INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE FELLOWSHIPS 1

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1 INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MARIE SKŁODOWSKA-CURIE FELLOWSHIPS 1 Guidelines for Applicants These guidelines are valid for INCOMING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) fellowships. Applicants must read these guidelines and the Regulations for INCOMING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships before submitting their proposal. Content 1. What is [PEGASUS]²? What is an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowship? Who can apply for an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowship? Nationality PhD degree Seniority Incoming mobility requirements Restrictions on resubmissions Eligible host institution Application eligibility criteria How to apply for [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowship? Timing of the calls Submission procedure Evaluation procedure Evaluation criteria Employment conditions This project has received funding from the European Union s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No

2 5.1 Financial details Social Security and insurances Part time research Maternity leave Holidays Commitments of the INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellow Visa and related authorizations Dissemination of research results Scientific integrity Ethical issues management Reporting Evaluation Questionnaire [PEGASUS]² meeting Contacts

3 1. What is [PEGASUS]²? International and/or intersectoral mobility have become an essential part of today s research career since they are an indispensable catalyst for individual enrichment, a higher quality of research, and internationalisation of research in general. With [PEGASUS]², destined for experienced postdoctoral researchers, the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) aims to enhance human capital in fundamental research in all scientific areas by attracting more excellent foreign researchers to Flanders via incoming fellowships, as well as by bestowing researchers in Flanders with increased international experience via outgoing fellowships. Within the programme, there are two types of fellowships: INCOMING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships: a regular 3-year postdoctoral fellowship for researchers that are currently performing research abroad and wish to continue their research career in the Flemish Community. OUTGOING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships: a regular 3-year postdoctoral fellowship of which the first 2 years are spent at a foreign academic or nonacademic research institution and the third return year at a Flemish host institution to which the applicant is affiliated for the total period of the fellowship. This [PEGASUS]² programme is co-funded by the European Union s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No A link to funding opportunities and calls cofounded by the Marie Curie Actions of the European Commission is available on the EU Cordis Website under Note: The guidelines in this document specifically apply to the INCOMING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships. 2. What is an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowship? The INCOMING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships are specifically intended for: foreign postdoctoral researchers who wish to carry out their research in the Flemish Community. postdoctoral researchers of Belgian nationality who are currently conducting research abroad and wish to continue their research in the Flemish Community. The goal of the INCOMING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships is to attract more excellent international postdoctoral researchers to Flanders and as such contribute to the FWO strategic goal of keeping Flemish research in line with international standards. Besides the internationalization of Flemish research, FWO wants to encourage transnational research mobility in general. 3

4 The [PEGASUS]² MSCA programme offers incoming fellows a unique opportunity to boost their career by providing support and training all within an optimal research environment and the best working conditions. On the one hand these fellowships aim at improving the researchers skills in their specific research domain, via acquisition of new methods and techniques, interaction with Flemish group members and mentoring. On the other hand these incoming fellows will benefit from the intellectual and socio-cultural exchange with their peers and the immersion in a highly qualified international environment. As such, the fellows will enhance their transferable skills, improve their research competencies, resulting in a more attractive profile for the general job market. 3. Who can apply for an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowship? 3.1 Nationality The [PEGASUS]²-programme is open to all nationalities. 3.2 PhD degree On the start date of the fellowship, the candidate must have obtained a PhD or a degree, in any scientific area, recognised as equivalent by law in accordance with the provisions of the Flemish Higher Education Code of 11 October 2013 (Art. II ). For the call with deadline 1 February 2016, the PhD must have been obtained no later than 1 June For the call with deadline 1 May 2016, the PhD must have been obtained no later than 1 November Seniority Applicants must apply within 3 years after obtaining their PhD calculated from June 1 st 2016 (for call with deadline 1 February 2016) or November 1 st 2016 (for call with deadline 1 May 2016). For more requirements and details concerning the seniority, please carefully read Article 2 and Article 5 of the Regulations for the INCOMING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships. 3.3 Incoming mobility requirements Candidates for the INCOMING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships should not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the start of the fellowship (calculated on the date of the 1 st of October 2016 or 1 st of January 2017). 4

