Science Foundation Ireland has launched its 2015 calls that support early- and mid-career researchers to become excellent, fully independent research leaders and carry out research aligned to SFI’s legal remit (oriented basic and applied research in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)).

There are two calls:
1. Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG) aims to enable those at an early career stage to establish themselves as independent researchers.
2.Career Development Award (CDA) is designed to support early career and mid-career researchers who already hold a salaried lecturing position.

Eligibility Criteria
1 Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG) aims to enable those at an early career stage to establish themselves as independent researchers. It is a four year award, value of award €400,000 including salary of SIRG and PhD studentship. Summary of SIRG eligibility (Full details of eligibility can be found in the SIRG call document):

• 3-8 years post PhD research experience
• applicants must not hold a faculty position at the time of application or at the start of the award.
• applicants must not hold or have held a significant, independent research award of greater than one-year duration (which must be valued less than €100,000)
• applicants must have identified mentor in DCU who will allow the starting investigator to carry out the project within their research space
• applicants must be senior author on at least 3 primary research articles in international peer-reviewed publications

2. Career Development Award (CDA) is designed to support early career and mid-career researchers who already hold a salaried lecturing position. It is a four year award, value €300,000-€500,000 – no request for PI salary allowed. Summary of CDA eligibility:

• 3-15 years post PhD research experience
• Applicant holds a salaried lecturing position (which can be permanent or temporary)
• Applicants may not have held a previous award whose value is greater than €500,000
• Senior author on at least 5 primary research articles in international peer-reviewed publications
• Applicants may not have held a PI-like award from SFI *

DCU Selection Process

DCU is only allowed to submit 12 proposals against each category (SIRG and CDA) and therefore there will be an institutional selection process. For the SIRG call, SFI mandates that a maximum of six candidates, out of the 12 permitted from each eligible research body, may be male candidates.  Up to 4 of the SIRG places will be ear-marked for candidates moving from another institution to DCU.

Interested individuals who believe they meet the above eligibility criteria are requested to complete this Expression of Interest form, which consists of a set of key performance indicators, a summary of research project (1 Page) plus a 5 page CV, and return by email toannelouise.holloway@dcu.ie by Friday 14 August 2015.

SIRG applicants from outside of DCU are requested to complete this external Expression of Interest form.

Expressions of Interest will be reviewed by Research & Innovation Support and assessment criteria will be based on quality of the applicant’s track record and research summary.