The Ministry of Education and Science's Programme for Supporting Young Scientists and Post-doctoral Researchers has been launched
- Published on
Links to the two documents
Application conditions, National Programme for Young Scientists and Postdoctoral Researchers 2022
Early-stage and Postdoctoral researchers National Programme 2 – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
NEED FOR THE PROGRAMME
One of the persistent and negative trends for Bulgaria in recent years is the continuing, considerable decline in young people's interest in a research career. The low social prestige of the profession of "scientist" in society, as well as the low pay, make it extremely difficult to address this problem. At the same time, competition for high-quality human capital and scientific talent is growing at European and global level, and every country needs to develop its own programme to support the career development of researchers and to create incentives to encourage scientific work in priority areas. The "YOUNG SCIENTISTS AND POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS - 2" Programme (YSPR-2) is a continuation of a good practice of attracting and supporting the career development of young scientists (YS) and postdoctoral researchers (PR) in Bulgarian public scientific organisations (SO) and state higher education institutions (SHEI). The Programme also implements Specific Objective 3 of the National Strategy for the Development of Scientific Research in the Republic of Bulgaria 2017 – 2030 (NSDSR), namely the attraction and retention of talented young people for research work and the introduction of supporting measures that will make Bulgaria an active participant in the European Research Area (ERA). Its implementation will encourage YS and PR to engage in research work and will support their career development. As a result, sustainable development and reproduction of scientific capacity at national level will be achieved. The Programme also implements the recommendation of the international evaluation panel, carried out within the framework of the Policy Support Facility of the European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon 2020), concerning the encouragement of YS and PR and support for the development of their careers.
The specific objective of YSPR-2 is to attract, retain and develop highly qualified YS and PR, thereby achieving sustainable reproduction of scientific capacity at national level, ensuring the reintegration and professional fulfilment of young and promising researchers, as well as a favourable environment for the exchange of scientific ideas. The ultimate goal is to create a new generation of highly qualified scientists who conduct high-quality research, are accountable to society, and whose results support the implementation of the NSDSR.
DURATION OF THE PROGRAMME: until the end of 2025
The Programme will be implemented in two stages, each lasting 18 months:
Stage I, 18 months, 2022 – 2023
Stage II, 18 months, 2024 – 2025
PRINCIPLE, DEADLINES, STAGES OF FUNDING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME. PROCEDURE FOR REVIEWING AND REPORTING THE RESULTS.
1. After the launch of the Programme and the transfer of the relevant amount to BAS, a commission is formed by order of the President of BAS, which develops rules for a transparent competitive selection of candidates and proposes a mechanism for distributing the funds received under the Programme among the structural units.
2. The proposals of the Commission are approved by the Governing Board of BAS.
3. The Commission consolidates the proposals for funding of young scientists and postdoctoral researchers received from the units and submits them to the Governing Board of BAS for approval.
4. After receiving the funding, the individual units of BAS must appoint the participants in the Programme and publish on their websites information on the ranked participants for the relevant stage. When appointing participants in the Programme, job titles from the 2011 National Classification of Occupations and Positions may be used that correspond to the main functions and tasks to be performed by the persons, and the employer may add a further specification (young scientist or postdoctoral researcher) after the job title.
5. Within one month after the end of the first stage of implementation of the Programme, the individual units of BAS provide the Commission with a detailed scientific and financial report on the beneficiaries of the Programme, approved by the Scientific Council of the unit.
6. Within two months after the end of each stage of implementation of the Programme, the Governing Board of BAS adopts a consolidated report and provides the internal departmental commission at the Ministry of Education and Science with detailed reports on the funds spent (separately for the appointed YS and PR, with the relevant evidence that during the reporting period they meet the conditions for YS and PR set out in the Act on the Encouragement of Scientific Research), the results of the implementation of the Programme and the contribution to the achievement of the Programme's indicators.
FUNDING UNDER THE PROGRAMME
The National Programme is divided into two modules – the "Young Scientists" module and the "Postdoctoral Researchers" module. The funds are distributed between the two modules by the beneficiary organisation, with at least 50% of the funds provided allocated to the YS module and at least 20% to the PR module.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
1. "YOUNG SCIENTISTS" MODULE
The specific objective of this module is to attract and retain promising young people for research work, as well as to increase the number of young scientists in the country by providing more attractive remuneration.
A "young scientist" is a person who carries out research and scientific-educational activity at a higher education institution and/or scientific organisation after obtaining the first educational and qualification degree of "Master", but not more than 10 years after obtaining it.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
1. During their participation in the Programme, applicants must meet the definition of YS.
2. Applicants under this module may be persons who:
· are newly appointed under the Programme in the beneficiary organisation and meet the condition for a young scientist;
· hold the academic position of "Assistant Professor" or "Chief Assistant Professor" (with at least six months' service as of the date of application) and are employed under an employment contract in the beneficiary organisation;
· are doctoral students who have been dismissed with the right to defend and are employed under an employment contract in the beneficiary organisation;
· are part-time doctoral students or those in independent study, enrolled at least six months before the date of application in the beneficiary organisation and employed under an employment contract there;
· are specialists with higher education who meet the condition for a young scientist and are employed under an employment contract in the beneficiary organisation.
