“ONISILOS” FUNDING SCHEME

FOR POSTDOCTORAL
RESEARCHERS

1ST CALL FOR PROPOSALS

NOVEMBER 2018
Περιεχόμενα

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................ 3

DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................. 3
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS ................................................................................................................ 3
PROJECT DURATION .................................................................................................................. 4
CALL DEADLINE .......................................................................................................................... 4
ELIGIBLE COSTS .......................................................................................................................... 4
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS ............................................................................................ 4
EVALUATION CRITERIA / WEIGHTS............................................................................................ 6
SELECTION OF PROJECTS ........................................................................................................... 7
OTHER GENERAL CONDITIONS .................................................................................................. 7
INDICATIVE PROGRAMMING OF CALLS ..................................................................................... 8
 “ONISILOS” FUNDING SCHEME FOR POSTDOCTORAL
RESEARCHERS
PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

The University of Cyprus announces “ONΙSILOS”, a research funding scheme, which aims to
fund 30 postdoctoral researchers per year. Scientific excellence will be the primary evaluation
criterion, aspiring to integrate new researchers into the Research and Innovation system of
the country and to mitigate scientific migration.

DESCRIPTION

"ONISILOS" funding programme aims to fund thirty (30) research projects based on scientific
excellence submitted and implemented by Postdoctoral Researchers. "ONISILOS" aims to
provide opportunities for employing young researchers with attractive remuneration,
enhancing the country's scientific capacity and limiting scientific migration. Beneficiaries
should hold a PhD Degree from a recognized Higher Education Institution and must have
obtained it in no more than seven (7) years before the closing date for the submission of
proposals.

The programme concerns the implementation of a research project by a New Researcher who
holds a Ph.D. degree after submitting a research proposal, which will be scientifically
evaluated through an international peer-review process by two (2) scientists specialised in the
corresponding field. The Postdoctoral Researcher will be employed at the University of Cyprus
with the funded research project being his/her main job responsibility, while at the same time
he/she will have the option to participate in other research and /or educational activities.

The proposed projects will have duration of two (2) years and should fall under any subject
area covered by the research activities of the University of Cyprus. Post-doctoral Researchers
should have the endorsement of at least one (1) faculty member of the University of Cyprus
when submitting their proposal. These faculty members will act as Project Coordinators,
supervising the research activities of the funded project and its smooth implementation, as
well as advising the Postdoctoral Researchers on research-related issues and their career
development.
Each funded research project will have a total budget of €70.000, of which €60.000 will
correspond to the two annual salaries of the Postdoctoral Researcher and €10.000 in the
necessary research costs required for the implementation of the research project. Proposals
must be submitted in English.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Eligible applicants must hold a PhD Degree from a recognized Higher Education Institution,
awarded at a maximum of seven (7) years before the closing date for the submission of
proposals. The reference date for calculating the eligibility period should be the date of the
actual award/acquisition of the Ph.D. in accordance with the national provisions of the country
in which the qualification was awarded.

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Please note that, if applicable, one (1) year for each child for female applicants and the
corresponding period for parental leave taken by male beneficiaries will be added to the
maximum allowed period of postdoctoral experience. Also for other special circumstances
such as long-term sick leave or for military service, the corresponding period will be added to
the maximum allowed postdoctoral experience upon submission of the necessary supporting
documents.

PROJECT DURATION
24 months

BUDGET
€2.100.000 (€1.050.000 per year για 30 projects).

CALL DEADLINE
The deadline for the submission of proposal is Monday, 11/02/2019.

ELIGIBLE COSTS

- Postdoctoral Salary: €60,000. The salary can be paid either in 12 or 13 equal monthly salaries
with the 13th salary (if chosen) paid at the end of each calendar year. From the amount of the
postdoctoral researcher remuneration, the contributions of the employee and the employer
to the various State Funds will be deducted. The programme does not offer provision for
health care plan.

- Research costs: €10,000. These costs may include travelling to conferences, costs of
scientific publications, consumables (where applicable), micro-equipment and other costs
directly related to the implementation of the research project.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS

Proposals are submitted as a pdf file via an online tool. Instructions for obtaining the relevant
passwords have been posted to the submission system.

The proposal consists of the following parts:

A. Personal Information (entered into the online submission system)

• Name

• Last name

• No. Identity or passport

• Date of birth

• Citizenship

• Postal Address (number, postal code, city, country) for written communication

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 • Contact phone numbers (landline and mobile)

• E-mail

• Undergraduate Studies (degree, University)

• Postgraduate Studies (degree, University)

• Doctorate (degree, University)

• Scientific Field (general scientific field and specialized subject)

• Interested academic department or research unit

Research Proposal (up to 30 pages in a pdf file)

• Title and Acronym of the Research Proposal

• Proposal Summary, including at least three (3) keywords to find evaluators

• Description of Collaboration Network (if applicable)

• Description of proposed work, methodology and deliverables

• Significance of the proposed project for the scientific field

• Role of Postdoctoral Researcher

• Added Value and Benefit

• Plan for the development of the postdoctoral researcher’s career after the
completion of the research project

• Proposal Budget

• Curriculum Vitae and List of Publications of the Postdoctoral Researchers

• Undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degree copies

• A scanned copy of the signed certificate from the member of the Academic Staff of
the University, who will coordinate the research project that the Postdoctoral
Researcher will carry out, stating that he/she is aware of the proposal and is in
agreement with its provisions.

