Research Newsletter – Issue 70: Information and Updates
Please click on the headings below to access further information:
The Researcher Development Guide for Postdoctoral Researchers was launched this week, the culmination of a project led by HR Learning and Organisational Development in collaboration with Research Support.
DCU Researcher Development Guide
The aim was to create a comprehensive guide for all current postdoctoral researchers at Dublin City University, designed specifically to address their professional development. The Guide presents the supports and opportunities available to postdoctoral researchers, encouraging them to plan to succeed and be proactive in their career development, whether working towards an academic career or considering careers outside of the academic path.
It highlights the resources and structures within DCU that support career development, and includes testimonials and advice from academic, research and professional support staff.
The Guide can be accessed via the Researcher Development Hub section of the HR Learning and Organisational Development webpages
The SFI Research Outputs 2021 survey period is now open, with a completion deadline of 24th January 2022. Even if your award was not active in 2021, outputs and impacts from SFI-funded research may occur in the years after the completion of a grant. To ensure these outputs are captured, please log in to your Research Profile in Sesame (https://grants.sfi.ie/) to update your team’s outputs for the year. If your research award was completed prior to the start of 2021, you are only required to provide data on publications and commercial outputs in 2021, if relevant, as well as impacts that have arisen from your research. Capturing this data is critical to enable SFI to present a comprehensive case to the government about the value of STEM research to the economy and society.
The Annual / Final progress reports deadlines vary but the majority of annual reports are due on 31st January 2022 – the reporting procedures (available here) provides further information in this regard. These reports are annual progress updates in relation to each active award. They can overlap somewhat with the Research Outputs insofar as the quantitative element (relevant publications, presentations etc) can be pulled from the data reported under Research Outputs. However, there is also a qualitative element where researchers provide more context and detail in relation to their achievements during the reporting year.
For further information and to access the User Guides for Research Outputs Reports and Annual/Final Reports please see here. Please note that late submission of these reports will incur penalty points as outlined in SFI's Reporting Compliance Policy.
If you have any questions in relation to SFI reporting, please get in touch with ecaterina.mcdonagh@dcu.ie in Research Support.
The Enterprise Ireland Horizon Europe National Support Network’s first newsletter for 2022 is focused entirely on EU Horizon Europe Missions. It provides detailed information of each of the 5 Missions and their implementation plans, as well as a link to the Missions’ Work Programme for 2021-2022.
Please see here for more details.
There is just over a week left to submit ideas/suggestions for research topics to be included in the next 2022 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Research Call. The deadline for suggestions is 29th January 2022 and the call is expected to be launched in April.
This is an invaluable opportunity to affect the research topics of the call to ensure that they align with your research area of interest. In previous years, several DCU researchers' suggestions were included as research topics, assisting greatly with their success in applying to the call.
Note that proposed research topics must be framed in the context of the EPA Research 2030 Thematic Research Assessment 2021-2023 or linked to emerging issues. Researchers from all 5 DCU Faculties could contribute to addressing the areas/issues listed in the assessment.
The EPA are looking at medium- to longer-term evidence/research needs to inform/support environmental policies, i.e. if a research topic is included in the 2022 Call, this will result in a project starting in Q1 2023, completing at the earliest in Q1 2024 (for the shorter projects) and leading to the publication of an EPA Research Report in Q2-Q3 in 2024.
Note that urgent policy needs will be addressed via the EPA Research Fast-track to Policy Funding Scheme (see more details at: https://www.epa.ie/our-services/research/epa--research-funding/epa-research-fast-track-to-policy/) and should not be included here if they do not align with the proposed timeframe.
To submit your ideas/suggestions for research topics please complete the online form available on Survey Monkey by the 29th January 2022.
The Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science invites applications to fill one Chairperson and one Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ordinary Member position on the Irish Research Council. The Chair of the IRC would be a person who would be a key individual in Ireland's research and innovation eco-system, contributing and influencing development of national policy and practice. The STEM board member will also be a key individual in supporting and shaping IRC’s policy framework and contribute towards the Irish research eco-system.
Further information on the application and the selection process can be found on the Statebord.ie website. The deadline for submitting applications for these open positions is 4th February 2022.
The Research Project Administration (RPA) team is open for pre-award funding application support for PI’s who intend to coordinate Horizon Europe, MSCA, ERC and COST projects. RPA assists in preparing the application for EI Coordinator Support and the support is paid for from this funding.
RPA looks after the administrative aspect of the process, allowing the PI to focus on the technical aspects of their research proposal - they work with the PI, their team and the relevant Research Development Officer (RDO) to prepare and submit the proposal.
For further details email rpa.enquiries@dcu.ie or please visit the RPA website for more information.
First come, first served - enthusiasm is infinite but capacity is not!