges) 37,288 EUR/ year 52,908 EUR/year Salary index as of 1 January 2011 Topping up: In order to further support their candidates, host institutions may offer up to 52,548 EUR/year gross salary for PhDs and up to 78,822 EUR/year gross salary for postdocs. For AFR beneficiaries without work contracts, the FNR pays a fellowship (bourse) to the recipients: PHD POSTDOC max. AFR contribution (fellowship) 18,000 EUR/year 25,200 EUR/year AFR work contracts and AFR fellowships cannot be cumulated. Applicants who benefit already of a full grant support by another funding agency will not be considered for AFR funding.

11 AFR Accompanying Measures In addition to the AFR grant contribution, the FNR allocates the following Accompanying Measures to AFR beneficiaries: Only beneficiaries of AFR fellowships without work contract may request a refund of up to 300 EUR per month to cover health and accident insurance (including possibly a contribution to a public pension scheme). All AFR beneficiaries profit from a one-off travel lump sum based on the distance between the beneficiary s residence at the moment of the application and his/her host institution. 09 AFR Research = training + perspective See what s behind IT

12 Public-Private Partnerships under AFR (AFR-PPP) The AFR Grant Scheme supports researchers who carry out their PhD and/or postdoc training in collaboration with a private company in Luxembourg. A supplementary incentive is paid by the FNR under the AFR-PPP scheme: PHD POSTDOC max. AFR contribution to work contracts (including employers charges) 37,288 EUR/year 52,908 EUR/year supplements paid in case of a public-private partnership 3,599 EUR/year 4,823 EUR/year Salary index as of 1 January 2011 To benefit from the AFR supplement, private companies need to be in possession of an accreditation by the Ministry of Economics, certifying their R&D activities in Luxembourg. If the company is the AFR beneficiary s main host institution, a work contract is established and the grant will be paid directly to the company. The AFR candidate, the private company and the public partner jointly develop the research project that needs to be innovative and create new knowledge. The private company plays an active role in the supervision and the training of the PhD/postdoc researcher. A contract, specifying the contributions of each partner to the research project, including an agreement on IPR, needs to be concluded between the public research body and the private company. Topping up: In order to further support their candidates, companies may offer up to 56,723 EUR/year gross salary for PhDs and up to 84,077 EUR/year gross salary for postdocs. Main Benefits for Participants in an AFR Public-Private Partnership (AFR-PPP) PHD/POSTDOC RESEARCHER PRIVATE COMPANY PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTION insight into the private sector acquisition of competences and skills complementary to academic training development of entrepreneurial mindset broadening of career perspectives improved employment opportunities outside academia supplementary funding fast access to academic knowledge joint development of innovative projects to increase the company s competitiveness cost-effective training of future staff gain of experience for future national or EU-funded PPP projects tighter links between Luxembourg companies and public research institutions joining forces by taking advantage of complementary competence cross-fertilisation and technology transfer awareness of the commercial valorisation potential of research gain of experience for future national or EU-funded PPP projects

13 How to Apply for AFR Funding? Applications for AFR grants should be planned sufficiently in advance and jointly with all stakeholders involved. Deadlines for ongoing and future AFR calls are announced on Application forms and the AFR Guidelines as well as call-related documents and the AFR Terms and Conditions are accessible on All applications have to be in accordance with the AFR Terms and Conditions. Applications must be completed and submitted via the online grant submission system on the relevant deadline. Application forms that arrive late or incomplete are not eligible! The Euraxess Services Centre Luxembourg ( helps AFR applicants who are either planning to come to Luxembourg or leave Luxembourg with all matters related to transnational mobility such as visa applications and entry conditions for candidates from third countries, information on accommodation and many more. 11 AFR Research = training + perspective See what s behind IT

14 Request for Prolongation of AFR Funding PhD grant beneficiaries (including ex-bfr grantees) under the AFR scheme have the possibility to apply for a 4 th -year prolongation of their AFR grant. Applicants should provide together with their PhD supervisor a work plan on how to finalise the PhD in the course of the 4 th year.

15 Contact For further information, please go to or contact Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR) Service AFR 6, rue Antoine de Saint-Exupéry B.P L-1017 Luxembourg T F E afr@fnr.lu 13 AFR Research = training + perspective See what s behind IT

16 Useful Links luxembourg National Research Fund Luxembourg AFR Grant Scheme/Aides à la Formation-Recherche Portail luxembourgeois de l innovation et de la recherche Ministère de l Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche (MESR) EURAXESS Services Centre Luxembourg Luxinnovation University of Luxembourg Centre de Recherche Public Santé (CRP-Santé) Centre de Recherche Public Gabriel Lippmann (CRP-GL) Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor (CRP-HT) Centre d Études de Population, de Pauvreté et de Politiques socio-économiques (CEPS/INSTEAD) Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg Laboratoire National de Santé (LNS) Musée national d histoire naturelle Musée national d histoire et d art Researchers Wanted! All about Research for Young People Groupement luxembourgeois pour la promotion de la culture scientifique Public research Institutes in Luxembourg non-exhaustive selection

17 International Euraxess - Reseachers in Motion Community Research & Development Information Service (CORDIS) Joint Research Centre (JRC) European Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) European Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM) European Science Foundation (ESF) European Space Agency (ESA) European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) European Union Research Organisations Heads of Research Councils (EUROHORCS) International Council for Science non-exhaustive selection 15 AFR Research = training + perspective See what s behind IT

18 Editorial The FNR is constantly reviewing and monitoring its programmes and wants to stay flexible and strong in its reactions to possible demands and critical remarks. The FNR Annual Report, available on offers detailed information on all FNR activities and funded projects. Information about ongoing calls and deadlines is also available on and More details concerning the FNR Foresight Exercise are provided on Further brochures about the FNR and its funding programmes are available upon request or on Fonds National de la Recherche 6, rue Antoine de Saint-Exupéry B.P L-1017 Luxembourg T F For further information, please visit our websites and or send an to info@fnr.lu or afr@fnr.lu Press Contacts Michèle Jentges-Glesener Communication Manager Contact for Corporate Communications and Public Relations michele.jentges@fnr.lu T F Anne Schroeder-Van den Bulcke Communication Manager Contact for Promotion of Scientific Culture, General Public and Media Projects, ProScience anne.schroeder@fnr.lu T F Author: Layout: Print: Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg / Status December 2010

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20 CORE ATTRACT PEARL INTER AFR AM research = excellence + priority research = opportunity + challenge research = flexibility + synergies research = mobility + collaboration research = training + perspective research = support + promotion PSC research = communication + promotion The AFR postdoc scheme is co-funded by the European Commission (FP7 COFUND)