Introduction
Purpose of the ESC Atherothrombosis Research Fellowship
To provide an opportunity for specialised research or further research training in the field of atherothrombosis, in an ESC regular member country, for medical graduates at any stage in their career but before obtaining a “permanent”, “senior staff” or "consultant" post.
The goal of this award is to help young candidates to obtain research experience in a high standard academic centre.
Eligibility
Any citizen or permanent resident of a country, which is a regular ESC member, can apply. Applicants who have not been ordinarily residents in such country throughout the three years preceding the application date are not eligible. Periods of residence mainly for full time education will not be accepted as ordinary residence for this purpose.
Applicants should be < 36 years of age at the day of application deadline.
Medical graduates can apply at any stage of their career, provided they have already proved some research potential by publishing in medical journals.
Tenure: 12 months.
Level of support: Grant recipients will receive a sum of Euros 50,000 p.a. for their daily subsistence.
Application
Proposals may be submitted for specialized research or further research training or, in the case of medical graduates, for training in a basic subject. The centre should not only offer good research and training opportunities but should be also appropriate for the specific research they wish to undertake.
Application forms may be obtained from the ESC. The closing date for their submission will be January 15 (each year).
ESC - The European Heart House
ESC Training & Research Grants
2035 Route des Colles
Les Templiers, B.P. 179
06903 Sophia Antipolis
France
Tel: +33-4 92 94 76 04 - Fax: + 33-4 92 94 76 08
Email: grants@escardio.org
Notes on applying for Research Grants
1. All parts of the application should be returned by the closing date to:
ESC - The European Heart House
ESC Training & Research Grants
2035 Route des Colles
Les Templiers, B.P. 179
06903 Sophia Antipolis
France
For the open competition the closing date is January 15 (each year). Candidates should submit their applications in advance, preferably during December. Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted even if postmarked before January 15. It is essential to have the signatures of responsible persons; therefore applications will not be accepted via fax or e-mail.
2. Candidates should read carefully the regulations for ESC Research Grants. An application which is not in accordance with these rules will not be considered. Submission of an application will be taken to imply acceptance of these conditions.
3. Applications will be submitted for consideration as received by the office; applicants are therefore urged not to submit incomplete forms and to arrange for the forms to be completed in clear typescript to ensure good quality reproduction. Incomplete or unreadable forms will be rejected.
4. Applications must conform to the accepted lay-out and provide the necessary information within the space(s) provided in the form; only in exceptional cases can additional sheets be accepted (e.g. list of publications), so please make a careful selection of your documentation.
5. Part A and the candidate's name box on Parts B-E should be completed by the applicant. Candidates are asked to note that responsibility rests with them to pass on Parts B-E of the application form to the responsible persons and then directly to the ESC. The candidate himself has to ensure that these parts are returned to the ESC as indicated under 1. Failure to return the parts by this date will be considered as incomplete application and as such will be rejected.
6. Section 8. Please give termination date of present appointment if this is not a permanent post.
7. Section 10. It is essential to include all pertinent publications.
8. Section 11. Candidates are requested to seek out a centre in another ESC country. This centre should not only offer good research and training opportunities but is also the most appropriate for the particular research they wish to undertake. Commitment at the proposed host centre indicated in Parts D and E is essential and the research proposal for the period covered by the grant has to be carefully prepared in collaboration with the proposed supervisor whose name is given in part D.
ESC Research Grants are not meant to provide extension for a stay in a foreign country for those scientists who are already doing research there supported by another grant.
9. Grant recipients whose projects require the use of radioactive substances in man should enclose evidence that the necessary approval has been sought/obtained (see paragraph 4.2 of the regulations).
10. Section 16. All applicants are asked to complete this section of the form. The referee should be an external examiner for a higher degree or another person outside the departments listed in section 3 and 15.
11. Section 23. If an applicant has ever had any serious illness which will hinder his or her future research career, he or she is asked to inform the ESC. This information may be sent separately addressed to the President of the ESC.
Re-application is not allowed.
Conditions and regulations
PART 1. Purpose and scope of the programme
PART 2. Method of application
PART 3. Standard regulations
PART 4. Special regulations
APPENDIX 1. Residence eligibility regulations
PART 1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAMME
Purpose of the programme
1.1 The ESC Research Grant programme enables medical graduates, at any stage in their careers below consultant and associate professor to gain specialized training in research in the cardiological field in Europe outside their own home country. As the programme is devised to provide opportunities for special research or further research training, applicants must pay particular attention to the importance of this requirement and ensure that their proposals contain clear evidence of the training they expect to receive.
