This is a series of frequently asked questions regarding the POLONEZ funding scheme. Please note that they will be updated regularly. If your question is not answered here, please contact: Agata Mendrek, tel. 0048 12 341 9139, Beata Krasnopolska, tel. 0048 12 341 9091; polonez@ncn.gov.pl

Last update: 05.10.2016

  1. Who may apply for the POLONEZ fellowship?

POLONEZ is addressed to researchers with a PhD degree or at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience who have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Poland for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call announcement (15th September 2016), the timeframe is: 15th September 2013 – 14th September 2016. Please note that researchers who at the time of the POLONEZ 3 call for proposals are employed on permanent employment contract by an institution which is indicated as a host institution in the POLONEZ 3 application, may not apply for a POLONEZ fellowship in this institution. However they may apply for a POLONEZ 3 fellowship in another host institution in Poland.

  1. Is there an age limit for applicants?

No. All researchers, irrespective of their age, may apply for the POLONEZ fellowship programme.

  1. Can retired researchers apply for POLONEZ?

Retired researchers can apply for the POLONEZ fellowship. However, they must be aware that the impact of the POLONEZ fellowship on the fellow’s career is an important criterion in the POLONEZ evaluation process.

  1. Can a researcher who is on a sabbatical or on leave in a Polish institution apply for POLONEZ?

A researcher who is on a sabbatical or on leave in a Polish institution cannot apply for POLONEZ. Unpaid leave is identical to carrying out one of the main activities in Poland (the fact of being employed in Poland), and the situation must be considered in terms of the length of the applicant’s stay in Poland. Thus, the applicant is a researcher who has not resided or carried out their main activity in Poland for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to call the announcement (15th September 2016).

  1. Can a researcher who is on a sabbatical or on leave in an institution outside of Poland apply for POLONEZ?

The POLONEZ fellowship can be carried out by a researcher who is on a sabbatical or on leave in an institution located outside Poland.

  1. Can a researcher who is a part-time student in Poland apply for POLONEZ?

Both extramural and full-time students who study in Poland can apply for the POLONEZ fellowship only if they studied in Poland for no more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call announcement (in the period between 15th September 2013 – 14th September 2016).

  1. Is it required to add a recommendation letter to the proposal?

No, there is no need to attach a recommendation letter to the proposal.

  1. If the applicant spent, for example, 7 years abroad, should he/she attach documents proving that fact?

No, the applicant should provide only documents proving that  between 15th September 2013 and 14th September 2016 he/she resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) for at least 24 months outside of Poland. Scans of passports are not sufficient. The documents the applicant attaches to his/her proposal should confirm the exact period of stay outside of Poland and should indicate specific dates “from …to….”. These documents can be for example: flat rental contracts, bills, a certificate of employment, a residence permit, insurance contracts, tax declarations etc.

  1. If the applicant is a senior researcher or a professor – can he/she apply? What documents should he/she attach in terms of eligibility?

Experienced researchers can also apply for POLONEZ. The document they need to attach to prove their research experience is either the PhD diploma or a document that confirms at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience.

  1. While carrying out the fellowship within POLONEZ, can the applicant be an independent researcher, not associated with the Host Institution?

The POLONEZ fellow will be employed by the Host Institution on a full-time employment contract and will receive salary and funds for the research grant from this Host Institution. Therefore it is impossible to be an independent researcher and not be associated with the Host Institution.

  1. Does the applicant have to be employed in a Polish Host Institution while applying for POLONEZ?

While applying for the POLONEZ fellowship, the applicant does not have to be employed in a Host Institution in Poland. However, the POLONEZ awardee must be employed by the Host Institution on a full-time contract of employment. (Please also see question no 1)

  1. If the applicant is already employed in a Host Institution can he/she apply for the POLONEZ fellowship?

Researchers who are already permanently employed in an institution which is indicated as a Host Institution in the POLONEZ application may not apply for a POLONEZ fellowship in this institution. Applicants employed on a temporary contract in the Host Institution at the stage of the recruitment process for POLONEZ are still eligible for submitting their proposal if the period of stay in Poland is not longer than 12 months in the 3 years before the call announcement (15th September 2016).

Please note that researchers who at the time of the POLONEZ 3 call for proposals are employed by an institution which is indicated as a Host Institution in the POLONEZ 3 application may not apply for a POLONEZ fellowship in this institution.

