Objective The AFR Scheme, managed by the National Research Fund Luxembourg (FNR), supports postdoctoral research training projects in Luxembourg and abroad for up to 2 years. Researchers are eligible up to 8 years after their PhD. Particular importance is given to the selection of high-quality proposals, through a transparent and independent peer review. The scheme has a bottom-up approach, allowing researchers to freely choose their projects and host institutions, without thematic limitations. Nevertheless, for projects outside Luxembourg, beneficiaries must have a strong personal link and/or collaboration with Luxembourg.AFR grants greatly contribute to the improvement of working conditions and career perspectives of researchers: work contracts between AFR beneficiaries and their host institutions are considered as standard, with full social security including pension rights. Also, transnational mobility is mandatory. The scheme promotes public-private partnerships as a complementary path with growing importance compared to the classic academic career. Additional training and networking activities, organised by the FNR, further contribute to improving research careers in Luxembourg.In a country the size of Luxembourg (+/-500,000 inhabitants; +/-1,000 public-sector researchers), the AFR scheme has an important structuring effect.The AFR scheme funds two types of mobility:1) INCOMING: researchers from all nationalities doing a project in an eligible host institution in Luxembourg, and2) OUTGOING: researchers from any nationality carrying out their project in a research institution outside Luxembourg, but who have a link with the country, either through their origin or through a collaboration with a Luxembourg institution.Since 2 March 2009, the AFR scheme has received support under the COFUND action, for a total of 148 fellowship-years selected under calls in 2009 and 2010. The present COFUND proposal requests the extension of the funding for four years, for an additional 83 fellows (166 fellowship-years) to be selected in calls organised between December 2011 and end 2013. Beyond increasing the visibility of the scheme, extending the COFUND support allows to allocate a higher number of grants and to improve the working conditions of the fellows through the granted support measures. Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2010-COFUND - Marie-Curie Action: "Co-funding of regional, National and International Programmes" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2010-COFUND See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-COFUND - Co-funding of Regional, National and International Programmes (COFUND) Coordinator FONDS NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE Address 2 avenue de l'universite 4365 Esch-sur-alzette Luxembourg See on map Region Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg Activity type Public bodies (excluding Research Organisations and Secondary or Higher Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Ulrike Kohl (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution No data
