Appendix A Guide to completion of Form 1

Contents > 1. Call for Proposals to the Danish Councils for Independent Research 1.1 Submitting of proposals 1.2 DFF special initiatives in 2009 3 3 3 2. How to read the call for proposals 3. Who is eligible for funding? 3.1 Qualification of applicant 3.2 Special requirements for the private sector 5 6 6 6 4. What type of research is eligible for funding? 4.1 Major research projects 4.2 Research projects 4.3 Biobanks 4.4 Databases 4.5 Clinician scientist positions (part-time appointments) 4.6 Female heads of research 4.7 Individual postdoctoral grants 4.8 Young Researchers Award 2009 4.9 Grants for international proposals (START) 4.10 Pregraduate scholarships 7 8 8 8 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 5. How and when to apply 5.1 General proposal requirements 5.2 How to apply to more than one council or for more than one grant type 5.3 Project description requirements 5.4 Information about the applicant(s) 5.5 Budget 16 16 17 17 17 18 6. How the proposal is processed 6.1 The Council's assessment 6.2 Processing and procedures 24 24 24 7. Overview of proposal options 8. Address and secretariat Appendix A: Guide to completion of Form 1 25 27 28 1. Call for Proposals to the Danish Councils for > Independent Research The Danish Councils for Independent Research (DFF) support research based on the researchers' own initiatives within and across all scientific main areas. DFF comprises a Board and five research councils, one of these being the Danish Medical Research Council (FSS). DFF has two annual calls for proposals, each comprising five parallel calls for proposals from the individual scientific research councils. For detailed information on DFF, please see the website of the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (FI): http://www.fi.dk/raad-og-udvalg/det-frie-forskningsraad. In this call for proposals, FSS invites proposals for grants covering research activities due to commence in 2009. In 2009, DFF has a financial framework totalling DKK 1.3 billion from the Danish Finance Act. FSS's share of these funds total approximately DKK 290 million in 2009. Please note that in certain cases, special initiatives are covered by all five research councils under DFF. This document is an English translation of the Danish call for proposals. In the event of any inconsistency between the two language versions of the call for proposals, the Danish version shall prevail. Special circumstances relating to the 2009 spring call for proposals Together with a number of negotiating parties, the Danish government has entered into an agreement on the allocation of part of The Globalisation Fund. In this respect, it was decided, among other things, that the Danish Councils for Independent Research should in future, to a much higher extent than today, cover the full costs when the councils provide funding for persons employed in state research institutions. Both the agreement and the subsequent Finance Act for 2009 introduce a 10 per cent ceiling for the amount of cofinancing that can be required by the councils from the institutions. This means new guidelines to be followed by the councils from 2009 which have a number of direct and specific consequences for the councils’ grant types and for the councils' allocation of grants. Due to the late conclusion of the agreement, it is not possible, at present, to describe the autumn grant types, but changes must be expected as compared to last year's call for proposals. 1.1 Submitting of proposals This spring, the deadline for submission of proposals to FSS is 3 p.m. on Monday, 2 March 2009. In addition, the Council has open-ended deadlines (submission at any time) for certain grant types. All deadlines can be seen in Chapter 4. 1.2 DFF special initiatives in 2009 In addition to the main objectives for 2009 specified above, the Danish Councils for Independent Research (DFF) have prioritised the following special initiatives which must all be applied for through the relevant research council: • • • • Research growth layer Female heads of research Young researchers Internationalisation Research growth layer The Danish Councils for Independent Research (DFF) attach great importance to enhancing the growth layer of research and, accordingly, applicants may apply for support for PhD and postdoctoral grants. For detailed terms, see Chapter 4. Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 3 Female heads of research DFF wishes to focus on female researchers and provide them with the possibility of developing their careers as heads of research. With this initiative, DFF makes it possible for future female heads of research to gather a group of researchers and/or research students for the purposes of carrying out a research project. For a full description of this grant type, please see Chapter 4.6. Young researchers With the "Young Researchers Award", DFF wishes to give out a number of awards for particularly talented young researchers. The "Young Researchers Award" is DKK 200,000 (excl. overhead) which amount may be used freely for travels, stays abroad, research equipment or other research-related expenses. The "Young Researchers Award" is applied for in connection with a proposal to one of the research councils under DFF. For a full description of the award, see Chapter 4.8. Internationalisation The Danish Councils for Independent Research (DFF) wish to promote the internationalisation of Danish research and therefore prioritise supporting proposals that strengthen the collaboration between Danish and international research. DFF and National Science Foundation (NSF) mutually wish to promote the international mobility of Danish and American postdoctoral grants. For that purpose, DFF and NFS have agreed to make a special effort to inform of postdoctoral students' opportunities to apply for funding to carry out a postdoctoral stay in Denmark or the USA. Danish researchers who wish to carry out a full or partial stay at an American university can therefore apply for funding from the relevant research council. It is possible to apply for stays of 1-3 years. American researchers who wish to carry out a full or partial stay at a Danish university are similarly encouraged to apply for funding from NSF. It is possible to apply for stays of 9-24 months through NSF’s International Research Fellowship Program (IRFP). 4 2. How to read the call for proposals > This call for proposals provides information on funding opportunities from the Danish Medical Research Council and on the Council's requirements for you and your proposal. The Council recommends that you read the call for proposals thoroughly before completing your proposal, including the description of the individual grant types in Chapter 4 and the general sections on proposal requirements in Chapters 5 and 6. Proposals that fail to meet the requirements set out in this call for proposals may be rejected without prior substantive consideration, cf. Article 4 (2) of Executive Order no. 864 of 27 August 2008 on the delegation of powers, the funding function, etc. of the Danish Councils for Independent Research and the Danish Council for Strategic Research. The FSS secretariat will be pleased to provide assistance over the telephone with formal and technical matters pertaining to this call for proposals. For secretariat contact information, see Chapter 8. The Council updates the call for proposals twice a year – typically in December and June – and the current version is available at all times at the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (FI) website www.fi.dk. The Council recommends that you as an applicant keep well informed of the latest developments, for instance by taking out a free electronic subscription from the website. Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 5 3. Who is eligible for funding? The Danish Medical Research Council (FSS) may provide funding for researchers working with all aspects of basic, clinical and socio-medical research geared towards human health and disease. The Council funds research based on researchers' own initiatives. If you are a foreign citizen or a Danish citizen employed outside Denmark, you may also apply for funding, but in all cases, the assessment of your proposal will be based on the extent to which the project applied for promotes/strengthens Danish research. The Council sees diversity as a resource and encourages everyone to apply, irrespective of gender, race, religion and ethnic background. 3.1 Qualification of applicant You should normally have obtained a PhD or achieved equivalent qualifications through your research. With the exception of individual postdoctoral grants, PhD students are not eligible for funding from FSS themselves. 3.2 Special requirements for the private sector Researchers employed at private-sector enterprises may, to a certain extent, receive support through grants from the councils as long as this is in accordance with EU state aid regulations. In any event, the enterprise will be required to contribute substantial co-financing. Private-sector support can be given in accordance with: • Group relief schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Please see the entire set of rules at the following website: www.ks.dk/service-menu/faq/hvad-er-en-gruppefritagelse/ EU "de minimis" rule: Please see the entire set of rules at the following website: www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=31140 • 6 4. What type of research is eligible for funding? > FSS supports specific, well-defined activities. Thus, funding will not be awarded for permanent activities, such as permanent operating expenses or the establishment of permanent positions. The Council does not grant retroactive funding and, therefore, you cannot apply for funding for activities already carried out at the time when the Council makes its decision. All funding is awarded with effect from the date of the Council's meeting or a later time specified by the Council. As an exception from this rule, proposals that receive funding from FSS may be granted support for travels made after the proposal is received but before the meeting in the Council is held. Overview of grant types FSS grant types 4.1 Major research projects 4.2 Research projects 4.3 Biobanks 4.4 Databases 4.5 Clinician scientist positions (part-time appointments) 4.6 Female heads of research 4.7 Individual postdoctoral grants Proposal deadline 1 September 2009 1 September 2009 1 September 2009 1 September 2009 2 March 2009 / 1 September 2009 2 March 2009 2 March 2009 / 1 September 2009 2 March 2009 / 1 September 2009 Proposals may be submitted at any time Proposals may be submitted at any time 4.8 Young Researchers Award 2009 4.9 Grants for international proposals (START) 4.10 Pregraduate scholarships Proposals submitted by the proposal deadline of 2 March 2009 will be processed at the Council's meeting in May 2009, and the grants will not come into force until 1 June 2009. Proposals that may be submitted at any time will be processed at meetings typically held every 4-6 weeks. Grants awarded for these proposals cannot be used until the first day of the month after the proposal has been processed by the Council. However, funding is available for travels commencing after the proposal date but in advance of the date on which the deciding council meeting is held. Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 7 The Council does not offer funding for Master's programmes. Please note that a number of major changes have been made to the call for proposals in 2009 as compared to 2008. It is therefore important to read the proposal requirements below, also for applicants from previous years. 4.1 Major research projects Proposal deadline: 1 September 2009 4.2 Research projects Proposal deadline: 1 September 2009 4.3 Biobanks Proposal deadline: 1 September 2009 4.4 Databases Proposal deadline: 1 September 2009 4.5 Clinician scientist positions (part-time appointments) Proposal deadlines: 2 March and 1 September 2009 Objective FSS offers funding for clinician scientist positions (part-time appointments) in which up to 6 months of the year are funded by FSS for the objective of research, while the remaining time is spent in a clinical position remunerated by the employing institution. Applicant requirements Funding is primarily awarded to medical doctors, dentists and veterinarians who have obtained a PhD or equivalent qualifications through their research and who, at the time of application, are employed in a clinical position. The research position and the clinical position need not be at the same institution. The proposal must be submitted by the person wishing to be awarded the clinician scientist position. The proposal You may apply for funding for a period corresponding to at least 1 year and maximum 3 years. It is assumed that you have secured funding in advance from the institutions or from other sources for your clinical position. Your salary will be based on applicable collective agreements. Salaries are equivalent to the salary for the clinical position, with the exception of special supplements for clinical functions (e.g. on-call supplement). "Clinician Scientist" must be entered in Item 8 of the application form. Please note that the proposal must be for at least DKK 350,000. Project description The project description must not exceed 5 A4 pages (excl. references) using Times New Roman, 12 point font size, a right and left side margin of at least 2 cm and 1.5 line spacing. You must prepare the description in accordance with the guide in Chapter 5.3. Budget (cf. Chapter 5.5) You may apply for funding to cover expenses that are directly attributable to the suggested project and which are relevant and necessary in order to carry out the project. The budget should be divided into the following 8 > overall budget items: Scientific/academic salaries, technical/administrative salaries, equipment expenses in excess of DKK 40,000, operating expenses (e.g. equipment to a limited extent) and overhead/administration expenses. The budget should be accompanied by specific reasons stating why the individual budget items and the extent of such items are relevant and necessary to carry out the project. You must submit your proposal using Form 1 with the following appendices in the order mentioned: • Project description (see Chapter 5.3) • CV and publications list for applicant (see Chapter 5.4). • Detailed budget (see Chapter 5.5) • Statement of support from the institution where the applicant holds the research position • Statement of support and confirmation of co-financing of at least 50 per cent of the salary expenses from the institution where the applicant holds the clinical position • Statement of collaboration from any other staff members on the project team • FSS form for subject and topic codes 4.6 Female heads of research Proposal deadline: 2 March 2009 Objective With this grant type, the Danish Councils for Independent Research (DFF) wish to focus on female researchers and improve their possibilities of continuing a research career and realise their research goals. Accordingly, DFF wishes to make it possible for future female heads of research to gather a group of researchers and/or research students for the purposes of carrying out a research project. In 2009, DFF has set aside a minimum of DKK 70 million for this purpose, which amount will be allocated by members of the five research councils upon recommendation from an intercouncil committee to the best proposals across all disciplines. Please note that this grant type is offered only in the spring. The Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation has, pursuant to Section 13(2) of the Danish Act on Equal Treatment of Men and Women in Matters of Employment and Parental Leave, etc., granted the Danish Councils for Independent Research an exemption from the Act's general provisions on this subject. The exemption has been granted on condition that all proposals shall be subject to a specific evaluation to ensure that female applicants are disregarded if there are male applicants with better qualifications based on a specific assessment of all relevant criteria except gender. Applicant requirements The initiative's target group is women who have not yet but wish to become heads of research and who are working in Danish research environments. To apply for funding, you must as a minimum be qualified as an associate professor. Career breaks owing to leave periods such as maternity/parental leave, sick or family care leave, military service, humanitarian aid work, etc. will be taken into account in the assessment of your CV. The proposal You may apply for up to DKK 4 million (excl. of overhead/administration expenses) for research projects of up to 4 years' duration commencing from 1 September 2009. The project must be based on an original research idea or complex of ideas that will lead to findings at an international level. If you apply for this research grant, you must indicate "KFL" in Item 8 in Application Form 1. Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 9 Project description The project description must not exceed 5 A4 pages (excl. references) using Times New Roman, 12 point font size, a right and left side margin of at least 2 cm and 1.5 line spacing. You must prepare the description in accordance with the guide in Chapter 5.3. Budget (cf. Chapter 5.5) You may apply for funding to cover expenses that are directly attributable to the suggested project and which are relevant and necessary in order to carry out the project. The budget should be divided into the following overall budget items: Scientific/academic salaries, technical/administrative salaries, equipment expenses in excess of DKK 40,000, operating expenses (e.g. equipment to a limited extent) and overhead/administration expenses. The budget should be accompanied by specific reasons stating why the individual budget items and the extent of such items are relevant and necessary to carry out the project. You must submit your proposal using Form 1 with the following appendices in the order mentioned: • Project description, see above and Chapter 5.3 • CVs and lists of publications for principal applicant and other scientific/academic staff whose salary is to be covered by the grant, see Chapter 5.4 • Detailed budget, see Chapter 5.5 • Price quotation for equipment expenses in excess of DKK 100,000, excl. overhead/administration expenses, see Chapter 5.5 • Form for subject and topic codes (FSS-specific appendix). In its assessment of proposals, DFF attaches particular importance to the following: • The quality and originality of the research and its scientific and societal perspectives • The scientific qualifications and research productivity of the applicant • The scientific relevance of the project and the suitability of the proposed methodology • The feasibility of the project (including time schedule, milestones, collaboration partners and access to relevant facilities) • Inclusion of research training in the project • Ethical aspects of research If you wish to be considered for other Council grant types, you must submit a separate proposal aimed at such grant types. 4.7 Individual postdoctoral grants Proposal deadline: 2 March 2009/1 September 2009 Objective Postdoctoral grants are aimed at maintaining and developing research competence. They also seek to promote national and international mobility among research environments and between research environments and the business community. The grants are awarded to researchers in connection with their individual completion of specific research projects at research institutions in Denmark or abroad. Applicant requirements Grants are primarily awarded to researchers in the initial phases of their careers. Researchers with a PhD or equivalent qualifications (e.g. a positive assistant professor evaluation – "adjunktbedømmelse") may apply for postdoctoral grants. 10 > If you are a PhD student, you may apply if you attach a declaration from your supervisor stating that your thesis is expected to be submitted within 6 months of the proposal deadline. You cannot initiate the project for which funding has been received until you have obtained your PhD degree and have submitted the relevant documentation to the Council. The proposal You may apply for postdoctoral grants for 1-3 years. Postdoctoral grants may be awarded for a total maximum of three years. Project description The project description must not exceed 5 A4 pages (excl. references) using Times New Roman, 12 point font size, a right and left side margin of at least 2 cm and 1.5 line spacing. You must prepare the description in accordance with the guide in Chapter 5.3. Budget (cf. Chapter 5.5) You may apply for funding to cover expenses that are directly attributable to the suggested project and which are relevant and necessary in order to carry out the project. The budget should be divided into the following overall budget items: Scientific/academic salaries, technical/administrative salaries, equipment expenses in excess of DKK 40,000, operating expenses (including travel and living expenses) and overhead/administration expenses. The budget should be accompanied by specific reasons stating why the individual budget items and the extent of such items are relevant and necessary to carry out the project. You must submit your proposal using Form 1 with the following appendices in the order mentioned: • Project description (see Chapter 5.3) • CV and publications list (see Chapter 5.4) • PhD diploma and PhD evaluation or secondary documentation of: a) acceptance of the thesis for defence, b) a positive assistant professor evaluation (adjunktbedømmelse), c) qualifications equivalent to PhD level achieved in another way, or d) a declaration from the supervisor stating the expected date of submission (PhD student) • Detailed budget (see Chapter 5.5) • Confirmation of willingness to host the grant recipient, e.g. from a foreign institution • FSS form for subject and topic codes (FSS-specific appendix). Council-specific matters • Proposals submitted to FSS for postdoctoral grants must be for at least DKK 350,000 p.a. (excl. overhead/administration expenses). • FSS wishes to promote the internationalisation of Danish research and therefore gives priority to award grants to foreign postdoctoral grants to Denmark • FSS wishes to support repatriation grants and therefore prioritises awarding funding to researchers wishing to return to Denmark after a full-time stay of 2-3 years at a foreign research institution. 4.8 Young Researchers Award 2009 Proposal deadline: 2 March 2009/1 September 2009 Objective Again in 2009, the Danish Councils for Independent Research (DFF) wish to give out a number of the DFF "Young Researchers Awards". The "Young Researchers Award" will be awarded on the basis of proposals submitted to the Council throughout 2009. The award decision will be made in the autumn, irrespective of Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 11 the time of submitting the proposal, and the award will be presented in the beginning of 2010. Please note that you may only apply for the award together with one of the Council's other grant types. Applicant requirements The awards will be given to highly talented young researchers who submit proposals to one of the scientific research councils in DFF. Normally, awards are given to applicants who have not reached the age of 35 at the time of application. However, breaks owing to maternity/parental leave, sick or family care leave, military service, humanitarian aid work, etc. will be taken into account. If you are selected for a "Young Researchers Award", you have an additional obligation as regards promotion of your project and must be available for interviews and press coverage. The proposal You should not submit a separate proposal to be considered for the award, as it is awarded on the basis of a grant of a minimum of DKK 1 million, excl. overhead/administration expenses, within all the Council's grant types. You can be considered for the DFF Young Researchers Award by adding "+Young Researchers Award" under Item 8 in Application Form 1. You must prepare your actual proposal in accordance with the guidelines for the grant type applied for (see Chapter 