  1. What institutions can be a host of the fellowship?

POLONEZ fellowships may be carried out in:

  • research organisations,
  • university research centres established within a single university structure,
  • scientific libraries,
  • enterprises with the status of research and development centres,
  • organisational institutions having legal personality status established in the Republic of Poland,
  • enterprises other than those mentioned above that are located in Poland.

Please note that the appropriate choice of Host Institution is an important criterion in the evaluation process of the proposal.

  1. Can the NCN provide help in finding a Host Institution?

The NCN does not participate in finding a Host Institution for the researcher. However, on the POLONEZ website, applicants and the Host Institutions can find a Partner Search Tool which is a match-making section for POLONEZ  applicants. It was created in order to establish new cooperation between potential incoming researchers and Host Institutions in Poland.

  1. Can the Host Institution admit more than 1 applicant within POLONEZ?

Yes, the Host Institution can admit more than 1 applicant.

  1. Does the Host Institution have to register in the Partner Search Tool in order to submit a proposal with the applicant?

No, the Host Institution does not have to be registered in the Partner Search Tool.  It is voluntary, but not mandatory.

  1. If the applicant wants to carry out his/her research in an enterprise – what enterprise should it be?

It can be any enterprise, either with the status of a research and development center or other where the researcher can develop his/her future professional and scientific career. Please note that the opportunity of developing the applicant’s career within the chosen organisation/institution/enterprise as well as the possibility of successful completion of the fellowship will be evaluated during the evaluation process of the applicant’s proposal.

  1. Can a retired researcher be a research partner of the fellow?

The research partner of the fellow is an employee of  the  Host  Institution  of  the fellowship. They are employed at the Host Institution on an employment contract and  provide  scientific  support  with  the  implementation  of  the project in addition to helping the fellow to integrate with the research community of the Host Institution. A retired researcher can be a researcher partner of the fellow unless the Host Institution has its own regulations regarding this matter.

  1. Can the research partner be employed in an institution abroad?

No, the research partner cannot be employed in an institution abroad. He/she must be employed on a contract of employment by the Host Institution of the fellowship. The research partner will supports the fellow’s integration within the research community of the Host Institution with his/her research experience and knowledge.

  1. Can I submit several applications within the POLONEZ call?

An applicant may only submit one proposal within the POLONEZ call.

  1. While applying for POLONEZ 3, can I submit an application under other NCN calls for proposals?

No, while applying for the POLONEZ fellowship, the applicant may not submit an application under any other NCN calls.

  1. Can I submit an application within NCN calls for proposals while carrying out a POLONEZ fellowship?

While carrying out a POLONEZ fellowship, the fellow may apply for grants within  NCN calls for proposals but may not receive another salary from other NCN grants.

  1. Can a POLONEZ 1 or POLONEZ 2 fellow apply within POLONEZ 3?

No, you can be a POLONEZ awardee only once.

  1. Is there any conflict in applying for other funding programmes at the same time?

While applying for POLONEZ, the applicant may also apply for grants within other funding programmes (such as ERC or the Marie Skłodowska-Curie schemes, or other Horizon 2020 opportunities). However, he/she may not apply for other NCN calls for proposals. Also, please note that the POLONEZ awardee will be employed on a full-time contract of employment, therefore carrying out more than one grant may be unfeasible.

  1. I have submitted an application under an NCN call for proposals before the POLONEZ 3 call opened. May I apply for the POLONEZ 3 fellowship?

Researchers who submitted applications in other NCN calls for proposals (e.g. PRELUDIUM 11, SONATA 11, OPUS 11) before the 15th of September 2016 (the POLONEZ 3 call announcement) may apply for the POLONEZ 3 fellowship only if their applications are no longer under evaluation or in the redress procedure and were not granted funding. The results of PRELUDIUM 11, SONATA 11 and OPUS 11 will be announced by the end of November 2016.
If the proposals submitted within these three calls for proposals were granted funding and the applicant is still interested in submitting his/her proposal in POLONEZ 2, he/she has to firstly give up funding within OPUS 11, PRELUDIUM 11, SONATA 11 and then apply for POLONEZ 3.

  1. Can a researcher who has the role of an international partner in projects awarded within HARMONIA or a supervisor in a PRELUDIUM awarded project apply for POLONEZ 3?

Yes, he/she can apply for POLONEZ, however please note that he/she has to fulfill the requirements of residing or carrying out his/her main activity (work/studies) in Poland for no longer than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call announcement (15th September 2016).