1.2 Applicants are advised to seek out a centre in another ESC country which not only offers good research and training opportunities but is also the most appropriate for the particular research they wish to undertake. The application and research proposal for the period covered by the grant has to be prepared in collaboration with the proposed host centre. The host centre has to nominate a Supervisor who will take the main responsibility on the assistance of the applicant in the preparation of the research proposal and on the supervision of the research project, if the grant is awarded.
Period of support
1.3 The ESC Atherothrombotic Research Fellowships are attributed for 12 months.
Financial provision
1.4 50,000 Euros per annum to the grant recipient in addition to the agreement to be arranged with the selected centre (host institution). A fixed term contract of employment is usually signed between the institution and the grant recipient. The host institution should confirm in writing its agreement on this process. Grant recipients are urged to discuss the cost of their proposed programme of work with the host department so as to ensure that the department is in a position to meet any expenditure exceeding this amount and the head of the department will be expected to confirm this on Part D of the application form.
PART 2. METHOD OF APPLICATION
Eligibility
2.1 Applicants must meet the residence requirements set out at Appendix 1.
2.2 Applicants who are in doubt about their eligibility on residence grounds are advised to contact the ESC prior to submitting an application.
2.3 The qualifications required are as follows:
Medical graduates: post-registration and below consultant grade. Of these the more senior will be expected to be clinically experienced and to have worked for a period in a department where clinical research is in progress. All candidates should be below 36 years of age (no exceptional circumstances, such as maternity leave, will be permitted).
Submitting a formal application
2.4 Application forms are available from the ESC. The closing date for applications for the ESC Atherothrombosis Research Fellowship is January 15 (each year). Applications are considered within next 10 weeks.
2.5 Applicants are advised to read the following notes carefully before submitting an application.
Location
2.6 Research periods may be held in a suitable university department or similar institution within a country, which is a regular ESC member. Applicants are expected to make their own arrangements for acceptance in the host institution. Obtaining signed approval of the host institution representatives is the key task for the candidate before he submits the application to the ESC.
2.7 The ESC is unable to provide assistance with transfer or household removal expenses incurred by grant recipients on taking up an award.
Subject of research
2.8 Proposals must obviously result from discussion between applicant and supervisor but the applicant should submit personally composed proposals for research training.
The application form has been designed to make it clear that the head of the proposed department is willing to receive the candidate and provide the necessary facilities.
Conditions for application
2.9 Applications for Research Grants are made on the understanding that the host institution, the supervisor and the grant recipient agree to accept the regulations relating to the programme. The ESC intends the programme to be operated flexibly and reserves the right to deal as it thinks fit with applications of unusual character and to waive any rule, subject to the need to ensure that research funds are properly expended.
2.10 Applications must be supported in each case by:
(I) the head or supervisor of the department or establishment in which the candidate is at present working. The applicant should show the head of department the whole application form with Part A completed, together with these regulations, and ensure that the latter is aware of the closing date; Part B of the form should then be detached for completion and return to the ESC by the head of department at the time and address indicated on the 1st page.
(II) an independent referee of the applicant's choice who is familiar with his/her work but not attached to the current or proposed host department; the referee should complete Part C of the form and return it directly to the ESC.
(III) the head or supervisor of the proposed host department who should complete Part D of the form and return it directly to the ESC.
(IV) an appropriate administrative authority (e.g. finance officer, registrar, bursar, secretary) of the proposed host institution who should complete Part E of the form in time for it to be submitted to the ESC by the applicant with Part A of the form.
2.11 Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all the parts (including those, signed by the host institution) are returned to the ESC by the normal closing date for applications.
PART 3. STANDARD REGULATIONS
Status of grant recipients
3.1 An award under these regulations will normally be administered through the medium of a fixed-term contract of employment for the period of the award, entered into between the grant recipient and the host institution.
Grants
3.2 Additional grants may be received but should take into account the amount offered by the ESC (Euros 50,000 p.a.).
Insurance and tax
3.3 The applicant is responsible for the set-up of his own personal and professional insurance and for compliance with taxation rules according to the local fiscal regulations.