4) and the general requirements set out in this call for proposals. Project description You must meet the project description requirements stated under the grant type applied for. Budget (cf. Chapter 5.5) If you are awarded DFF's "Young Researchers Award", you will subsequently receive a grant of up to DKK 200,000 (excl. overhead/administration expenses) for "special operating expenses". The funding awarded may be used for travel, stays abroad, research equipment or other research-related expenses. Accordingly, you must not include such expenses in the proposal budget which must follow the instructions stated under the grant type applied for, cf. Chapter 5.5 4.9 Grants for international proposals (START) Proposals may be submitted at any time Objective With a view to sustaining and improving the international competitiveness of Danish research and strengthening Danish researchers' possibilities of successfully applying for international financing sources, FSS provides funding for the preparation of international research proposals. Applicant requirements If relevant, the Council will give priority to proposals where you have coordinating functions. The amount granted will depend on your role in preparing the proposal. The proposal You can apply for grants for preparing proposals aimed at the EU's 7th Framework Programme’s research funds, the European Research Council (ERC) and other international research funds offered in open competition and by bodies other than the Council itself. This applies both to proposals for a programme for which a call for proposals has not yet been made and to proposals pertaining to a specific call for proposals/programme. If the programme(s) applied for entail(s) several proposal rounds (e.g. prequalification and final proposal) a proposal may be submitted for each of these. You can apply for 12 > funding to prepare international proposals (START) for a period of up to 2 years and for an amount of between DKK 50,000 and DKK 300,000 (excl. overhead/administration expenses). Project description The project description must not exceed 5 A4 pages (excl. references) using Times New Roman, 12 point font size, a right and left side margin of at least 2 cm and 1.5 line spacing. You must prepare the description in accordance with the guide in Chapter 5.3. The description must briefly state the following: • Which (prospective) international call for proposals, call for tenders or programme the proposal pertains to – and the size of the international grant for the Danish partners that is being applied for • Your scientific qualifications in relation to the international proposal applicant's role in the overall project organisation of the international proposal • Your role in the overall project organisation of the international proposal • Your role in the preparation of the international proposal • Hypotheses, methodology, theory and the like • The anticipated scientific/academic benefits and relevance for Danish participation/research • Documentation of qualification for the next round and justification for the scope of new activities (only for proposals that have passed prequalification) Budget (cf. Chapter 5.5) You may apply for funding to cover expenses that are directly attributable to the suggested project and which are relevant and necessary in order to carry out the project. The budget should be divided into the following overall budget items: Scientific/academic salaries, technical/administrative salaries, operating expenses (e.g. travel and living expenses for the applicant's partners and expenses for meetings, seminars, etc.) and overhead/administration expenses. The budget should be accompanied by specific reasons stating why the individual budget items and the extent of such items are relevant and necessary to carry out the project. You must submit your proposal using Form 1 with the following appendices: • Project description (see above) • CVs (1-2 pages) and publications lists (last 5 years) for all Danish participants and other key participants for whom funding is being applied (see Chapter 5.4) • Detailed budget (see Chapter 5.5) • Copy of the specific tender documents or, if not available, description of the expected call for tenders • FSS form for subject and topic codes (FSS-specific appendix). 4.10 Pregraduate scholarships Proposals may be submitted at any time Objective With the object of giving qualified students within the Council's focus area the opportunity to undertake pregraduate research, the Council offers Pregraduate scholarships of maximum 1 year's duration. Applicant requirements Proposals for pregraduate scholarships must be submitted by the student's academic supervisor. As a supervisor, you must normally have obtained a PhD or achieved equivalent qualifications through your research. Preference will be given to students enrolled as pregraduate research students at faculties/institutes of health sciences and students of pharmacy and veterinary science and related disciplines whose Master's theses are to be completed within a prescribed period of 1 semester. Funding is not offered to students enrolled in programmes where the thesis is to be completed within a prescribed period of 1 year. Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 13 If you are a prospective student and awarded a pregraduate scholarship, you cannot simultaneously be actively engaged in your normal studies. In respect of your enrolment status and possibilities of receiving Danish state education grant instalments (SU), reference is made to the study administration of the relevant university and the website of Danish State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme Agency. FSS presupposes that the scientific work is a full time undertaking for the pregraduate scholarship holder but will accept that he/she has other paid work corresponding to 200 hours p.a. concurrently with the pregraduate scholarship project. On the basis of a specific assessment following a proposal, the Council may, in exceptional cases, permit pregraduate scholarship holders to undertake other paid work in excess of 200 hours p.a. In awarding pregraduate scholarships, the Council will seek to spread the awards across different research centres in the interest of promoting broad recruitment to health sciences research. The Council will therefore award only a limited number of pregraduate scholarships per researcher/research team. The proposal Funding is not offered for more than 1 year. Pregraduate research students are eligible for a one-year scholarship, while students whose thesis is to be completed within a prescribed period of 1 semester will be eligible for a 6-month scholarship, in order that they may also accumulate a total of 12 months' research experience. The intention is for the scholarship project to be an independent undertaking and not part of a thesis. Please note that the minimum limit for the amount applied for is DKK 50,000 excl. overhead/administration expenses. Project description The project description must not exceed 5 A4 pages (excl. references) using Times New Roman, 12 point font size, a right and left side margin of at least 2 cm and 1.5 line spacing. You must prepare the description in accordance with the guide in Chapter 5.3. In its assessment of the proposal, the Council will attach importance to the elements mentioned in Chapter 6.1. In addition, the Council will attach importance to the following: • The qualifications of the grant recipient • The grant recipient's role and tasks in the project • That the pregraduate scholarship is for innovative research rather than more routine tasks subordinate to a large-scale project Budget (cf. Chapter 5.5) A pregraduate scholarship will give you DKK 10,000 a month. You may also apply for funding to cover other expenses that are directly attributable to the suggested project and which are relevant and necessary in order to carry out the project. The budget should be divided into the following overall budget items: Scientific/academic salaries, technical/administrative salaries, equipment expenses in excess of DKK 40,000, operating expenses (travel and living expenses for the applicant's partners, compensation for supervisory hours, etc.) and overhead/administration expenses. The budget should be accompanied by specific reasons stating why the individual budget items and the extent of such items are relevant and necessary to carry out the project. 