International postdoc within natural and engineering sciences (autumn call)

Please refer to the application form in Prisma in parallel with reading the instructions below, which describe the call-specific content of the application. More information on what to do in practical terms is available in our Guide for applicants Opens in new window..

Language

Foreign experts are involved in the scientific assessment of the applications. To ensure fair and equitable assessment and efficient processing, please therefore complete your application in English.

Sections of the application

The application form includes the following tabs:

• Descriptive information
• Research description
• Budget and research resources
• Publications
• Attachments
• Administrating organisation
• Participants (only administrators in this call)
• CV

The information we request under each tab is described below.

Descriptive information

Host department

State the country and the host organisation and department where you will be spending your stay abroad. State also the number of months you intend to spend at the host department. You may state more than one host country/host department. If so, begin with the country/department where you will spend the longest time, and so on.

Supervisor/Representative

State the names of your supervisor/host representative at the administrating organisation and the foreign host department. If your project is located at several host departments, please state the names in the same order you stated the host departments.

Abstract

In the abstract, please describe in brief the following:

• What is to be done: purpose and aims
• How the research will be carried out: project organisation, time plan and scientific methods
• What is important about the planned research

The abstract shall provide a summary picture of the purpose and implementation of the research. Please use wording to ensure persons with another subject specialisation can understand the information.

The description may cover a maximum of 1 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one third of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Popular science description

Describe the planned research in such a way that a person who is not a researcher can understand it. Do this by answering the following questions:

• What is the research about?
• Why is it important to research this?
• In what way may the new knowledge be important?

The text must be in Swedish and cover a maximum of 2 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing. The popular science description is important when we inform about the research funded by the Swedish Research Council.

Deductible time

Please state any longer interruptions in your active research time after your doctoral degree caused by any of the grounds recognised by the Swedish Research Council. Please state the interruption calculated as a full-time equivalent and rounded up into full calendar months. Please see the recognised grounds for deductible time under the heading “Career age” above.

Other applications or grants

Describe the relationship between the different projects if

1. you are applying for or intend to apply for other grants from the Swedish Research Council
2. you are receiving an ongoing grant from the Swedish Research Council with a grant period that wholly or partly overlaps with the grant you are now applying for
3. there are current applications or grants relating to the same project concept/purpose from the Swedish Research Council or other funding bodies (from you or another researcher).

In all cases, you should also justify why you are submitting one or several further applications. If there are no other applications or grants, please state so. The description may cover a maximum of 2 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Research description

Ethical aspects

Legal and formal requirements

State whether the research covers the handling of personal data, or experiments on animals and/or studies involving humans.

If the research covers any of the above, you must also describe/state the approvals and permits your research project requires, and how you plan to obtain these. Describe any other permits that affect your application, for example the parts of the research that will be done in a country other than Sweden. If no approvals or permits are needed, please state so.

The description may cover a maximum of 2 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately half of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

More information is available on the page “Ethical research” on the Swedish Research Council’s website Opens in new window.

Ethical considerations

Reflect on the ethical issues that may arise for your project, and describe these. You must also describe how you plan to address ethical dilemmas that may arise. Please justify why the research should be carried out against the background of the ethical issues you have identified. Examples of issues to reflect on:

• How do your research questions and expected results measure up in relation to the ethical issues?
• What (direct) risks (physical, mental, or integrity) will research persons or animals be exposed to?
• What long-term risks may arise from the research? Is there any risk that the research may be used in a way that is detrimental to animals, nature/the environment, or society (whole or parts of the same) in other respects?
• Is the research expected to contribute to other values over and above the knowledge gain? If so, to whom?
• How do you weigh up the risks (in particular short-term risks) against the value (which is often more long-term) of the research?

If no ethical issues are raised, please justify this. The description may cover a maximum of 4 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Sex and gender perspectives

Please state whether sex and gender perspectives are applicable in your planned research, and justify your decision. Please note that we are not asking for information about the composition of the research team (men/women).

The following applies:

• If you answer “Yes”: Justify your answer, and describe also how you take account of sex and gender perspectives in the research plan (see further instructions under “Research plan”). If you have stated and sex and gender perspectives are applicable, but still choose not to include these in your research plan, you must justify your decision here.]
• If you answer “No”: Please justify your answer.]
  