5 3.4. Restrictions on resubmissions You cannot apply for a [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship of which you have previously, even if only partially, been the beneficiary. Researchers who previously were granted a Pegasus-long fellowship, are not allowed to submit in this [PEGASUS]² programme. Only one application for a [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship can be submitted per calendar year. It is as such not allowed to submit an application for a [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowship both for the call with deadline on 1 February 2016 and 1 May Moreover, it is not possible to apply for a [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship and a regular FWO postdoctoral fellowship in the same year. You cannot apply more than twice for a postdoctoral fellowship at FWO. [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships are in this regard considered as regular postdoctoral fellowships. Beneficiaries of a [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship as an initial FWO postdoctoral fellowship can no longer apply for an initial regular postdoctoral fellowship with the FWO, but they can apply for renewal of a postdoctoral fellowship. Such postdoctoral renewal must follow immediately on the [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship and should therefore be requested in the last fellowship year. 5

6 Figure 1: Overview of possibilities. *: under the conditions that you meet all the eligibility criteria (see regulations) $: if the [PEGASUS]² fellowship was already considered as an extension, you cannot apply for another postdoc extension. 3.5 Eligible host institution Eligible Flemish host institution In order to be eligible, applicants need to be affiliated for the full 3-year period to one of the following eligible Flemish host institutions: a university in the Flemish Community: KU Leuven Ghent University (UGent) University of Antwerp (UA) Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Hasselt University (UHasselt) 6

7 an officially registered higher education institution that can award a PhD degree one of the following institutions: Vlerick Business School (VLERICK) Antwerp Management School (UAMS) Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG) Institute of Development Policy and Management (IOB) Institute for European Studies (IES) Institute of Jewish Studies (IJS) Antwerp Maritime Academy (Nautical Sciences) It is the responsibility of the applicants to identify a suitable host institution in Flanders, and a suitable research unit where they can carry out their research. The head of the Flemish host institution will be invited by the FWO to write a letter of recommendation. Where appropriate, the research project can be done in close collaboration with a Flemish or federal scientific institution (IMEC, VIB, VITO, iminds, etc.) but always under the supervision and responsibility of one of the above-mentioned eligible Flemish host institutions. The research may be conducted in collaboration with the non-academic sector in the Flemish Community. In such case, firstly the project, including the portion conducted in the nonacademic sector, must cover fundamental research. Secondly, the head supervisor must be an Independent Academic Staff member of the Flemish host institution to which the fellow remains affiliated. Thirdly, the intellectual property of the results must be governed by a partnership agreement concluded between the non-academic and Flemish host institution prior to the start of the research in the non-academic host institution Application eligibility criteria You must submit your application in English before the deadline using the appropriate forms in the FWO e-portal ( You must also complete all your personal data in the FWO e-portal, such as your nationality, previous occupations, bibliography, etc. The administration might contact you during the eligibility check to further evidence some of this personal information. The application must be complete and in compliance with the FWO regulations on External Peer Review. For the remote evaluation by the external referees, the applicant has to propose ten experts in the Referees section of the application form. In order to avoid conflict of interest, the external referee must meet several criteria laid out in the regulations on External Peer Review. Make sure to read these very carefully. In a nutshell: under no circumstances can an external referee be a member of an Expert Panel or of the Board of Trustees of the FWO. Nor is he/she allowed to have any collaboration or co-authored publications with the applicant within the last three years prior to the application (calculated from the first of January in the year n-3). Make also sure you do not list referees with a Belgian affiliation nor referees affiliated to the host 7

8 institution where you were performing research in the last three years preceding submission (calculated from 1 January n-3). All other relations with the referee should be avoided. There should be no communication at all on the proposal between the applicant and the listed external referee during the submission and evaluation process. Non-compliance with these regulation will result in ineligibility! 4. How to apply for [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowship? 4.1 Timing of the calls Within the [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships programme, there will be two calls: 1) CALL 1 o launch: September 2015 o deadline: February 1, 2016 (05.00 pm Belgian time) o communication of the results: by the end of June 2016 o flexible start of the granted fellowships: October 2016-February ) CALL 2 o launch: February 2016 o deadline: May 1, 2016 (05.00 pm Belgian time) o communication of the results: by the end of November 2016 o flexible start of the granted fellowships: January-May Submission procedure Create an account at FWO e-portal ( e-loket The application form will be accessible online through your account on the FWO e- portal. Write a solid application. When writing a grant application, it may appear useful to consult websites on grant writing that can be found through standard website search tools. Applicants may also consult the research coordination department of their host institution, which may organize workshops dedicated to this topic. The application form and all the uploaded documents can only be submitted in English. The Flemish (co-)supervisor(s) will be invited by the FWO to submit a letter of recommendation. They will be invited after submission of your application. You do not need to invite your (co-)supervisor(s) yourself. Approval of the application by the Flemish host institution is always required (advise of the rector concerned). This approval is obtained electronically by invitation of the FWO. 4.3 Evaluation procedure The evaluation procedure is carried out in several steps, described hereafter. More info on the appeal procedure can be found online. 8