  1. In case my application is unsuccessful this time, is it permitted to revise my application and apply again next time?

Yes, unsuccessful candidates my apply in future editions of POLONEZ.

  1. What is the date from which the period of residing or carrying out my main activity in Poland is counted?

The period of residing in Poland for no more than 12 months should be counted prior to the call announcement (the timeframe of residing in Poland for no more than 12 months is between 15th September 2013 and 14th September 2016).

  1. Can a researcher who works outside of Poland but at the same time has been employed at a Host Institution in Poland part time for more than 12 months in the period between 15th September 2013 and 14th September 2016 apply within POLONEZ 3?

No, he/she may not apply within POLONEZ 3. Part time employment is also treated as a main activity carried out in Poland.

  1. Is there a minimum percentage of time that I need to spend in Poland while carrying out POLONEZ? Can I be employed elsewhere apart from the Host Institution or do I have to dedicate 100% of my time to the POLONEZ fellowship?

A POLONEZ awardee has to move to Poland to carry out his/her research. The time he/she has to spend in Poland should be in accordance with the POLONEZ contract of full-time employment. An awardee’s main duty is to carry out his/her research and all other tasks planned in the POLONEZ 3 proposal at the Host Institution, except for short trips that are related to the research area planned in the proposal.

The researcher can be on a sabbatical or on leave in an institution located outside of Poland, thus he or she does not have to give up his/her job abroad. Nevertheless, it is expected that the time spent outside of Poland will be used during the paid holidays that the POLONEZ awardee is entitled to, according to the Polish Labour Code.

  1. Can the research planned within the POLONEZ fellowship be undertaken abroad?

The POLONEZ fellowship should be carried out in a Host Institution in Poland. However the research planned in POLONEZ proposals may be performed outside of Poland only if it is justified by the research topic of the fellowship.

  1. Can the fellow participate in conferences or research visits organised outside of Poland while carrying out the POLONEZ fellowship?

The fellow can participate in conferences or research visits outside of Poland only if they are related to his/her research that is being carried out within the POLONEZ fellowship.

  1. Can the fellowship within POLONEZ be suspended for a few months and then continued?

The POLONEZ fellowship cannot be suspended and then continued after a break.

  1. Does the applicant with little research experience have any chances  for their project to be financed, by comparison to more experienced applicants?

All proposals will be evaluated  according  to  the same criteria, as follows:

  1. quality of the fellow (25%)
  2. quality of the planned research (25%)
  3. relevance of the fellowship for the development of the fellow’s career and the research discipline (20%)
  4. dissemination of the results of the fellowship (10%)
  5. selection of the partner and Host Institution (20%)
  6. budget

Detailed information about the criteria is included in the POLONEZ Evaluation Sheet (Attachment 2 to the POLONEZ 3 Call Text)

  1. Can the applicant attach his/her publications that are outside JCR – listed journals?

Yes, the applicant can include his/her 3-10 most important papers, also listed outside of the JCR (Journal Citations Reports). The files with publications attached should include the full versions of the publications.

  1. Can the applicant add his/her publications in the original language of the publication (other than English)?

The applicant should provide the publication’s title in the original publication language, but the title of the publication may be translated into English with information in brackets regarding what the original language of the publication is. It is important to attach those publications that are the applicant’s most significant achievements. Please note that the experts evaluating the applicant’s proposal may not necessarily be familiar with languages other than English.

  1. Does the applicant see the experts’ evaluation of the proposal?

Reviews of the experts’ evaluations are made available and visible via the personal account of the applicant in the OSF submission system, after  each stage of the evaluation.

  1. When will the applicant’s interview be conducted?

Interviews with the applicants, carried out in English by Expert Team members via telecommunication equipment (Skype, telephone, etc.), will be carried out at the second stage of the merit-based evaluation at the beginning of November 2016.

  1. Can the applicant collaborate with international co-investigators?

International collaboration is deemed as the completion of research tasks together with researchers from foreign research institutions. Please note: participation in conferences, popularising information about the project abroad, completion of research tasks by a Polish team abroad without the participation of researchers from foreign research institutions and collaboration with foreigners employed in Polish research units will not be deemed as international collaboration. Performance of the tasks in POLONEZ can be carried out in cooperation with researchers from abroad (the applicant has to indicate this in his/her proposal in the OSF system in the section “General Information”), however it will not be considered as added value to the project.

