ERA-Chemistry is a consortium of 14 research funding organisations from twelve European countries with the goal to develop and implement joint bottom-up European funding programmes. After two successful thematic calls in 2005 and 2007, since 2008 the “Open Initiative” aims at stimulating excellence in chemical research through competition and cooperation without any thematic restriction. Six of the ERA-Chemistry partners participate in this year’s “Open Initiative”. It is planned to issue this call each year in January.
Chemists who are eligible to apply for financial support from any of the participating funding organisations are cordially invited to apply jointly within a chemistry-related subject. A list of the respective organisations including contact details is given below. Joint projects of two applicants located in two different countries must comprise novel and ambitious ideas in curiosity-driven chemistry. The scientific level of the projects should be high in international comparison. Although the scientific quality of the proposals is the decisive criterion, joint projects must also demonstrate a clear added value to the applicants’ cooperation over and above what could be achieved individually.
There will be a two-stage procedure involving pre-proposals and full proposals. All pre-proposals must be submitted via the electronic application system for this call not later than 23 February 2010. All proposals will be subject of a joint peer-review and a joint decision process of the funding organisations involved. Successful applicants from the pre-proposal stage will be invited to submit their comprehensive, more detailed full proposals not later than 23 July 2010.
Each applicant may request funding for individual grants according to national rules and national general conditions. For further details please contact your participating funding organisation. Joint projects will be funded for three years starting not later than spring 2011.
Guidelines for applicants, guidelines for reviewers and the instructions for the electronic application system are provided on the ERA-Chemistry website as well as on the websites of the participating funding organisations.
More information and the guidelines for applicants are available on the ERA-Chemistry website: www.erachemistry.net
The eligibility requirements in form 1.02e (chapter I) will apply: www.dfg.de/forschungsfoerderung/formulare/download/1_02e.pdf
Please note the special requirements for non-university research institutions.
Costs for scientific instrumentation must not exceed €50,000 (including VAT and delivery). The total budget of the German applicant should be below €300,000 (excluding indirect costs) for three years.
Austria: Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF) Contact: Dr. Bettina Löscher, opencall-at(at)erachemistry.net
Belgium: Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS) Contact: Freia Van Hee, opencall-be(at)erachemistry.net
Germany: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft e.V. (DFG) Contact: Dr.-Ing. Georg Bechtold, opencall-de(at)erachemistry.net
Hungary: Országos Tudományos Kutatási Alapprogramok (OTKA), in collaboration with Magyar Tudomáyos Akadémia (HAS) Contact: Dr. Árvácska Sárpátki, opencall-hu(at)erachemistry.net
Ireland: Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) Contact: Dr. Jennifer Brennan, opencall-ie(at)erachemistry.net
Spain: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MEC) Contact: Victoria Sanz Montemayor, opencall-es(at)erachemistry.net
For questions relating to the online application system: ERA-Chemistry Call Secretariat: OTKA, Hungary Contact: Paula Sarpatki, opencall-secr(at)erachemistry.net