Other awards and employments
3.4 Grants are awarded for full-time training and ESC approval must be sought before any other work is carried out within normal working hours. As it will generally be necessary to make a reduction of the grant corresponding to any additional income so derived, grant recipients MUST notify the ESC of any earnings from such work and of any honoraria or awards received. This does not apply however to remuneration received from up to 6 hours a week spent with the supervisor's approval on teaching, clinical sessions or demonstrating, the payment for which may be retained in full if this is in accordance with the host institution's conditions.
3.5 It will be a condition of any award that grant recipients do not engage in private practice for personal gain.
3.6 In case medically qualified grant recipients are asked by their host institutions to undertake medical duties outside normal working hours, their supervisors should consult the ESC in advance about the arrangements and any additional payment which may be involved.
Holidays
3.7 Grant recipients may take holidays in accordance with the conditions of service of the host institution up to a maximum of six weeks during a complete year. The date and duration of any holiday proposed beyond this period should be reported to the ESC.
Sick leave
3.8 Grant recipients will be subject to the normal conditions of service of the host institution so far as sick leave is concerned, but the ESC should be notified if a grant recipient is likely to be away through illness for more than a month.
Grant recipients are obliged to have a health insurance either provided by the employing institution or on the grant recipient's own discretion.
Honorary clinical contracts
3.9 Medically qualified grant recipients who undertake, as part of their research programme, work concerned with the care of patients are reminded that they should be in possession of an honorary clinical contract from the appropriate health authority.
3.10 Responsibility for seeking such a contract will lie with the head of the department in which the grant recipient is working, following the usual practice of the local Medical School. Should any difficulties be encountered, the ESC should be informed.
Change of project or supervisor
3.11 Any changes in a grant recipient's training programme or supervisor from those originally approved the ESC will require the ESC's prior consent.
Final report and subsequent post
3.12 The grant recipient and the host institution are required to submit a separate short report (completed ESC Research Grant questionnaire) at the end of the Research period covered by the grant.
Publications
3.13 The awardees will be requested to submit an abstract based on their research findings for presentation at the ESC Congress at the earliest possible date and their submissions will be evaluated through the normal ESC processes. The awardees will be asked to submit their research papers for publication to either the European Heart Journal or Cardiovascular Research.
The results of a grant recipient's project may be published in the usual way at the discretion of the supervisor or head of department. The ESC expects that the award will be acknowledged in any publication dealing with the work carried out during the tenure of a Research Grant. One off-print of each publication should be sent to the ESC.
Local regulations
3.14 Grant recipients will be subject to the terms of employment of their host institution.
PART 4. SPECIAL REGULATIONS
Human subjects
4.1 Local Ethical Committee approval is required for research that includes clinical trials and/or involves human subjects (whether patients or normal), and appropriate evidence of such approval must be incorporated in the application. The ESC expects all such work to be undertaken in accordance with the highest standards.
4.2 Regulations concerning the control of experiments will be those existing in the local institution. This applies to medical records, radioactivity, use of human materials, genetic manipulations, animal experiments and licenses for appropriate procedures.
Appendix 1. RESIDENCE ELIGIBILITY FOR ESC RESEARCH GRANTS
1. These rules will apply to an award of an ESC Research Grant.
2. Subject to the following provisions of these rules a candidate must at the date of application for an award:
(a) be ordinarily resident in a country, which is a regular ESC member.
(b) have been ordinarily resident in such a country for the period of 3 years immediately preceding the date of application.
3. Any candidate who is the child of a national of a European State will be eligible for an award if at the date of application:
(a) he is resident in Europe and
(b) his parent, being such a national, is employed in Europe or if not, was previously last so employed or has been so employed for an aggregate period of 1 year during the period of 3 years immediately preceding the date of application, and
(c) he has been ordinarily resident in Europe for the 3 years immediately preceding the date of application.
4. A candidate who is a refugee or the spouse or child of a refugee will be eligible for an award if at the date of application the refugee:
(a) is ordinarily resident in Europe, and
(b) has not been ordinarily resident outside Europe since being recognized as a refugee or granted asylum.
5. For the purpose of these rules:
(a) A candidate will not (except for the purpose of paragraph 4) be treated as ordinarily resident in a place specified in these rules in respect of any period during which he is so resident wholly or mainly for the purposes of receiving full-time education:
(b) A period of ordinary residence will not be treated as being interrupted by an absence which is caused:
(I) by the temporary employment abroad of the candidate, his spouse or his parents, or
(II) the temporary full-time education abroad of the candidate or his spouse.