The program is aimed at researchers who have won national and international grants (such as PCE, PCCF, TE, ERC, Norwegian Research Grants, ERANET or equivalent) as principal investigators, and who carry out or have carried out these grants through the UB. BRIDGE grants offer these researchers the opportunity to extend their employment contract to a temporary research position at UB by at least two years, based on the approval given by the coordinator of the ICUB section in which the grant was conducted. All principal investigators of research projects with national and international funding carried out through the UB are eligible for this line of funding, provided they do not have a permanent employment contract at the UB or another research institution. The aim of this program is to attract and retain in UB researchers with good results and impressive track record in grant competitions, to give them the opportunity to research and publish in top journals, until they win grants obtained through external competition.
1. Presentation of the Bridge Grant Program
The program is intended for researchers who have confirmed at the UB the possibility of doing research at the highest level. It provides 2-year financing. During all this period, the person receiving the funding will have the status of UB researcher, with a position (CS I / CS II / CS III) equivalent to the previous period, as grant director. Funding is provided from the ICUB budget or from funds allocated by the Ministry for Research.
2. Objectives
The main objective of the program is to attract and retain potential researchers in the UB, researchers with a high success rate in grant competitions. These researchers will be able to develop a research career at UB, on a continuous path, consisting of grants won in national and international competitions, to which are added bridge grants, which may cover the interval in which there are no competitions or a possible failure when the competition has a very low success rate. Along the way, the researcher will attract grants and other sources of funding to UB, and will publish annually in top journals with major UB affiliation. De facto, we thus define a professional path “in research” consisting of fixed-term contracts and periodic evaluations (model CNRS).
3. Estimated results
a. Increasing the number of national and international grants implemented in UB
b. Increasing the number of UB impact publications
c. Promoting and preserving human resources at UB level
d. Creating a competitive environment, which would develop the original research directions carried out at UB
e. Promoting and disseminating the results obtained within the UB.
4. Eligibility criteria
a. The candidate has won, as a project director, a grant with national or international funding, or has had such a grant that has been running for at least 2 years through UB.
b. The application for funding may be submitted within the first 12 months after the completion of the grant referred to in point 4.a. The candidate proves an internationally competitive researcher profile (proven by CV and list of publications).
5. Obligations of the UB
1. Granting a salary corresponding to the research position on which he is employed, according to law 153/2017.
2. Ensuring a work space within the UB and the possibility to use the institute’s infrastructure.
3. Providing logistical support for the organization of scientific events.
4. Providing logistical support for the preparation of the next application for national and international grants.
6. Obligations of the grant holder
1. To implement within the UB the research project for which it received funding.
2. To actively participate in the research activities organized by UB
3. To publish annually with the main affiliation at UB in top magazines
4. To periodically present the research results within the events organized by UB
5. Apply to national and international grant competitions.
7. Announcing the program and the selection system
1. The program is announced on the ICUB website.
2. The proposals will be sent to the email address office@icub.unibuc.ro
3. The evaluation of applications will be done in a panel of at least 3 experts, consisting of prestigious members of the international scientific community (of which at least one from outside UB / ICUB). The experts are appointed by the coordinator of the ICUB section where the grant is implemented and are not remunerated for this activity.
4. The list of candidates declared winners will be approved by the Vice-Rector responsible for research at the University of Bucharest.
8. The application system
The application will be written in English and will contain the following:
• CV and list of works.
• Proof that the researcher carries out or has carried out a national or international grant carried out for at least two years through the UB, which ended before a maximum of 12 months from the time of application.
• The research project, with a detailed description of the objectives and the work plan related to the 2 years of grant implementation.
• A description of the career plan, with the presentation of the grants to which the researcher intends to apply in the future.
9. Cessation of funding
The program shall be considered completed upon: (i) termination of the contract or (ii) signing of a new contract as project manager for a grant with national or international funding.
More information is available here.