The justification may cover a maximum of 4 000 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.]

Research plan

The research plan shall be forward-looking and consist of a brief but complete description of the research task. It shall cover a maximum of 8 page-numbered A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing and 2.5 cm margins, including references and any images.

The research plan must include the following headings and information, listed in the following order:

• Purpose and aims: State the overall purpose and specific aims of the research project.
• State-of-the-art: Summarise briefly the current research frontier within the field or area covered by the project. State key references.
• Significance and scientific novelty: Describe briefly how the project relates to previous research within the area, and the impact the project may have in the short and long term. Describe also how the project moves forward or innovates the current research frontier.
• Preliminary and previous results: Describe briefly your own previous research and pilot studies within the research area that make it probable that the project will be feasible. If no preliminary results exist, please state this.
• Project description: Describe the project design under the following headings:
• Theory and method: Describe the underlying theory and the methods to be applied in order to reach the project goal.
  • Time plan and implementation: Describe summarily the time plan for the project during the grant period, and how the project will be implemented. Describe any crucial risks or obstacles that may impact on the implementation, and your plan for managing them.
  • Project organisation: Clarify the contributions of yourself and any other researchers and/or key persons to the implementation of the project, including a description of competences and roles in the project.
• Independent line of research: If you are working or will be working in a larger group, please clarify how your project relates to the other projects in the group. If you are (continuing) working in the same team as your doctoral or postdoc supervisor, or if you are continuing a project that wholly or partly started during your doctoral or postdoc studies, you must also describe the relationship between your project and the research of your former supervisor.

Provide the following information also. If a heading is not relevant to your application, please state this under the heading.

• Equipment: Describe the basic equipment you and your team have at your disposal for the project.
• Need for research infrastructure: Specify the project’s need for international and national research infrastructure. If you choose to use other infrastructure that those supported by the Swedish Research Council Opens in new window., and that are thereby open to all, you must justify this (also applies to local research infrastructure).
  

Budget and research resources

Because the grant is in a standard amount, you do not need to enter any budget applied for in the application form.

Project personnel

Please state your activity level (per cent of a full-time equivalent) in the project. We assume that your activity level as project leader corresponds to a full-time equivalent during the grant period.

Grant for accompanying family

Please state if you are applying for the standard grant for accompanying family members. See the section on ”Costs and grant amounts” above for further information.

Planned use of the grant

Describe very briefly how you intend to allocate the grant (in percentages) to salary costs (including additional costs for you and any accompanying family), research expenses and indirect costs. Remember to speak to your administrating organisation in good time to find out the percentage that applies for indirect costs in your case, as this varies between different HEIs.

The description may cover a maximum of 500 characters including blank spaces. This is approximately one eighth of an A4 page in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing.

Publications

Please attach your publication list drawn up according to the headings and information below. The list shall cover a maximum of 5 page-numbered A4 pages in Arial, font size 11, single line spacing and 2.5 cm margins.

Please sort the publications under each heading in reverse chronological order, so that the latest publication is at the top of the list. Please only include articles or corresponding that are published or accepted for publication at the time of applying. The author name order shall be identical to that of the published work, and your name shall be highlighted in bold. The application cannot be supplemented with publications after the deadline for the call.

1. Selection of publications: List the 5 publications of greatest importance to your application. Describe how you contributed to each publication, and its relevance to your research project (maximum 4 lines per publication). Highlight your name in bold in the author list. State “Part of PhD thesis” in bold in brackets for the publications included in your doctoral thesis.

2. All publications: Sort the publications, with your name highlighted in bold in the author list, under each heading (publication type) in the following order. State “Part of PhD thesis” in bold in brackets for the publications included in your doctoral thesis.

• Peer-reviewed original articles
• Peer-reviewed conference contributions, the results of which are not included in other publications
• Peer-reviewed edited volumes
• Research review articles
• Peer-reviewed books and book chapters
• Other publications including popular science books/presentations

Attachments

Invitation from the administrating organisation

The invitation from the Swedish HEI where you will be employed shall show that you are welcome to conduct your planned research there. By signing the application in Prisma, the administrating organisation confirms this undertaking.