  1. In what form should the proposal be submitted?

The proposal must be submitted in the OSF submission system and also sent in hard copy to the address: Narodowe Centrum Nauki, ul. Królewska 57, 30-081 Krakow by the 15th of June 2016 at the latest. Please see Instructions on submitting the proposal, section V, point F, HOW TO SUBMIT THE PROPOSAL.

  1. What documents are required to prove four years of research experience?

In order to prove the four years of full time equivalent research experience, the applicant needs to enclose documents such as a declaration signed by a representative of the institution (the dean of the institute or faculty or an academic tutor of the applicant) where the research has been carried out. Please note that doctoral studies are acknowledged as full time research.

  1. What should be the language of my application?

POLONEZ application must be completed in English. Please see also information about the language of the attachments:

  • Attachment 1– Copy of PhD diploma or its translation into English or Polish, if the language of the original is neither English nor Polish
  • Attachment 2– Document confirming a minimum of 4 years of full-time research experience, and its translation into English or Polish, if the language of the original is neither English nor Polish
  • Attachment 3 – A list and copies of documents confirming that in the 3 years prior to the call announcement (15th September 2015), the applicant has not resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Poland for more than 12 months. The list must be written in English, whereas the documents may be in the original language.
  • Attachment 4 – Information on the commitments made by the host institution of the fellowship (in English)
  • Attachment 5 – Information on whether the host institution receives or does not receive state aid, plus a questionnaire (in English)
  • Attachment 6 – Information on the research carried out in the host institution of the fellowship in the past 2 years, along with a list of publications and research equipment and other equipment enabling the research (Polish or English).
  1. Does the translation of the documents submitted as attachments 1 and 2 into English or Polish have to be sworn?

The documents do not have to be translated by a certified interpreter.

  1. Does the applicant have to prove his command of English by attaching any diplomas, etc.?

The applicant does not have to attach any documents proving his/her command of English.

  1. What is the language of the interview carried out at the second stage of POLONEZ?

The interview for the POLONEZ fellowship will be conducted in English only. Please note that the POLONEZ review panel who conduct the interviews will be composed of international experts.

  1. Does the research topic have to be related to Poland?

No, researchers can freely choose their research topic. However, it has to align itself with the definition of basic research. Basic research is defined as experimental or theoretical endeavors undertaken to gain new knowledge of the foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any direct commercial use.

  1. Can the research partner participate in the fellow’s research?

The research partner of the fellow can participate in the fellow’s research within the POLONEZ fellowship and receive remuneration from direct costs. He/she may also receive remuneration from indirect costs e.g. for organising a study visit for the fellow – upon the decision of the Host Institution.

  1. Can a POLONEZ fellow carry out activities other than research (e.g. teaching) at the Host Institution?

Yes, while carrying out one's POLONEZ fellowship, the fellow may be involved in activities other than research at the Host Institution, but they must be agreed upon by both the Host Institution and the fellow.

  1. What is the amount of the research grant for fellows who plan to carry out interdisciplinary research?

Each fellow applying for the POLONEZ fellowship must choose a review panel by which the application will be evaluated, thus indicating their main field of research. This choice will determine the amount of the research grant awarded regardless of whether the project is an interdisciplinary project. The salary and the family allowance are the same for all POLONEZ awardees regardless of the research domain. The research grants are as follows:

Maximum amount of the research grant

 

Research domain

12-month fellowship

24-month fellowship (funds for the whole period of the fellowship)

HS

80 000 PLN

192 000 PLN

ST or NZ

112 000 PLN
  1. 000 PLN
       
  1. What currency should I use when formulating the budget?

The budget should be given in Polish zloty (PLN).

  1. Are social contributions and health insurance covered from the salary I receive from the Host Institution?

The salary deducts the income tax as well as social and health insurance on the side of the employer and employee as the applicant will be employed by the Host Institution on a full time employment contract. Please note that the net amount that the awardee receives, will be decreased by the amount of the social contributions and health insurance, in comparison to the amount of EUR 4 350 gross.

  1. Is the research partner’s and co-investigator’s salary paid from the applicant’s salary?

No, the co-investigator’s and research partner’s salary are included in the amount to be used for the scientific research.

  1. Are there any recommendations or limits regarding the co- investigator’s/staff’s salaries?

Personnel costs should be adequate to the scope of work within individual project tasks.
The total cost of salaries will be assessed by international experts during the merit-based evaluation of the proposal.