Documents should be submitted in English on the templates available in the call for proposals
accompanying documents. It is noted that for proposals exceeding the 30-page maximum limit
allowed, evaluators will be asked to ignore any additional page.

Proposals will be assessed internally as to their eligibility on the basis of the predefined
participation criteria as stated in the call for proposals. Proposals deemed to meet the
eligibility criteria will be sent to two external evaluators from the international scientific area,
who will have specialization in the scientific field of each proposal, which will be largely
determined by the keywords that the applicant will indicate in the proposal. The evaluation
of the proposals will take place with numbers from 0 to 5 (with the use of maximum one (1)
decimal point), for each of the three evaluation criteria, with a maximum of 5 and a minimum

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of 0, with the justification for each mark described in the table below. Each proposal can
receive a total score of 0 to 15. Proposals that receive a score of 12/15 or higher will be
considered eligible for funding. In the event of two or more proposals receiving equal
evaluation scores, the proposal that received the highest mark in each of the three main
criteria in the following order of priority will be selected: 1) Scientific / Technological Quality,
2) Value Added and Benefit, and 3) Project Implementation and Postdoctoral Researcher will
be selected.
Score Evaluation Interpretation
The proposal fails to address the criterion or cannot be assessed due to missing or
0
incomplete information.
Poor. The criterion is inadequately addressed, or there are serious inherent
< 0,99
weaknesses.
1,00 – 1,99 Fair. Proposal broadly addresses the criterion, but there are significant weaknesses
Good. Proposal addresses the criterion well, but a number of shortcomings are
2,00 – 2,99
present
Very Good. Proposal addresses the criterion very well, but a small number of
3,00 – 3,99
shortcomings are present.
Excellent. Proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of the criterion. Any
4,00 – 4,99
shortcomings are minor.
Perfect. Proposal successfully addresses the criterion with no shortcomings
5
whatsoever.

EVALUATION CRITERIA / WEIGHTS

Proposals will be evaluated for each of the three criteria presented below. Additionally,
proposals that do not meet the Compatibility criteria with the Entry Requirements will be
excluded.

A. Excellence: Scientific / Technological Quality (40%)

1. Scientific contribution and innovation of the proposed project

2. Appropriateness, completeness and clarity of methodology

B. Impact: Added Value and Benefit (30%)

1. Ability to exploit results from the University, the international scientific

community and society

2. Possibility to attract external funding for the continuation of the research activity
of the post-doctoral researcher and his/her employment of academic staff in Cyprus
or Europe

C. Implementation: Project Implementation and Competence of Postdoctoral Researcher

(30%)

1. Achievability and management mechanisms in place for smooth implementation

of the project and quality assurance of deliverables

2. Scientific capacity of research team and collaborating bodies (if any) for the
implementation of the proposed project

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 3. Published research work of the postdoctoral researcher, past experience in the
development of research projects and relevance of research background to the
proposed project

In addition, the evaluators will be invited (without an evaluation mark) to give their opinion
on the following:

1. Budget adequacy

2. Possible ethical issues and necessity for evaluation of a proposal by the Bioethics
Committee or another competent ethics body or officer (eg the University of Cyprus
Personal Data Protection Officer)

3. Impact of proposed activities and results on the environment

SELECTION OF PROJECTS
In the selection of projects, there will be a minimum requirement for funding at least one (1)
project from each University Faculty, if there is a proposal that is eligible in each Faculty. The
selection of the remaining projects will take place independently of the School and based on
their rank order until the available budget of the call is exhausted, provided that the proposals
will receive a score of 12/15 or more.

OTHER GENERAL CONDITIONS

1. The member of the Academic Staff who endorses the proposal is the Coordinator of the
Research Project, which the postdoctoral researcher will carry out.

2. The postdoctoral researcher will be invited to teach up to one lesson during the four
semesters of the grant.

3. The lesson to be taught by the postdoctoral researcher may be new or existing.

4. It is possible for the same member of the Academic Staff to endorse proposals submitted
by more than one postdoctoral researcher, but only the proposal that receives the highest
score may be approved for funding in each call for proposals.

5. Proposals from candidates who have been employed or are currently employed by the
University of Cyprus as Postdoctoral Researchers may be submitted at least two (2) years after
the completion of their last employment.

6. A candidate whose proposal has not been approved for funding may submit a new proposal
in the frame of the next call for proposals.

7. The formal commencement date of the research projects will be set after the approvals by
all relevant decision-making bodies of the University of Cyprus, provided that all relevant
supporting documents have been submitted.

8. The funding period for each project is for two calendar years, including four academic
semesters.

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INDICATIVE PROGRAMMING OF CALLS
A call for proposals is expected to be announced each year.