14 > You must submit your proposal using Form 1 with the following appendices in the order mentioned: • Project description (see Chapter 5.3) • Account of the prospective pregraduate scholarship holder's role and assigned tasks within the project • CV and publications list for applicant (see Chapter 5.4). • CV and academic transcripts for the student • Statement of collaboration from any other staff members on the project team • FSS form for subject and topic codes If funding for research stays abroad is part of the proposal, the following must also be included: • Statements from the host institution • Detailed budget for the research stay (see Chapter 5.5) Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 15 5. How and when to apply Proposal deadlines and calls for proposals Each grant type in Chapter 4 (and the overview in Chapter 7) states the applicable proposal deadlines. Proposals must be submitted to the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation no later than at 3 p.m. on the date of the proposal deadline. Urgent proposals FSS does not accept urgent proposals. 5.1 General proposal requirements Forms When submitting a proposal to FSS, you must use Form 1 (see guidelines for completing the form in Appendix A in this call for proposals). These are standard forms, used by all five research councils, and are available at the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation's website: www.fi.dk. It is not sufficient to refer to formerly submitted proposals or forms. Please note that the proposals and the information in the application form about the applicant will be stored electronically in the database of the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Council reserves the right to obtain information on any previous proposals from this database. Appendices Each grant type in Chapter 4 lists the appendices to be submitted to the Council. You cannot expect supplementary appendices to be considered in the assessment of the proposal, and applicants are requested not to submit any proposal appendices that are not included in the list of required appendices. Language You must write your proposal in Danish or English (see the other councils' calls for proposals for any other requirements). In two cases, the proposals will always be submitted for international review, in which cases the proposal must always be prepared in English: 1) If the proposal is for more than a total of DKK 10 million 2) If a Council member is the applicant or a scientific/academic member of the project team (stated in Item 14 of the application form) and the proposal is for more than a total of DKK 1 million. If you write your proposal in English, you must write it using the English-language Application Form 1. However, the popular science description in Item 15 in Form 1 must always be written in Danish. Please note that you must submit your proposal in the number of printed copies stated in Chapter 7. Each set of copies must be secured with 1 staple. Furthermore, you must enclose the full proposal as 1 complete PDF file on a CD-ROM, i.e. Form 1, project description and all appendices gathered in 1 file. The Council prefers that you create the PDF file directly, not through scanning. The printed copy must include original signatures but these may be left out in the PDF file. By signing the printed copy, you confirm that the printed copy of the proposal is identical to the PDF file. You must submit a separate proposal for each grant type applied for – see summary in Chapter 7. 16 > 5.2 How to apply to more than one council or for more than one grant type If you want your proposal to be considered by more than 1 scientific research council, you must submit the proposal separately to each of the research councils in question and remember to state, under Item 12 of the application form, any other councils to which you have submitted proposals for funding. The proposal must adhere to the individual research councils' deadlines, formal requirements, methods, etc. and you must therefore be aware of any differences in the proposals of the various councils. In case of doubt, you may contact the individual council secretariats. If you apply for more than one grant type with the same deadline, you must submit a separate proposal for each grant type applied for. The mandatory appendices for the grant type in question must be attached to each proposal. 5.3 Project description requirements Proposals submitted using Form 1 must be accompanied by a detailed project description according to the instructions in the call for proposals detailing the following: • Objective of the project (problem formulation, theoretical foundation and any hypotheses) and the academic and societal perspectives and relevance. In addition, it must include an assessment of the anticipated significance of the findings for future research and, where relevant, research training in the area • Background and status of existing knowledge in the field (state-of-the-art), including the project's relation to national and international research as well as argumentation for your qualifications and previous contributions to the field. • Research plan, including the methods (including methodology and materials considerations regarding the feasibility of the project, e.g. power analyses) to be used as well as a work schedule and timetable. • The practical aspects of carrying out the project (e.g. experimental facilities, staff resources, access to software/databases). • A schedule for publication of the project's findings, including popular science promotion. • The popular science description of the project (under Item 15) must be in Danish and must be formulated so as to be comprehensible to people without expertise in the specialist field in question. • The ethical aspects of the research, including the use of laboratory animals When preparing the project description, it is also important to bear in mind that all Council members will participate in the final assessment and prioritisation of the individual proposals. Consequently, the project description should be aimed at active researchers within all branches of medical science, not only specialists within the relevant field. 5.4 Information about the applicant(s) The proposal must be submitted by the researcher who is responsible for the project. The applicant is also responsible in relation to the Council. For pregraduate scholarships, the party with responsibility is the prospective scholarship holder's supervisor. All proposals must include a CV and publications list for the applicant and any named scientific staff for whom the applicant is seeking salary funding. Proposals for databases or biobanks must also include a CV for principal participants involved in setting up the database/biobank. Proposals for pregraduate scholarships must include a CV and academic transcripts for the student. CVs must not exceed 1-2 pages and must include information on: • Education (academic degrees listed with date obtained) Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 17 • • • Present and recent positions held. In case of temporary employment, state the date of the termination of the employment contract. Any periods of leave (maternity/parental or family care leave, military service, humanitarian aid work, etc.). Other scientific qualifications DFF considers a high position obtained in the international competitions under the European Research Council to be important information on a researcher CV. Applicants who have qualified to participate in the second round in ERC's international competitions are therefore invited to state this on their CV. The Council's assessment of the applicants' research productivity will take into account the applicants' careers within and outside research enterprises, as well as any periods of leave. The publications list must only contain: • The total number of reviews and original articles published in scientific journals with a refereeing system, i.e. not abstracts. • Detailed references to publications from the current year and the preceding 4 years and any earlier publications of particular relevance to the project. The references must list the order of authors, title, type (journal/monograph), first and last pages and year. Works not finally accepted for publication may not be included. Information about works finally accepted for publication after the deadline may however be submitted to the secretariat after the proposal deadline. • Patent references should be included in the publications list on equal terms with references to scientific articles. No references to patents that have not finally been granted may be included. 