Science and Technology Facilities Council is inviting applications for the Ernest Rutherford Fellowships to establish a strong, independent research programme. STFC offers 12 Ernest Rutherford Fellowships annually which provide five years of funding to outstanding researchers at an early stage of their career. Applicants are not eligible if they are currently hold a permanent academic position or the equivalent in institutions other than universities. The application deadline is 25 September 2014.
Study Subject(s): Applications must fall within the remit of the STFC core Science Programme (astronomy, solar and planetary science, particle physics, particle astrophysics, cosmology, nuclear physics) and afford scope for original work.
Course Level: Fellowships are available to undertake research at any eligible UK research organisation as set out in the STFC.
Scholarship Provider: Science and Technology Facilities Council
Scholarship can be taken at: UK
Eligibility:
-Ernest Rutherford Fellowships are intended for early career researchers who do not have a permanent academic position. You are not eligible if you currently hold a permanent academic position or the equivalent in institutions other than universities.
-If you secure a permanent position prior to the offer of a Fellowship you will be ineligible to hold the Fellowship.
-Applicants must have a PhD and a minimum of five years’ research experience from the start of the postgraduate programme leading to the award of a PhD and 1 September 2015 with, normally,
-a minimum of two years’ postdoctoral experience.
-Fellowships are open to applicants of any nationality. Where applicable, you will need to comply2 with Department of Employment requirements and hold a work permit prior to taking up the Fellowship. Work permits are a matter for direct negotiation between the institution, the Department of Employment and the Home Office.
-Information for Non-European Economic Area Applicants: All successful applicants who require a visa to work in the UK will be eligible to be considered under the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa route.
Scholarship Open for International Students: Applicants of any nationality can apply for these research fellowships.
Scholarship Description: STFC offers 12 Ernest Rutherford Fellowships annually which provide five years of funding to outstanding researchers at an early stage of their career. The aim is to support future scientific leaders to establish a strong, independent research programme.
Number of award(s):Â STFC offers 12 Ernest Rutherford Fellowships annually.
Duration of award(s): Fellowships are awarded for a period of 5 years.
What does it cover? Fellowship applications are costed on the basis of full economic costs (fEC). If a Fellowship is awarded, STFC will provide funding at 80% of the fEC requested. The host institution must agree to find the balance of fEC for the proposal from other resources. Universities and other higher education organizations use the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) methodology to calculate fEC.
-Directly Incurred Costs: Costs that are explicitly identifiable as arising from the conduct of a project are charged as the cash value actually spent and are supported by an auditable record. Ernest Rutherford Fellowships provide funds to cover your salary, the costs of personal travel and some minor equipment costs. These should be requested under the Directly Incurred Costs heading. Returner applicants may also apply for funds for retraining and updating their skills where this can be justified in the context of the proposed research project.
-Salary: You are advised to discuss and agree your starting salary with your proposed host institution, before your application is submitted. The agreed salary should be in accordance with the institution’s standard recruitment and employment practices. The appointment level on the institution’s salary scale should be justified in the application. The salary costs requested should include employer’s national insurance and superannuation contributions. Salary increments over the period of the Fellowship should be taken into account, but not anticipated future pay awards. STFC will award funds on the basis of the agreed salary scales at the time of announcement, with provision for future years increase on the basis of standard RCUK indexation rates. Once announced the grant will not normally be increased to take account of different indexation rates.
Travel: If you are associated with an STFC research grant you must ensure that any travel connected with the research project for which the grant was given is claimed from that source. You should estimate in your application all personal travel and subsistence funds required during the lifetime of the Fellowship. Travel and subsistence costs are expected to be around £2.0k per annum.
-Other Costs: Applicants may request minor equipment and consumables up to £5k under Directly Incurred other costs. At the end of the Fellowship any resources purchased will belong to the Institution.
-Relocation and Visas: Applicants moving to the UK from overseas to take up an award may request relocation and visa costs. These costs should be applied for under the Directly Incurred “Other Costs†heading on the proforma. STFC will award a maximum of £1.2k if moving from within Europe or £3k if moving from outside of Europe.
-Directly Allocated Costs:Â Estates costs include building and premises costs, basic services and utilities and appear under the Directly Allocated Costs heading. Estates costs are calculated by the research organisation and a single figure will appear on the application.
-Indirect Costs:Â Indirect costs include the costs of administration, such as personnel, finance, library and some departmental services. Like estate costs, indirect costs will be calculated by the research organisation and a single figure will be entered on the application.
Selection Criteria: In considering your Fellowship application, the Fellowship Panel will use the following criteria:
-the excellence of the applicant, including the volume and significance of research outputs, their standing in their field and ability to communicate their science effectively;
-the timeliness and quality of the research proposal;
-the potential of the individual, including the capability to fulfill the wider responsibilities of an academic career (teaching, service on committees, public engagement etc) and evidence of leadership ability;
-the appropriateness of the group with whom the individual intends to work;
-alignment with STFC strategic priorities.
Notification: Awards will be announced in end February 2015.
How to Apply: Applications for Ernest Rutherford Fellowships are submitted through the Research Councils’ Joint Electronic Submission (Je?S) system. If you have not used the Je?S system to submit an application before, please ensure, well in advance of the closing date, that you have set up an account. Guidance for completion of the application is provided through the Je?S help text, available from the Je?S system front page, and context sensitive help throughout the system. You are advised to contact your host organisation’s Research Administration as soon as possible as departments may have their own deadlines for candidate selection which may be several weeks before the closing date. They will advise you about costing your proposal and internal procedures relating to submitting a research proposal through Je?S. Your Fellowship application must be costed and submitted by the host organisation. Applicants may submit only one application to one institution.
Scholarship Application Deadline: The application deadline is 25 September 2014.
Further Official Scholarship Information and Application