  1. How can one calculate the overheads/indirect costs that the Host Institution incurs?

Overheads are 20% of the total amount of the research grant and salaries (the applicant’s costs and co-investigator’s costs). Please see the example below (the amounts indicated in the table are the gross amounts in Polish zloty PLN):

FELLOWSHIP FOR 12 MONTHS

 

Salary including mobility allowance

218 620 PLN gross

Family allowance

17 000 PLN gross

Research grant (personnel costs + other costs)

65 000 PLN gross

Total – the amount that the applicant receives for the research and salary with the mobility and family allowance

300 620 PLN gross

Overheads – 20% of the total amount the Host Institution receives
  1. 124 PLN gross
  1. Does the mobility allowance have to be allocated to expenses connected with moving to Poland and does the applicant have to provide evidence of them?

The mobility allowance, as well as the salary, is the applicant’s remuneration for his/her research work at the Host Institution and therefore neither the Host Institution nor the NCN will verify what the applicant will spend it on.

  1. Does an applicant who has already lived in Poland for no more than 12 months also receive the mobility allowance?

The mobility allowance is dedicated to all researchers (applicants) who fulfill the eligibility requirements regarding international mobility. An eligible applicant cannot have been resident in Poland for more than 12 months during the 3 years immediately prior to the call announcement. The timeframe is 15th September 2013  – 14th September 2016.

  1. Do the mobility and family allowances deduct income tax?

The amounts of mobility and family allowances indicated in the POLONEZ call documentation may fall under income tax and social and health insurance deductions. Therefore the net amount that the awardee receives, may be decreased by the amount of the tax and social and health contributions.

  1. Are travel and subsistence costs, including travel tickets, accommodation and conference attendance fees of the research partner considered eligible costs?

Yes, the travel and subsistence costs can be financed within POLONEZ only if they are justified and connected with the research subject and will bring benefits to the research project of the applicant.

  1. What are the criteria required in order to receive the family allowance?

First of all the applicant must state in his/her proposal that he/she will come to Poland with his/her family. If the applicant declares that he/she will come without their family, he/she cannot change it at a later stage after sending the proposal to the NCN.  The family allowance is not paid when the applicant comes with his/her parents. It will be paid to the applicant who wants to come with his/her wife/husband/partner or children. The number of family members coming with the applicant does not change the amount of the family allowance. It  is always EUR 300 gross per month, whether the applicant comes with one or multiple family members.  The applicant will receive the family allowance for the whole duration of the project (12 or 24 months) even if his/her family's stay in Poland is shorter or longer than this period.

  1. Does the applicant have to provide any documents proving that he/she will come with his/her family?

No proof of coming with one's family to Poland is required. However, please note that if the NCN receives information that the applicant’s declaration regarding family allowance was untrue, the applicant will be held liable by returning the total funds of the research grant.

  1. Does the Host Institution have to provide the applicant with a laptop?

The applicant can plan funds for buying small devices, like a laptop/computer from the research grant. It should be included in the Financial Resources section (point 2. Budget/ Other direct costs/Materials and small equipment), unless the Host Institution’s regulations classify it as research equipment: research equipment.

  1. Does the research grant also cover the cost of research equipment?

No, the cost of research equipment is not eligible (Attachment no 3 to the POLONEZ 3 call text).

  1. What is the difference between research equipment and devices and software?

Please see the definition of research equipment in the Attachment 3 Eligible Costs to the POLONEZ 3 call text.

  1. Does the research grant cover the cost of study visits?

No, the costs of study visits are covered from the overheads that the Host Institution receives. Please note that a study visit should be organised by the Host Institution. Costs related to the organisation of study visits should not be included in the POLONEZ 3 proposal’s budget. These are included in the total amount of indirect costs, calculated automatically by the OSF system.

  1. What if the applicant is not able to plan detailed costs regarding participation in conferences in his/her proposal? 

We strongly advise to plan the costs connected with participation in conferences in as much detail as possible. However, please note that it is also understandable that some of the costs may be difficult to forecast.

  1. Who receives the funds for the research grant – the applicant or the Host Institution?

Funds for the research grant as well as for the fellow’s salary, mobility and family allowances are transferred from the NCN  to the Host Institution. The fellows receive their salary, mobility and family allowances  each month from the Host Institution. Funds for the research grant are formally managed by the Host Institution in consultation with the fellow – according to the project’s budget and plan.

  1. Is there a possibility to modify the project’s budget during the project implementation?

Yes, the fellow can modify the project’s budget if it is necessary for its completion. However there is no possibility to increase the total amount of the research grant, even if the total amount of the proposal submitted was lower than the maximum permitted. All possible budget modifications will be included  in the POLONEZ contract.