5.5 Budget You may apply for funding to cover expenses that are directly attributable to the project applied for and which are relevant and necessary in order to carry out the project. To this should be added overhead/administration expenses. The applicant should ensure that there is agreement between the project applied for and the budget applied for. All proposals must include a realistic budget covering the entire project period. As an applicant you must prepare the budget for costs covered by the research field as well as costs covered by other sources, if any. Disclosure of budget information in Form 1 You must disclose budget information in Item 16 in Form 1. In the first column, state the amounts being applied for from the Research Council, cf. the detailed budget. In the second column, state contributions from the workplace/institution, if any. In the third column, state the total amount of external funding that has been awarded to the project. Where no funding is provided from other sources, state DKK 0. You must prepare the budget at the actual price level at the time of the proposal and must, therefore, take into account expected salary and price increases during the project period. The budget items must be broken down by calendar year (1 January – 31 December), not project year. For the number of months, enter the number of months you and any co-applicants spend on the project. The statement applies to one full-time employee (one person working half-time on the project for one calendar year is e.g. stated as 6 months). The summary information for expenses to be financed by the grant and expenses to be financed from other sources in the detailed budget, if any, must be disclosed in Form 1, Item 16. 18 > You may apply for funding to cover the following overall budget items in Form 1, Item 16: • Scientific/academic salaries • Technical/administrative salaries • Equipment expenses in excess of DKK 40,000 • Operating expenses • Overhead/administration expenses The Research Council's processing of the proposal requires that the summarised budgetary details on Form 1 have been authorised and officially stamped and signed by the head of the institution administrating the project. The requirement regarding stamp and signature does not apply to proposals that are not to be administered by a Danish institution. In the event that you also apply for project funding from other sources, such sources must be stated in Item 12 in Form 1. In connection with the preparation of the budget, applicants are recommended to seek assistance from the institution that will be administering the grant. Detailed budget You must prepare a detailed budget so that the financial statements can be compared item-by-item with the budget. The detailed budget must clarify the budget details stated in Form 1, Item 16, which are based on the five budget items stated above: Scientific/academic salaries, technical/administrative salaries, equipment expenses in excess of DKK 40,000, operating expenses and overhead/administration expenses. For example, the scientific/academic salary category must be specified by individuals to clearly state the intended recipients of grants to cover scientific/academic salaries and the extent thereof. Operating expenses must also be specified so that the Research Council can see the specific operating expenses covered by any grant applied for. The detailed budget should be accompanied by specific reasons stating why the individual budget items and the extent of such items are relevant and necessary to carry out the project. The individual budget items are described in more detail below. For the budget items where no guidelines apply, motivated proposals for expenses and level of expenses should be appended to the detailed budget. Scientific/academic salaries The Council provides funding for scientific/academic salaries for participants in the project applied for. These participants comprise both researchers already employed in an institution during the project period applied for, irrespective of whether such employment is limited in time, and researchers who are not already employed in an institution in the project period applied for. The proposal and budget must clearly state the intended funding recipient and the funding period. When applying for scientific/academic salaries, you must state the salary amount, if any, already granted to you and your co-applicants for the project period applied for from the Research Council or other external sources of financing. As regards the employment terms and conditions for scientific/academic staff salaried by the Council, see the applicable collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 19 the Danish Ministry of Finance. Scientific/academic staff salaried by the Research Council is comprised by the employment structure for scientific/academic staff at institutions of higher education or by the employment structure for scientific/academic staff performing research at sector research institutions. • Standard rates The research council has specified standard rates for expenses covering scientific/academic salary conforming to the collective agreement for state-employed academics (incl. pension, central supplements, special holiday pay, holiday pay in connection with resignation, ATP – supplementary pension contributions and expected salary and price increases) and conforming to the occupational categories at universities and sector research institutions. For all years, the amount comprises holiday allowance to be used as paid holiday or holiday pay in connection with resignation. Within the grant period, the institution shall cover statutory and collectively agreed expenses ensuing from the appointment. All expenses for salary must be covered within the framework or must be applied for from other sources. Supplementary grants are awarded only in exceptional cases. You may use the recommended standard rates when preparing the project's salary budget. Any salary exceeding the standard rates must be justified correctly. The rates stated in this chapter are recommended standard rates only, as you are responsible for applying for the correct salary. Standard rates for salary budgets (salary excl. training rates) for PhD grants commencing 2009: Salary budget for Salary budget for 1-year grant/1st year of 2-year grant/2nd year grant of grant Grading at grade 4 on appointment, pay grade increase included Grading at grade 5 on appointment, pay grade increase included Grading at grade 6 on appointment, pay grade increase included Grading at grade 8 on appointment, pay grade increase included 355,000 390,000 Salary budget for 3-year grant/3rd year of grant 405,000 380,000 415,000 455,000 405,000 440,000 455,000 425,000 440,000 455,000 Unnamed PhD grants in the proposal will be graded at grade 4. Standard rates for salary budgets for postdoctoral grants commencing 2009 Salary budget 2009 /1st year of grant Grading at grade 6 on appointment, pay grade increase included Grading at grade 8 on Salary budget 2010 /2nd year of grant Salary budget 2011 /3rd year of grant 470,000 505,000 520,000 20 > appointment, pay grade increase included 495,000 505,000 520,000 Unnamed postdoctoral