The invitation shall be addressed to you as applicant, cover the period shown in this call and include:

Applicant’s profile
Description of:

• how the applicant’s proposed research relates to the research conducted at the department or research team involved
• the applicant’s scientific independence in relation to the department or research team involved
• how the results from the research programme will contribute to the department’s future activities.

Commitment of the administrating organisation
Information/description of:

• the planned start and end dates of your employment at the Swedish HEI the applicant’s employment form, and any additional funding or support required to conduct the planned research
• how the HEI/department will fulfil the project’s needs for premises, equipment and other infrastructure
• the department’s plan for how the applicant can continue to develop their scientific career and competence during and after the grant period.

The document may cover no more than 2 A4 pages, and shall be in English. You can download the template for the invitation from the administrating organisation here. Word, 40.3 kB, opens in new window. (Word, 40.3 kB)

Invitation from host department abroad

The appendix shall include a formal invitation from the host department abroad showing that you are welcome to carry out your planned research there. The invitation shall be addressed to you as the applicant from the head of department or equivalent of the host department abroad where the research will be carried out. The name and contact details of the person signing the document shall be included. The invitation shall apply for the period shown in this call and shall include the following:

Description of

• the reason for inviting and hosting the applicant
• how the applicant’s proposed research fits into the research and expertise of the department or research team involved
• the applicant’s proposed role in the research team and/or in the department.

In addition, the invitation shall also describe the host department’s undertakings in the form of a description of

• the support required to conduct the proposed research and how this will be provided for the applicant
• how the department will fulfil the applicant’s need for premises, equipment and other infrastructure
• how the research environment will support the development of the applicant’s scientific career, networks and competence.

The invitation shall include information on the host department, including the period/s of the stay/s, and contact person at the host department abroad (first name, last name, telephone number and email address). Please also state the faculty of the host department and the postal address.

The document may cover a maximum of 2 A4 pages per invitation. In the event you will be staying at more than one host department abroad the invitations need to be merged to one document. You can download the template for the invitation from the host department abroad here. Word, 39.7 kB, opens in new window. (Word, 39.7 kB)

Description and justification of the host department chosen

The document must cover no more than 1 A4 page and shall include the following:

• A justification of your choice of host department abroad and description of your opportunities to develop your skills as a researcher.
• A justification of your choice of administrating organisation and a description of your opportunities to develop your independence as a researcher.
• A description of how the research at the host department abroad relates to the research at the Swedish department.

Administrating organisation

Please state the administrating organisation and project site.

Participants

Here you as applicant may invite participating administrators to your application.

CV

The following information, where available, must always be included in your CV, taking into account the stated limitation in numbers:

• Education: First, second and third cycle higher education and specialist degrees. Please note that if you will be completing your doctoral degree after the call has closed, you must provide information about the planned examination in the Research education you upload to the application.
• Work: Current employment (including whether permanent or not) and longer relevant employment held, postdoctoral visits (also included as employment if relevant), research exchanges relevant to the research described and any longer interruptions in the research that have impacted on your opportunity to gain merit as a researcher.
• Merits and awards: Docentship/associate professorship, supervisees (postdoctoral and doctoral students; state the number of persons in each category and list the names of the up to 10 most relevant to you), up to 10 of your most relevant grants awarded in competition, up to 10 of your most relevant prizes and awards, and [up to 20] other merits relevant to the application.
• Intellectual property rights: For example, patents and open access computer programs developed by you; state up to 10 of your most relevant.

Scientific quality is the fundamental criterion when the Swedish Research Council allocates grants to research. Your application is evaluated in competition with the other applications on the basis of the following evaluation criteria.

Evaluation process

Your application is evaluated by a review panel where the members are Swedish and international researchers.

At least three members review and grade your application individually. The entire review panel then meets at a review panel meeting to discuss and prioritise the applications, and finally to make a proposal for a decision to the Scientific Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences.

Review panel Opens in new window.