  1. In which section of the OSF submission system should the applicant describe the study visit?

The study visit should be described in Attachment no 4 point I.1.i. The study visit must be described in English. The description of the visit should include the name of the institution where it will be realised and if possible the scope and duration of the visit and its aim.

  1. Does the study visit have to be connected with the subject of the fellow’s research?

The study visit should be rather in accordance with the fellow’s professional or scientific interests. It does not have to be related to the topic of the research carried out within POLONEZ.

  1. Where can the study visit be organised and conducted?

Study visits may be organised in institutions located both in or outside of Poland but cannot be held in the institution where the fellow has been previously employed.

If the fellowship is carried out at a university, PAN or research institute, a study visit should be carried out in an organisation which is not a university nor a research institute. If the applicant carries out an internship in the non-academic sector (e.g.in an enterprise/a foundation), the visit should be organised and carried out in an academic institution (e.g. at a university, research institution, PAN).

  1. What if the PhD certificate does not indicate the research field of the applicant?

The applicant should indicate in his/her proposal  the research field of their PhD, whether it is mentioned in the certificate or not. This information should be included in the section Applicant/Research Partner/Investigators in the subsection Academic and Research Career.

  1. Once the applicant has started filling out the proposal in the OSF submission system – is there a possibility to stop and continue afterwards?

Yes, the proposal does not have to be completed  in one sitting. The applicant can log out and then log back in and continue filling in the application.

  1. Who can fill in all the data in the proposal – only the applicant?

The proposal can be filled in by the applicant but also by the Host Institution representative or a research partner. In the OSF submission system there is  an auxiliary editor function. The auxiliary editor is a person who has the right to access the application and edit it, in order to help with the preparation of the proposal. Please see Instructions on submitting the proposal – section V, point B, HOW TO ACCESS THE OSF SUBMISSION SYSTEM, point 4.

  1. Does the proposal have to be submitted in English only?

Yes, the proposal has to be submitted in English. Please see also: POLONEZ application form section I.

  1. Who is submitting the electronic version of the proposal – the applicant or the Host Institution?

The electronic version of the proposal has to be sent from the applicant’s account in the OSF submission system.

  1. How long can the description of the project be?

The whole proposal can be composed of several dozen pages, depending on how the applicant fills in the particular section in the OSF submission system. The full project description is limited to 10 defined type-written pages (Instructions on submitting the proposal – page 16). It includes literature references but it does not include a description for the general public which is in a different section in the OSF submission system.

  1. Can the applicant add attachments in the Full Project Description section?

Data regarding Full Project Description may be submitted by uploading a PDF  file whose content will be displayed in the above sub-sections.

  1. Will POLONEZ 3 differ from POLONEZ 1 and POLONEZ 2 and what will be the differences?

The NCN will decide whether there will be differences or not regarding the next editions of the calls, taking into consideration the experiences from the recruitment process in POLONEZ 1 and POLONEZ 2.

  1. Should the proposal be submitted only online or is a hard copy required?

The proposal must be submitted and sent online to the NCN and the hard copy of the proposals must be sent to the NCN. The hard copy version that should be sent to the NCN includes 6 pages. Attachment no.4 and no.5 should also be sent in a hard copy version.

  1. Is there a possibility to send a scan or copy of the hard copy version of the proposal/attachments?

The original version of the proposal with the applicant’s signatures on the first and the last page must be submitted. The signatures should be legible and handwritten. Scans or copies of proposal/attachments no 4 and 5 are not acceptable and this may be a reason for rejecting the application at the eligibility check stage.

  1. What is “State Aid”?

State aid is defined as an advantage, in any form whatsoever, conferred on a selective basis to undertakings by national public authorities. We strongly encourage consulting with  the Host Institution  on  this  part  of  your application which refers to Attachment 5 State Aid and also reviewing information about state aid on the NCN website.

  1. What is the procedure for withdrawing the application from further evaluation?

If the applicant wishes to withdraw his/her application from the process of further evaluation, he/she is asked to send an official letter by post with the original handwritten signature.

  1. If my project raises any ethical concerns, are there specific/additional details I must list?

At the application stage, you are asked to disclose all ethical issues raised by your project and explain how you will address them so as to conform to national and European ethical principles. You will find more support on how to fill in this part in the European Commission document “Guidance – How to complete your ethics self-assessment”.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 665778.