9 Submission A dedicated secured e portal will be opened well in advance of the call deadline. Applicants can upload the required information at any time prior to the call deadline. All data are saved on a secured server (only accessible by the applicant). Once submitted, the access to the application is restricted to FWO administration. Eligibility check The eligibility of the submitted applications is checked by the FWO administration. Exceptionally, deviations from the eligibility criteria are allowed (e.g. medical reasons). See Regulations for details (cases will be investigated by the Board of Trustees Management committee of the FWO). If the application is ineligible: the applicant is informed within three weeks after the closure of the call for applications. Remote evaluation external referees Minimum two external referees which are experts in the research topic of the applicant evaluate the application using the online referee report forms. In order to avoid conflict of interest, the listed experts must comply with several eligibility criteria. Evaluation FWO experts Eligible applications including the concerned external referee reports, are evaluated by one of the 30 FWO Expert Panels or by the Interdisciplinary Panel. The applicant is free to select the Expert Panel or Interdisciplinary Panel. Applications are sent out to all 16 to 18 experts of the Expert Panel or Interdisciplinary Panel, 1 month before the Expert Panel convenes. For each application, 2 and preferably 3 panel experts or preliminary assessors are assigned by the Chair of the Expert panel or Interdisciplinary Panel. Panel meeting Applications are discussed one by one, taking into account the reports of the external referees and the preliminary assessors. At the end of the meeting, the Expert Panel establishes a ranking of the applications. Final ranking The Panel for International Collaboration establishes an overall ranking. The applications are divided in three categories: 1st order: to be funded with the highest priority 2nd order: to be funded if the budget allows it (reserve list) Not ranked: not to be funded, even if budget were available Ratification The ranking of the Panel for International Collaboration is endorsed by the Board of Trustees. Based on the budget and taking into account an even distribution over the different domains, candidates ranked in first order are awarded a fellowship. In addition, the reserve list is endorsed. Publication and feedback After the meeting of the Board of Trustees results are immediately published online. The applicants are also informed via regular mail about the status of their application (successful/unsuccessful) and their ranking (in the Expert Panel) in the week following the Board meeting. Within two months after publication of the results, all applicants including those who got granted will receive a complete but anonymous feedback report including all evaluation reports of all steps. 9

10 4.4 Evaluation criteria FWO uses a holistic evaluation process not only focusing on the excellence of the researcher and its proposed research, but also on the research environment, the training opportunities and the support of the host institution, paying attention to non-scientific aspects such as career breaks (e.g. change of career or family reasons). There are no domain-related restrictions as the FWO supports frontier scientific research in all scientific domains using a bottom-up approach. The excellence of the fellow (40%) o research capability and potential such as: - publications in peer reviewed journals as well as other elements of the applicant s CV - patents, teaching, advanced courses, public engagement activities, scientific management experience etc., taking into account the level of experience - university grade and honors o research skills and methodology o scientific independence (independent thinking, management experience and leadership qualities) o scientific background of the applicant o mobility of the applicant (previous transnational and/or intersectoral mobility experience) o impact of the [PEGASUS]² fellowship on the CV and career perspectives of the fellow o any other means to demonstrate the research potential of the applicant The scientific excellence of the project (40%) o originality and innovative nature of the project (progress beyond the state of the art) o feasibility of the project o focus of the project o relevance of the project o coherence of the project o training possibilities and public engagement activities of the project The excellence of the context of employment/hosting (20%) o quality of the hosting institute (e.g. undersigned Charter and Code) o quality of the research environment of the host group (researchers, infrastructure, etc.) o quality of the supervision and training support of the host group o potential to acquire new scientific (disciplinary and interdisciplinary) and nonscientific skills by o training etc. ( transferable skills, e.g. project management, IPR, grant writing, communication, ethics, etc.) o impact of the [PEGASUS]² fellowship on the host lab, its skills, techniques and network 10

