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First call for proposals for the specific programme for the training and mobility of researchers

Following the Decision by Parliament and Council adopting the Fourth Framework Programme of European Community activities in the field of research and technological development and demonstration (1994 to 1998) (Decision 1110/94/EC of 26 April 1994; OJ No L 126 of 18 May 1995) ...

Following the Decision by Parliament and Council adopting the Fourth Framework Programme of European Community activities in the field of research and technological development and demonstration (1994 to 1998) (Decision 1110/94/EC of 26 April 1994; OJ No L 126 of 18 May 1995) and the Council Decision on the specific programme for research and technological development, including demonstration, in the field of the training and mobility of researchers (TMR) (1994-1998), the Commission of the European Communities is inviting proposals for research and technological development projects. In conformity with Article 5.1 of the Decision on the specific programme, a work programme has been drawn up setting out the detailed objectives and types of projects to be undertaken, and the financial arrangements to be made for them. Individuals and organizations eligible to participate in the programme are invited to submit proposals for the activities covered by the work programme and set out below. The activities will be addressed in conformity with the rules for implementation set out in Annex III of the Decision on the specific programme. The aim of the TMR programme is to promote, through the stimulation of training and mobility of researchers, a quantitative and qualitative increase of human resources within the Community and in the Associated States. The TMR programme covers all fields of the exact, natural, economic and management sciences, as well as those social and human sciences that contribute to the objectives of the Fourth Framework Programme. In order to encourage the creativity and innovation of researchers in conceiving their projects, there are no pre-established targets or priorities in the fields covered by the TMR programme. Scientific merit and interest for the Community will be the overriding criteria in the evaluation and selection of projects. - Activity 1: Research networks: The objective of this activity is to encourage research teams from a number of countries to work together on high-quality joint research projects and, in this context, to promote the training and mobility of researchers, particularly young post-doctoral researchers. Such research networks will also encourage interaction between different disciplines, the combination of different technologies, the transfer of techniques from one scientific domain to another, the dissemination of results, and cooperation between academia and industry. As a general rule, a network will consist of at least five research teams from at least three countries. Smaller associations of research teams (including twinnings) working in emerging areas of science and technology may exceptionally be supported when they are considered to form the core of a future larger network. While the organizations within a network will use their own resources (national funds, private funds, etc.) to finance the actual research work, Community support will finance, at the rate of up to 100%, the additional costs of creating and maintaining the network. Project proposals for research networks must arrive at the Commission by 15 June 1995 (12.00). - Activity 2: Access to large-scale facilities: The essential objective of this activity is to provide researchers with access to large-scale facilities in Europe that are important for high-quality research. The activity will complement national efforts in this field and integrate into other international initiatives concerning large-scale facilities. In that light, the Community financing to a particular facility will be directed towards supporting the access of researchers who would otherwise not normally have access to that facility. Community financing will also be awarded to transnational projects of research, technological development and demonstration aimed at improving the access of researchers to Europe's large-scale facilities. In the case of contracts concerning access for researchers, Community financing is intended to cover 100% of the actual additional costs arising from the travel and subsistence expenses paid to international researchers, the costs of introductory training courses for new users, fees for the researchers to use the facility (user fees are to be calculated on a historical-cost basis), and the publication and dissemination of scientific results. In the case of contracts concerning RTD projects aimed at the improvement of facilities, Community financing will not exceed 50% of the full costs of the project, with progressively lower participation the nearer the project is to the market place. Those universities and other institutions that do not have analytical budget accountancy will be reimbursed on the basis of up to 100% of the additional costs. Project proposals for access to large-scale facilities must arrive at the Commission by 18 April 1995 (12.00). - Activity 3: Training through research: This activity will concentrate on the training of European researchers at the post-doctoral level through research and through the stimulation of mobility. This activity will be implemented through three types of grant: grants for training, return grants, and grants to established researchers. A. Grants for training These grants are offered to post-doctoral researchers who wish to receive training or to specialize outside the country of their nationality and their country of recent residence. A post-doctoral researcher is defined as a researcher holding either a doctoral degree or equivalent level of education or, alternatively, having at least four years' full-time research experience at post-graduate level. Training grants may also be offered to post-graduate researchers. A post-graduate researcher is defined as a holder of a degree, obtained from a university or equivalent institution of higher education, which qualifies the holder directly to embark on a doctorate or equivalent degree. Community support will provide, for a period of between six months and two years at post-doctoral level and between six months and three years at post-graduate level, an allowance for the researcher and a contribution to the research and administrative costs of the host institute. B. Return grants Return grants are reserved for researchers from less-favoured regions who wish to return and undertake research in a less-favoured region in the country of their nationality and who: - have been in receipt of a full two-year post-doctoral grant for training under this programme; or - have been in receipt of a post-doctoral fellowship of at least 20 months under the HCM programme. Community support will provide, for a period of up to 12 months, an allowance for the researcher and a contribution to the research and administrative costs of the host institute. C. Grants to established researchers These grants are reserved for established researchers, particularly from industrialized regions, who wish to join a research team in the less-favoured regions outside the country of their nationality, in order to impart their knowledge and research experience. Applicants for these grants should have at least eight years' full-time research experience at post-graduate level. Community support will provide, for a period of three months to one year, an allowance for the researcher and a contribution to the research and administrative costs of the host institute. Project proposals for training through research (A. Grants for training, B. Return grants, C. Grants to established researchers) must arrive at the Commission by 15 May 1995 (12.00). - Activity 4: Accompanying measures (Euroconferences, summer schools and practical training courses): Euroconferences are to be high-level scientific meetings with a focused theme at the cutting-edge of research bringing together young researchers and established scientists. A Euroconference project would normally be a series of meetings, each lasting for several days and taking place in a closed environment. The number of participants will normally be between 30 and 100. Summer schools are to provide advanced training for young researchers at post-graduate and post-doctoral level. Summer schools are to be organized around specific scientific themes and will have a defined syllabus. Interdisciplinary summer schools are encouraged. Practical training courses are to be advanced courses organized in research institutes, scientific centres, or industrial laboratories with an emphasis on practical techniques and substantial hands-on or field experience for the participants. The Community financing may not be considered as a general subsidy; it may be used as a contribution to three types of expenses: (A) Expenses related to the participation of young scientists; (B) Up to 50% of the expenses related to the participation of invited keynote speakers and scientific organizers; (C) Expenses related to organization. Project proposals for accompanying measures (Euroconferences, summer schools and practical training courses) must arrive at the Commission by 18 April 1995 at 12.00. Information given to the Commission relating to the proposal application or the contract will be treated in confidence. Detailed information about procedures for the submission of proposals (information package) and the contract that will be established with successful proposers will be available on request from the Commission's services. Requests for the information package should include name and full address (no PO Box numbers) and should be sent to: European Commission TMR Information Package DG XII/G-3 75 rue Montoyer (5/34) B-1040 Brussels Tel. +32-2-2960254; Fax +32-2-2962136/2962133/2956995/2963270

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