grants in the proposal will be graded at grade 6. Standards rates for salary budgets for associate professor level 2009 530,000 2010 545,000 2011 560,000 2012 580,000 2013 605,000 Standards rates for salary budgets for professor level 2009 700,000 2010 720,000 2011 750,000 2012 775,000 2013 800,000 Technical/administrative salaries You may apply for funding to cover salaries for non-scientific assistance, including student assistance. You must specify the precise tasks and responsibilities of the person in question and why it is necessary and relevant in order to carry out the project. Please state the number of hours per week and staff category for the person in question. In accordance with the state's standard provisions, assistants may not receive pay that is beyond the professional level necessary to perform the tasks. Equipment (purchase or construction) You may apply for funding to cover the purchase or construction of equipment which is necessary in order to carry out the specific research project. When applying for funding to cover the purchase of equipment in excess of DKK 40,000, a purchase price quotation must be enclosed. Funded equipment will be the property of the institution administrating the project. The Danish Research Council's Instrument Service (FRIT) is willing to arrange the procurement. FRIT can be contacted at tel. +45 46 77 40 40. Operating expenses The Council provides funding to cover operating expenses and you may apply for funding to cover expenses for materials, chemicals, laboratory animals, services, fees for trial subjects, consultancy fees, travel activity, etc. You may still only apply for funding to cover expenses that are directly attributable to the project applied for and which are relevant and necessary in order to carry out the project. Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 21 Below you will find a number of budget guidelines for the typical operating expenses for which you can submit proposals to the Research Council: • Rates relating to research training You may apply for training rates in relation to the PhD grants financed by the Council. In accordance with an agreement made between the research council system and Universities Denmark, the Council uses special training rates that are lower than the standard training rates stated in the Finance Act in connection with grants to universities. The employing or host institution may in turn give PhD students tasks to an extent corresponding to 840 hours in a 3-year PhD course of study. You may apply to the Council for training rates corresponding to DKK 50,000 (humanities/social sciences)/DKK 80,000 (science/technology/health sciences) for each full project year. This amount is at the host institution's disposal and also covers all PhD supervisor salary expenses. • Travel and living expenses You may apply for funding to cover travel and living expenses in accordance with the government circular on the official journey agreement (Statens Cirkulære om Tjenesterejseaftalen) and the appurtenant circular on adjustment of rates (Cirkulære om Statsregulering) and the circular on bonus schemes (Cirkulære om Bonusordninger). The purpose of the agreement is to cover any additional costs related to official journeys. Therefore, no financial compensation is awarded for inconvenience such as particularly straining travel activities or similar. These are assumed to be covered by possible local salary formation. You may apply for the following: • Repayment of transport in accordance with the circular • Repayment of overnight stay expenses in accordance with the applicable amount available for hotels • Hourly and daily allowance to pay for additional expenses to cover meals, etc. In the event of 28-day stays where nights are spent at the posting site, such stays will be deemed to be postings by the Council in accordance with the circular. Hourly and daily allowance and the amount available for hotels will consequently be reduced by a fourth for postings in Denmark and a sixth for postings on the Faroe Islands. For postings in Greenland or abroad, the amount available for hotels will be reduced by a fourth. For the agreements and rates, see www.perst.dk. If, during stays abroad, you remain employed at a Danish state institution (other than the Research Council) you should find out whether you are covered by state self-insurance and, therefore, do not need to take out your own insurance. If you are not covered by the state self-insurance or similar insurance, the standard rate is DKK 690 per month for stays exceeding 3 months (worldwide with the exception of the USA, Canada and the Bahamas). You may also obtain specific quotations from insurance companies in Denmark and abroad to include in your proposal. 22 > Overhead/administration expenses Overhead/administration expenses are a separate part of an external grant for a research project in a state research institution. Overhead/administration expenses are granted to cover indirect costs related to carrying out the project which are not directly attributable to the specific project such as joint expenses to cover rent, premises, administration, etc. Overhead/administration expenses are computed as a fixed percentage of the grant for the project's direct expenses. Direct expenditure is defined as expenses directly attributable to the project. Grants administered by state institutions and other institutions subject to the rules regarding grant-funded research activities in the Danish Ministry of Finance's Budgetvejledning (budget guidelines) are to include an overhead contribution of 44 per cent of the Research Council's share of the direct expenses. For other Danish public institutions, only 3.1 per cent of the direct expenses may, as previously, be calculated for administration expenses. The budget for GTS – Advanced Technology Group organisations (GTS-institutter) and other institutions must, as in previous years, include an overhead contribution of 20 per cent of the direct expenses. Overhead for other research institutions and enterprises may be granted on the basis of a concrete assessment, and the proposal must include a motivated proposal. Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 23 6. How the proposal is processed 6.1 The Council's assessment In its assessment of proposals, FSS attaches importance to the following: • Quality and originality of the research • Problem formulation, theoretical foundation and suitability of the proposed methodology of the research project • Applicant's/applicants' scientific qualifications • The feasibility of the research (workplace, access to equipment and expertise, etc.) • The ethical aspects of the research, including the use of laboratory animals • The proposed budget in relation to the above • The scientific and societal perspectives When prioritising between proposals of equivalent standard, the Council will take into account whether the applicant is already in receipt of funding or has submitted several proposals for the same deadline. 