11 5. Employment conditions FWO actively implements the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers in its policies and currently holds the label HR Excellence in Research, both vouching for its commitment to researchers and their careers. 5.1 Financial details For the INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellows with a non-belgian nationality: a tax free contract (with full social security coverage) for a period of 3 years with attractive salary or grant equivalent to the net monthly salary of a PhD Assistant at a Flemish university. For the INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellows with the Belgian nationality: an employment contract for a period of 3 years with attractive salary equivalent to the net monthly salary of a PhD Assistant at a Flemish university. Mobility allowance of 600/month during the entire fellowship. This mobility allowance may be used for all kind of costs related to the relocation and stay of the researcher and his/her family in the host country (e.g. travel expenses of the family in first degree, extra luggage expenses, children s day care, housing, ). In practice, the mobility allowance will not be deposited monthly to the fellow s bank account. The yearly sum of will be deposited for 80% ( 5.760) at the start of each fellowship year and the remaining 20% ( 1.440) at the end of each fellowship year, after submitting a financial report at FWO. Annual bench fee of for research, training and research-related travel costs. The purchase of small research equipment is allowed. Medium size and large infrastructure, however, are to be provided for by the host institution. One-time allowance for travel expenses to and from Belgium for the fellow. The research fellows receive an FWO contract, but work at a Flemish host institution. The Flemish host institution has to guarantee that it will provide the applicant with appropriate working conditions (e.g. office/lab space, access to appropriate equipment and material, etc.). The FWO limits the time its fellows can spend on tasks other than their research, and thus contributes to an optimal working environment. At the beginning of every academic year, fellows have to list their assignments other than research. For more details concerning part time research employment, etc. please carefully read Articles 12 and 13 of the Regulations for the INCOMING [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships. 5.2 Social Security and insurances As an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellow you will receive a salary or grant with full Belgian social security coverage. The third-party liability of fellows and an occupational accident insurance is also covered by a collective insurance policy taken out by the FWO. However, you must adhere to an existing Belgian health insurance on your own initiative. 11

12 Throughout your entire stay abroad you are covered by travel accident insurance with repatriation. During your entire fellowship you must obtain a domicile, stay and work permit in Belgium. You are an employee of the FWO during your entire fellowship. The salary of the fellows takes into account the seniority of the researcher, as evidenced by certificates of former employers. The employment conditions are aligned with the European Charter and Code. The FWO will offer expertise to cope with various questions asked by (resident and international) researchers pertaining to social security regulations. Full support is given to fellowship holders, in order for them to focus maximally on their research. That includes the handling by FWO of problems concerning international mobility issues (e.g. scientific visa, transfer of social security, etc.). 5.3 Part time research INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowships are full-time employment contracts. In exceptional cases, and depending on the formal agreement of the host institution, part-time fellowships may be granted for thoroughly motivated reasons. 5.4 Maternity leave Holders of an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowship are entitled to the legal maternity leave of 15 weeks. In this case, their fellowship is also extended with 9 full months, which brings the total duration to 4 years. Per fellowship term there is only one extension allowed. There are also flexible regulations for parental leave. 5.5 Holidays The holiday periods are indicated in the regulations of your Flemish host institution and are established in consultation with your Flemish departmental head. You must inform the FWO secretariat of your annual holidays. The holiday pay, calculated on the basis of the salary or grant of the month of May, will be paid into the holder's account during the month of May. 6. Commitments of the INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellow 6.1 Visa and related authorizations As an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellow you may need visa and related authorizations (residence and work permit etc.) before entering Belgium. You will have to take care of these documents yourself. It is recommended to contact the local EURAXESS Service Centre (contact persons: see as soon as possible after the submission of your [PEGASUS]² application. This enables you to receive the information about documents and procedures well in advance in order to submit your visa request immediately after the communication of the [PEGASUS]² funding decision. For procedures concerning the 12