In order to enable more in-depth discussions of applications of higher quality that have a reasonable chance of being funded, the applications that received the lowest grades from the panel members are not discussed in detail at the review panel meeting. Following the grant decision, all applications receive a final statement stating that includes the review panels’ grading of the application. The applications that have been discussed in more detail at the panel meeting receive an individual final statement which, in addition to the grades, also contains a summary of the review panel’s discussion and overall assessment of the scientific quality of the application.

Here you will find a more comprehensive description of the Swedish Research Council's assessment of applications. Opens in new window.

Evaluation criteria and guiding questions

The evaluation of the scientific quality of your application is made based on four basic criteria (Scientific quality of the proposed research, Novelty and originality, Merits of the applicant, Feasibility). The purpose of using several components is to achieve a multi-faceted evaluation. In addition to the basic criteria, the applications are also assessed using an additional criterion, Internationalisation and research environment. The criteria are assessed on a seven-grade scale, except for feasibility, which is assessed on a three-grade scale.

For each criterion, there are guiding questions to support the panel members’ evaluation of your application. These can also function as guidance for you when you write your application.

Scientific quality of the proposed research (1–7)

An assessment of the quality of the project’s research question and methodology, including its potential for future research.

Guiding questions:

• Are the addressed scientific questions important in the context of existing scientific knowledge and ongoing research worldwide?
• Does the proposal outline a research approach that permits the raised questions to be answered?
• When applicable, is the proposed development of methods or techniques of high scientific significance? Does the proposed development allow new scientific questions to be addressed?
• When applicable, how are issues relating to sex and gender perspectives justified and handled in the research plan?
• Are the ethical considerations for the proposed project properly described and addressed? Does the applicant adequately consider risk/value/suffering for humans, animals, nature and/or, parts of or the whole of, society?

Novelty and originality (1–7)

An assessment of how well new theories, concepts, methods and questions are implemented and developed.

Guiding questions:

• To what extent does the project have the potential to significantly advance the frontiers of the research field?
• To what extent does the proposed project define new, interesting scientific questions?

To what extent does the proposed project use new ways and methods to address important scientific questions?

Merits of the applicant (1–7)

The assessment should concern the merits of the applicant to perform the proposed project. Participating researchers are not allowed in International postdoc grant applications.

Guiding questions:

• How significant is the applicant’s scientific productivity, impact and other merits in a national and international perspective, in relation to the research area, and the applicant’s career age?
• What is the applicant’s scientific potential within the research area of the application?

Feasibility (1–3)

A high risk-high gain project is not considered having lower feasibility. It is the criteria below that should be evaluated.

Guiding questions:

• Are the available equipment, infrastructure and other resources adequate for the proposed project?
• Considering the project as a whole, does the applicant or project group have sufficient competence to perform the proposed research?
• Does the description in the research plan support the likelihood that the proposed project will be performed successfully?
• Does the applicant adequately consider relevant legal and formal requirements for the proposed research, such as ethical permits and guidelines?

Internationalisation and research environment (1-7)

An assessment of the opportunities for the applicant to develop their research network and their competence as a researcher and if the project promotes mobility. Identify strengths and weaknesses.

Guiding questions:

• To what extent does the foreign host institution seem relevant for the research the application concerns? If relevant, to what extent does the Swedish host institution seem relevant for the research the application concerns?
• To what extent does the project contribute to the applicant’s ability to develop new competences, their research network and their independence as a researcher?
• To what extent is the Swedish research environment suitable for the applicant’s ability to develop their career as an independent researcher? To what extent does the project contribute to the national mobility of Swedish researchers?
• To what extent does the stay abroad and the project contribute to Swedish research?

Overall grade (1–7)

The various sub-criteria are weighed together into an overall grade reflecting the collected evaluation of the application’s sub-grades given by the review panel. The overall grade is formed without a pre-determined numerical weighing of the basic criteria. As a guidance for the review panel’s assessment, the scientific quality of the proposed research and the merits of the applicant are the two most important criteria. Internationalisation and research environment and Novelty and originality should also be considered in the assessment, but should be given lower weight than the quality of the project and the merits of the applicant. The feasibility shall be weighed into the overall rating of the application if it deviates from the grade “Feasible”.