Eligible costs for the incentivisation of YS:
– for monthly remuneration – the funds under the module may be used both for the basic monthly remuneration of newly appointed YS and for additional monthly remuneration of YS already employed in the beneficiary organisation, as follows:
· for monthly remuneration of newly appointed YS – not less than BGN 1,200, including social security contributions payable by the employer.
· for additional monthly remuneration of YS already employed – not less than BGN 300 and not more than BGN 800, including social security contributions payable by the employer.
– for the implementation of the research tasks (up to 20% of the total amount of the grant) – for business trips, the purchase of materials, consumables, specialised equipment, information products, computers, printers, etc.
Documents required for application
Young scientist:
· Curriculum vitae.
· Diploma for completed education and a certificate of foreign language proficiency.
· Motivation letter, including information on areas of scientific interest.
· Description of the applicant's previous scientific work (if applicable)..
· List of publications and projects in which the applicant has participated (if applicable).
· Project for the applicant's future scientific and career development, supported by the scientific supervisor/head of department/laboratory * (up to 2 pages)
· Other materials demonstrating the applicant's professional qualities, at the applicant's discretion. Awards or certificates.
· Short professional curriculum vitae of the scientific supervisor – selected articles on the topic and citations.
*IMPORTANT!!!!! The scientific supervisor/head of department/laboratory must explicitly indicate one of the two options:
Ø The young scientist is newly appointed, with a salary consistent with the requirements of the programme.
Ø The young scientist has already been appointed in the unit, in which case the additional remuneration, consistent with the requirements of the programme, must be indicated.
2. "POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS" MODULE
The specific objective of this module is both to encourage young scientists with an acquired educational and scientific degree of "Doctor" (PhD) to conduct high-quality research in Bulgarian higher education institutions and scientific organisations, and to raise the scientific level of the beneficiary organisations.
Through their participation in the Programme, postdoctoral researchers will gain greater research experience and competence and develop a higher level of independence, thereby improving their qualifications. This will enable them to develop a higher level of independence, refine their technical skills and focus their research interests.
On the other hand, the Programme will contribute to the transfer of experience and knowledge to the beneficiary organisation, to the development of competitive and modern scientific fields and to the stimulation of individual innovation potential at a high level as a fundamental step towards the development of a sustainable innovation environment. In this way closer links will be created with other scientific organisations and higher education institutions, which will encourage the formation of multidisciplinary teams.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
1. Applicants under this module may be scientists who have acquired the educational and scientific degree of "Doctor" in Bulgaria or abroad. They must meet the minimum requirements of BAS for the acquisition of the educational and scientific degree of "Doctor" in the scientific areas and/or professional fields in which they apply.
2. During their participation in the Programme, applicants must meet the definition of a postdoctoral researcher: a scientist who has acquired a first educational and scientific degree of "Doctor", but not more than five years after acquiring it.
3. Preference will be given to postdoctoral researchers who are external to the beneficiary organisation/institute. Where the organisation/institute from which they are moving is a higher education institution or scientific organisation in Bulgaria, it must give its consent to participation in the Programme and undertake commitments to (i) grant the applicant unpaid leave while retaining their staff position and (ii) use the released financial resources to encourage young scientists.
4. The appointment of postdoctoral researchers under an additional part-time employment contract in the same beneficiary organisation in which they work is permitted.
5. In this module, application is mandatory by submitting a project proposal to the beneficiary organisation.
6. Deadline for implementation of the project proposal: up to 12 months, with the possibility of extension, but not more than 24 months in total within the period of implementation of the Programme.
Eligible costs for supporting postdoctoral researchers:
– up to 85% for monthly remuneration – the funds under the module may be used both for basic monthly remuneration of newly appointed postdoctoral researchers and for additional monthly remuneration of postdoctoral researchers already appointed in the beneficiary organisation, as follows:
· for postdoctoral researchers newly appointed in the beneficiary organisation – not less than BGN 2,000 and not more than BGN 3,000 (including social security contributions paid by the employer and additional remuneration for the educational and scientific degree of "Doctor");
· for additional monthly remuneration of postdoctoral researchers who are employees of the beneficiary organisation – not less than BGN 400 and not more than BGN 800 (including social security contributions paid by the employer).
– up to 15% of the project funds may be used for mobility: for business trips (travel, daily allowances and accommodation), fieldwork, and payment of participation fees for scientific forums.
– up to 25% of the project funds may be used for materials and consumables necessary for carrying out the scientific research in the host beneficiary organisation;
– In the case of appointment of postdoctoral researchers from another country or from a different locality than that of the beneficiary organisation, up to BGN 1,000 per month is additionally granted for accommodation costs.
Documents required for application
Postdoctoral researcher:
· Curriculum vitae.
· Diploma for the doctoral degree obtained and a certificate of foreign language proficiency.
· Motivation letter, including information on the area of scientific interest.
· Detailed project (up to 10 pages), which must meet the following requirements: to be on a topical subject and of a high scientific level, to present a detailed work programme for the project period and a detailed financial plan, accompanied by a justification. The proposal is submitted in Bulgarian and in English.
· Description of the applicant's previous scientific work.
· List of publications and projects in which the applicant has participated.
· List of participations with papers, posters and presentations at scientific conferences and events.
· Project for the applicant's future scientific and career development, supported by the host scientific supervisor/head of department/laboratory.
· Other materials demonstrating the applicant's professional qualities, at the applicant's discretion. Awards or certificates.
· Short professional curriculum vitae of the scientific supervisor from the host institution – selected articles on the topic and citations.