13 visa application, refer to the Belgian embassy (or delegation) in your country (if any) of destination and make sure you calculate sufficient time for such procedures Dissemination of research results Peer reviewed publications The dissemination and transfer of knowledge is a key added-value of research. Results should be published actively in peer reviewed publications and presented in scientific conferences. The capacity to publish is an essential criterion to build up a future research career. The publication of research results should only be restricted in well justified cases by the host institutions. It is a joint responsibility of the applicants and their scientific contacts to aim for publications in top scientific journals in their field, to improve career prospects after the [PEGASUS]² grant. Open access As an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellow you must ensure open access (free of charge online access for any user) to all peer reviewed scientific publications relating to the results of your research. The publications that result from the FWO subsidies should be published in a public Open Access database, within six months from the date of publication, in order to effect greater impact and valorization of your work (for Social sciences and Humanities, within 12 months). You are also advised to publish your other publications in such an "Open Access" database, the so-called "Open Archives", together with the research data that resulted in these publications. Public engagement activities Furthermore, the FWO encourages all fellows to make the results of their research known to a wider audience, and to valorize them where possible and relevant. In your application, you must describe the public engagement activities you will included in your project in order to create awareness among the general public of the research work performed and its implications for citizens and society. The type of outreach activities could range from press articles and participating in events to presenting science, research and innovation activities to students from primary and secondary schools or universities in order to develop their interest in research careers. Other possibilities might include 'open days' or videos, which would enable the public to see where and how the research is undertaken. You will need to outline the frequency and nature of outreach activities in your application form. During the fellowship, you will be asked to submit yearly reports on your scientific activities to the FWO in which you need to indicate which actions you have undertaken in the context of science communication and science in society. Intellectual properties Intellectual properties rights of research results arising from this [PEGASUS]² fellowship belong to the Flemish host institution by virtue of the Flemish Higher Education Code of 11 October 2013 (Art. IV 48). Acknowledgement of [PEGASUS]² funding Holders of a [PEGASUS]² fellowship carry the official title FWO [PEGASUS]² Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow. Financial support from FWO and the EU must be acknowledged in all publications and other forms of media communication by including the following text in any dissemination of results (in any form, including electronic): This project has received 13

14 funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) and the European Union s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No Scientific integrity The FWO watches over the scientific integrity from the moment research funding is applied for until the execution of the research and the publication of the research results. Therefore, researchers benefiting from FWO support as well as their host institutions, (co-)promoters and other collaborators involved in FWO research are required to adhere to the scientific integrity at all times. To this end, elementary rules of behaviour have been laid down in the Ethical Code for scientific research in Belgium and the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. Both documents are included in the call for research proposals. The FWO assumes that each researcher has acknowledged these codes from the moment the application is submitted and undertakes to comply with their provisions in all stages of the proposed research. This also applies to their host institutions, (co-)promoters and collaborators involved in FWO research, for whom the applicant bears partial responsibility. If there is any doubt about the applicability or implementation of a provision, the host institution and/or the researcher responsible for the project or fellowship at hand will contact the FWO administration in order to clarify or make concrete arrangements about the relevant provision. 6.4 Ethical issues management In line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights and its Supplementary Protocols, FWO can ensure that all research activities carried out under the proposed programme will be conducted in compliance with fundamental ethical principles of the European H2020 and Belgian legislation. As an applicant, you are therefore requested to indicate in an Ethical Issues Table included in the application form which ethical issues apply to your project and how you will address these ethical issues. All applicants conducting experiments with animals/humans and/or studying ethically sensitive issues must submit their application to the ethical committee of the host institution(s) which will perform an in-depth ethical assessment. This ethical committee will investigate the application and make a recommendation. This recommendation is sent to the FWO prior to the start of the [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellowship. Under no circumstances can the research activity be initiated without the positive advice of the ethical committee. In certain particular cases, involving for example Human Embryonic Stem Cells, advice will be asked from the European Commission services. 6.5 Reporting As an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellow, you must submit a report on your scientific activities to the FWO at the end of each academic year. A copy of this report must be sent to the head of the institution to which you are affiliated. 6.6 Evaluation Questionnaire As an INCOMING [PEGASUS]² MSCA fellow, you have the obligation to complete and submit at the end of the research activities the evaluation questionnaire and two years 14

15 later follow-up questionnaire provided by the European Commission. The FWO might also invite you to participate in an evaluation survey of the [PEGASUS]² MSCA programme. 6.7 [PEGASUS]² meeting The FWO will organize meetings inviting all [PEGASUS]² MSCA beneficiaries and exgrantees by way of information session, and to allow networking. 7. Contacts For your questions concerning the [PEGASUS]² MSCA programme: o Dr. ir. Isabelle Verbaeys, Head international affairs [email protected] o Dr. Gregory Absillis, Science policy advisor international affairs [email protected] For your questions concerning the employment conditions o Stephan Duray Personnel and accounting section [email protected] 15