Background Talents - Topics: a mechanism to foster emerging science within PE-RC
Strategic funds have been allocated to the Graduate School to initiate and stimulate collaborative research on the cutting edge of science in the field of production ecology and resource conservation. The PE-RC Board has decided in 2010 that part of the PE-RC strategic funds will be allocated to Emerging Science Themes (ESTs), and at the same time offer new opportunities for talented young researchers.
The ESTs will have to be innovative in content, to be exemplary for PE-RC and to stimulate interdisiciplinarity and coherence between 3-6 chair groups and/or teams of research institutes. They will have to be suitable for raising additional funds for new activities. The ESTs will act as a spearhead in PE-RC research.
Every two years (as of 2010) a new EST will be selected for PE-RC funding for 4 years, hence resulting in two simultaneous ESTs as of 2012. The EST will be initiated by a Talents - Topics Team (TTT), composed of researchers, who:
· recently acquired a prestigious research grant, and/or
· otherwise excelled in the previous three years, and/or
· recently entered the tenure track
and, in addition,
· obtained the PhD degree less than 10 years before the deadline of the pre-proposal call or
· are currently a VENI or VIDI fellow.
Hence, next to stimulating innovative science, important objectives of allocating PE-RC strategic funds to ESTs are:
· To implement a personal development plan for each of the post-docs/young researchers in the TTT, aimed at developing skills that are important for a future senior scientist position, such as the ability acquire and manage external funds for a larger program
· To offer post-doc positions to recent PhD graduates.
The PE-RC grant for an approved EST will allow for the appointment of two post-docs (covering in total 5 postdoc years; e.g., 2x2.5 years but other modalities incl. part-time employments are also possible). At least one of these should be a post-doc from outside Wageningen-UR. PE-RC will also fund the other activities within the theme from its funds for visiting scientists and PhD education.
Call procedures
An EST will be selected, based on a two-step call. Firstly, the call involves pre-proposals with a description of the EST (see below). The PE-RC research committee will select the pre-proposals that may be elaborated to full proposals. To ensure a high degree of originality and innovativeness, a pre-proposal may only be submitted by young scientists comprising a TTT, as defined above. Secondly, full proposals will be solicited, which will be evaluated by the PE-RC research committee using peer review with respect to scientific quality and feasibility. Full proposals fulfilling the requirements will be ranked and sent to the PE-RC Board for final decision. Full proposals may be developed by a TTT or by a mixed group of a TTT and more experienced researchers, invited by the young scientists to join for full proposal development (TTT+).
Pre-proposal
The pre-proposal (submitted by the TTT) is to describe the EST, addressing the following issues (max. 1500 words excl. illustrations, excl. references; please address each issue separately):
Summary of content
Please add CV’s of young scientists involved in the TTT of no more than 2 A4 each.
Quality of the pre-proposal (weight 67%) and strength of the TTT in their research area (weight 33%) determine the outcome of the evaluation
Full proposal
For an EST to be selected for funding a TTT(+) will have to:
Propose a theme day with local and (inter)national invited speakers to present the theme.
Describe ways to further stimulate the EST, such as:
acquisition of additional research funding;
international collaboration and exchange (networks);
other activities.
Clear objectives will have to be given in this context and details are to be described in an implementation plan.
Propose a workshop on the theme in the fourth year, for which international speakers are to be invited and results presented.
Propose at least one PhD course in the area of the EST, to be organized by the TTT with support from the PE-RC office, in collaboration with pertinent PE-RC chairs, and aimed at involvement of as many PhD candidates as possible.
Hence, contents of a full proposal (submitted by TTT or TTT+) are:
As in pre-proposal, but elaborated, (weight 67%; max. 2500 words excl. illustrations, excl. references)
Summary of content
Originality
Innovativeness
Compliance with PE-RC mission and strategic theme(s)
Societal relevance (salience)
Interdisciplinarity
Network involving 3-6 chair groups/ teams from research institutes (e.g. CRO, NIOO or ITC)
Implementation plan (weight 33%; max 1000. words), addressing a workplan with deliverables and time table for:
Theme day
Workshop
PhD course(s)
Acquisition of additional research funding (mentioning activities and intended funding source(s))
Other activities to stimulate the research theme
The application (full proposal) must be supported by the leaders of at least 3 different groups (amongst which the (chair) group leaders of the (chair) groups in which the members of the TTT are embedded). The (chair) group leaders will have to commit themselves to making each of the members of the TTT available to the EST and activities related to the personal development plan for in total 1 day per week.
The Board of PE-RC invites prospective TTTs to submit pre-proposals (hard and electronic copies) to the secretariat of the Graduate School PE-RC, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB Wageningen (internal “bode” 183). Proposals have to be received by PE-RC at the latest on 29 February 2012.
More information about this call can be obtained from PE-RC office:
Dr. Theo Jetten
Graduate School PE-RC
Droevendaalsesteeg 4
6708 PB
Wageningen
Email:
Theo.Jetten@WUR.NL
Internal “bode”: 183
Tel: (4)83687