6.2 Processing and procedures After the proposal deadline, the Council secretariat will register and review the proposals received. During the 3 weeks following the deadline you may as an applicant expect to receive an acknowledgement of the proposal specifying when your proposal will be handled and when you may expect to be informed of the Council's decision. The proposals will then be submitted to the Council members. The Council will submit your proposal for external review if it exceeds DKK 10 million or if a Council member is an applicant or a co-applicant in a proposal exceeding DKK 1 million. Finally, the Council may submit your proposal for external review if the Council does not have the needed scientific expertise to assess the proposal as a result of Council members being barred from assessing the application due to conflicts of interest. If your proposal has been submitted for external review, such external reviews will always be submitted to you for your comments (referee rebuttal). External reviews serve to enhance the Council's decision-making basis and are purely advisory in nature. The Council makes its final decision on the basis of its own assessment of your proposal and on a prioritisation in relation to the overall range of proposals. The Council makes its final decision at a Council meeting, which concludes the processing of the proposal. As an applicant you will receive a letter specifying the Council's decision 2-4 months after the proposal deadline. A list of the funded projects will be published on the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation's website www.fi.dk shortly after the Council's decision. As an applicant, you will receive a written reply within 1 month of the Council's decision, either in the form of a notice of funding or a rejection. Rejections contain a brief justification for the Council's decision. Grant types that can be applied for at any time Proposals will be processed at meetings held approximately every 4-6 weeks. Further details of meeting dates and the deadlines for submission of proposals to be processed at the individual meetings are available from the secretariat on request. Applicants are informed in writing of the outcome of the assessment as soon as possible after the meeting. Grants will be effective at the earliest on the first day of the month following the processing of the proposal by the Council. 24 7. Overview of proposal options > Grant type Form Proposal deadlines Number of copies Details in Chapter Major research projects 1 1 September 1 original + 4.1 21 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM 1 original + 4.2 21 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM 1 original + 4.3 21 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM 1 original + 4.4 21 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM 1 original + 4.5 21 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM 1 original + 4.6 21 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM 1 original + 4.7 21 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM 1 original + 4.8 Research projects 1 1 September Biobanks 1 1 September Databases 1 1 September Clinician scientist positions (part-time appointments) 1 2 March / 1 September Female heads of research 1 2 March Individual postdoctoral grants 1 2 March / 1 September Young researchers 1 2 March / Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 25 award 2009 1 September 21 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM 1 original + 4.9 7 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM 1 original + 4.10 7 copies + 1 PDF file on a CDROM Grants for international proposals (START) 1 Proposals may be submitted at any time Pregraduate scholarships 1 Proposals may be submitted at any time 26 8. Address and secretariat > Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation The Danish Medical Research Council Bredgade 40 DK-1260 Copenhagen K Tel.: +45 3544 6200 Fax: +45 3544 6201 E-mail: fi@fi.dk Website: www.fi.dk Secretariat: Stine Djørup. Head of Section (stdj@fi.dk), tel. +45 35446206 Allan Hegelund, Head of Section (ahe@fi.dk), tel. +45 35446242 Johanne Juhl, Head of Section (johj@fi.dk), tel. +45 3544 6339 Hanne Fendt, Senior Clerk (hfe@fi.dk), tel. +45 3544 6350 Hanne-Lise Schmidt, Senior Clerk (hls@fi.dk), tel. +45 3544 6269 Jesper Allerup, Senior Advisor (jeall@fi.dk), tel. +45 3544 6255 Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 27 Appendix A: Guide to completion of Form 1 1 2 4-6 (Danish) civil registration number used to ensure unambiguous registration of the proposal. The single individual responsible vis-à-vis the Research Council. Check the postal address you want the Research Council to use. If the appointment or place of residence is for a limited time only, state cessation or relocation date. The project's title is used, among other things, when announcing grants (max. 180 characters). State the grant type applied for (e.g. postdoctoral grant), cf. Chapter 4. Also refer to any special initiatives in this call for proposals ("Young researchers", "Internationalisation" and "Female heads of research"). State the keywords that best describe the research project you are applying for. In addition to this, the Council's own form for subject and topic codes must be appended to the proposal. The form is available at www.fi.dk. If you are applying for full or partial funding for the amount under Item 10 from another research council or from other sources, state which council, what amount and which budget items. Is not to be completed as FSS does not process urgent proposals. List all the scientific staff on the project team, incl. prospective PhD grant recipients and foreign researchers, stating their name, address and place of employment. If the person is not known at the time of application, enter NN. A CV and publications list must be appended for named scientific staff for whom full or partial payment of salary by the Council is being applied for. All scientific staff (excl. pregraduate scholarship holders) mentioned in Item 14 are also required to confirm their participation in the project. Please use the "Declaration from the scientific members of the project group" form, available on request from the secretariat or downloadable at www.fi.dk. The text must be suitable for publication and hence written in Danish and formulated so that the nature of the project is comprehensible to non-experts. All proposals must include a detailed budget. The detailed budget must be laid out so that the financial statements can ultimately be compared item-by-item with the budget. Guidelines on layout of the detailed budget to be attached to the proposal are provided under Chapter 5.5 of the present call for proposals. Summarised details should be entered in Item 16 of the application form. The budget items must be broken down by calendar year (1 January – 31 December). In the first column, state the amounts being applied for from the Research Council, see the detailed budget. In the second column, state the contributions from the workplace/institution. In the third column, state the total grant amounts awarded to the project from other sources. For the number of months, enter the number of months applying to a full-time employee (e.g. for a half-time employee for 1 year, enter 6 months). Grants administered by state institutions and other institutions subject to the rules regarding grant-funded research activities in the Danish Ministry of Finance's budget guidelines ("budgetvejledning") are to include an overhead contribution of 44 per cent of the Council's 7 8 9 12 13 14 15 16 28 > share of the direct expenses (direct expenses are defined as expenses directly attributable to the project). For other Danish public institutions, only 3.1 per cent of the direct expenses may, as previously, be calculated for administration expenses. The budget for Authorised Technological Service Institutes (GTS institutes) and other institutions must, as in previous years, include an overhead contribution of 20 per cent of the direct expenses. Overhead for other research institutions/enterprises may be granted on the basis of a concrete assessment, and the proposal must include a motivated proposal. The Council's processing of the proposal requires that the summarised budgetary details (Item 16) in the application form have been authorised, officially stamped and signed by the head of the institution's administration. In connection with the preparation of the budget, applicants are recommended to seek assistance from the institution that will be administering the funding. 19 The required appendices are specified in the descriptions of the individual grant types. As mentioned in Chapter 2, proposals that do not meet the requirements will be rejected without substantive consideration. All items in the application form, apart from Item 13, must be completed and the applicant must sign the form on page 4. The requirements regarding the project description are set out in Chapter 5.3, while the requirements regarding the CV and publications list are set out in Chapter 5. Valid for the period 12 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 29