The European Research Council (ERC) has invited European research funding organisations to cooperate in the programme Fellowship Schemes to Visit ERC Grantees, enabling them to participate in an international researcher exchange network with fellowship visits to research teams carrying out projects as ERC grantees in different European countries. The initiative is intended to strengthen the standing of prospective candidates for ERC grants, and offer them an opportunity to gain precious experience of the international research grant system.
As an outcome of cooperation between the National Science Centre and the European Research Council, a new programme, UWERTURA 1, will be launched to fund fellowships in international research teams carrying out ERC-financed projects. The new funding opportunity will be addressed to researchers holding a doctorate degree who plan to apply for ERC research grants. The programme’s aim is to help researchers from Polish institutions successfully apply for European resources, and to increase their share among laureates of ERC grants. Under the UWERTURA 1 scheme, the NCN will finance fellowships of 3 to 6 months in international research teams working on ERC-financed projects, with the reservation that the fellowship beneficiary has to apply for an ERC grant in the next 18 months after the fellowship’s conclusion. The research projects submitted by former fellows to the ERC should be carried out in a Polish research institution.
Alongside the NCN, other participants of the programme Fellowship Schemes to Visit ERC Grantees include research funding agencies from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia. The first edition of UWERTURA 1 will be announced on 15th December, with a deadline for submitting proposals set for 15th March 2017.