Call for Pilot European Fellowship Scheme for Researchers at Risk
Funding to develop a suitable structure for an EU fellowship scheme for researchers at risk.
The aim of the Preparatory Action (PA) European Fellowship Scheme for Researchers at Risk is to develop a suitable structure for a fellowship scheme for researchers at risk.
It will pilot a scheme to establish, test and validate procedures for the selection of researchers (assessing their risk and awarding them the fellowship) and for matching researchers with host institutions in the EU. The action will contribute to enhancing support for researchers at risk to continue their work in a safe environment, whether academic or non-academic.
To validate the established procedures, the PA will award fellowships to researchers at risk in two tracks, with around 15 fellowships in each track:
- Track 1: Urgent placements for non-EU researchers at risk (outside the refugee process) who are facing threats in their country of residence or have recently fled their country of residence due to such threats, and have neither refugee nor subsidiary protection status.
- Track 2: Non-EU refugee researchers and follow-up placements for at-risk candidates outside the refugee process – ie researchers with recognised refugee or subsidiary protection status; or researchers outside the refugee process holding or applying for temporary permits/visas.
Researchers may come from all domains of research and innovation, and can be either doctoral candidates (enrolled in a doctoral programme leading to the award of a doctoral degree) or postdoctoral researchers (in possession of a doctoral degree).
Applicant consortia must meet the following criteria:
- Consist of a minimum of three organisations (eg higher education institutions, research organisations, civil society organisation/non-governmental organisations) from three different EU Member States.
- Have demonstrable experience in managing international fellowship programmes.
- All members of the consortia have a registered legal office in one of the EU Member States.
- Have demonstrable experience in managing international projects.
- Have demonstrable experience in the field(s) relevant to this call for proposals – support for researchers at risk, migration, human rights, academic freedom (at national, EU or international level), higher education/research, international cooperation.
The total budget for this call is €6 million and it is expected that one project will be funded.
Applications can be submitted until 7 September 2023 (17:00 CEST).
(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)