Marshall Fellowships (MARSHALL FELLOWSHIPS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Belgium
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-COFUND, 2012)
Start date: 2013-12-01
End date: 2018-11-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 15156400.32
EU funding (EUR): 6062560.13
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This fellowships scheme aims at offering, over a five-year period, a total of 57 two-years fellowships to highly skilled researchers to perform a research stay in a Walloon R&D Institute. Eligible researchers are from all nationalities and must have 4 years of research experience or a PhD, but less than 10 years research experience. They must comply with the following mobility rule: having spent less than 12 month out of the last 36 months in Belgium. Researchers are invited to apply jointly with a promoter (scientist in charge) from one of the following eligible potential hosts. A facilitator will be identified to ensure the best possible matching between the researcher and the potential host: -24 accredited research centres -More than 200 R&D intensive SMEs Eligible research fields are those covered by the so-called "Marshall Plan 2.green". They reflect the priority areas identified by the Walloon Government: -Transport and Logistics -Mechanical Engineering -Life Sciences -Agroindustry -Aeronautics and space -Environmental technologies Publication of the call will be the widest possible, using all available tools (Euraxess, NatureJobs, FP7 NCPs, ERA NETs, Professional federations, etc...). Each proposal will be evaluated by 2 international and independent experts and one internal scientific expert, on the basis of well defined evaluation criteria that will be available for the applicants in a very user-friendly and detailed guide for applicants. The proposals will be ranked accordingly (mathematical ranking). At the end of the Selection process, the final ranking will be printed and signed by all members of the Validation committee". Support to applicant will be offered by the Walloon Euraxess Service centres and the Programme managers, together with the "Union wallonne des Enterprises" (Walloon Enterprises Union). A facilitator will guarantee the matching between potential hosts and potential researchers. Evaluation process will be as short as possible and feed-back to applicants will consist in an detailed Evaluation Summary Report (ESR) justifying the scores, underlining strengths and weaknesses of the proposal and explaining reasons for funding or rejection. Grantees will be offered a 2 years employment contract will full social security coverage, an extra mobility allowance and a bench fee for purchasing necessary material or to finance their participation to conferences, workshop, etc... Mentorship, supervision and training are an important facet of the scheme, as well as the trans-sectorial added value. The project will run on a 5 years period, allowing 6 calls (2 calls per year, launched year 1, 2 and 3 of the project) for proposals and a total of 114 fellowship-years.

Keywords: mobility,fellowships,innovation,sustainable,wallonia,belgium