Research Talent

Research Talent offers talented, upcoming researchers the opportunity to fulfil their ambitions of pursuing a scientific career with a three-year PhD research project. Proposals for Research Talent are submitted through professors or associate professors within social and behavioural sciences.

Who can apply

Applications are submitted by one applicant, namely a professor or an associate professor (UHD). The candidate PhD student is mentioned in the application.

• Professors or associate professors may submit an application if they:
• are employed by a Dutch university, or an NWO or KNAW institute, and

will be employed at said university or institute for at least the duration of the application process and the research for which the subsidy is being applied for.

If an associate professor submits the application, the application must mention the professor who has declared his or her willingness to act as supervisor. See the brochure for other applicable conditions.

What can be applied for

Applicants may only apply for a subsidy for:

• Staff costs: three years fulltime for a PhD student;
• Material costs up to a maximum of €10,000.

The staff budget requested for Research Talent may be spent on a three-year, fulltime position for a candidate PhD student that is used fully for obtaining the PhD. The candidate will be completing a Dutch research master’s shortly or has recently completed one, such that he or she will have graduated at the time of the appointment. In the case no research master for the given discipline is on offer in the Netherlands, the candidate must be completing shortly or have completed a to a research master’s comparable study programme – so that he/she has graduated at the time of the appointment. A to a research master’s comparable study programme is defined as a Dutch master’s programme supplemented by sufficient research-related international knowledge and experience, as demonstrated by, for example, a second master’s at a renowned university abroad, or a Dutch master‘s programme supplemented by a research-oriented honours programme with at least 30 ECTS.

Candidates who already hold a position as PhD student are not eligible.

When can be applied

• Closing date for submitting applications was 19 september 2011 at 23:59 hrs

Extra Information

Detailed information on conditions and procedures can be found in the brochure.

Criteria

The committees will use the following six criteria in assessing and ranking the applications, in both pre-selection and final assessment:

1. Originality and potential contribution to science
2. Research setup and methods
3. Quality of the candidate PhD student
4. Scientific quality of the applicant
5. Dissertation and dissemination
6. Social significance

All criteria have a number of relevant points of attention, mentioned in the brochure. The first three criteria are most important. The nature of the research will determine to what extent the sixth criterion is applicable.

During pre-selection the following additional criteria apply (for detailed description see the brochure):

• Completeness of the form
• National availability of a research master programme
• Sufficiency comparable study programme
• Appointment of the envisaged candidate
• Fit within the Division of Social Sciences’ remit

Procedure

The procedure has the following phases:

• Administrative-technical test (secretariat)
• Pre-selection Four committees will assess the proposals comparatively and will advice the Board of Social Sciences on the selection of proposals.
• Hearing and rebuttal Both international and national reviewers will be invited to comment on the selected proposals. Applicants will be given the opportunity to react to the reviewers’ comments.
• Decision by Board The Board of Social Sciences will make a decision on honouring based on the advices of the committees. The Board may include policy considerations when deciding.

Committees

NWO’s Division of Social Sciences is divided into four discipline groups. For each discipline group a broad committee will be installed that will assess the proposals in all applicable phases. Installation of the committees will be finalized after the proposals have been submitted.

Budget

The budget for 2011 amounts to 7 million euro.

Financiers

NWO Division for the Social Sciences (MaGW)

Contacts

• Mr. J.S. Voskuilen
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 09 89, e-mail: j.voskuilen@nwo.nl
• Ms E.T.W. van Liempt
  phone: +31 (0)70 344 09 44, e-mail: e.vanliempt@nwo.nl