The Digital Arts and Humanities structured PhD programme hosted its annual Institute in University College Cork, 3-4 September 2014. The theme, "Reflecting on Transformations: careers, disciplines, and methods" reflects the significant transformations that have taken place in the arts and humanities over the last number of decades. This two day event included presentations by students as well as international and national speakers from the digital arts and humanities community as well as practical sessions on digital preservation and project management. Dr. Jennifer Brennan, "Marie's curie actions - opportunities for individuals"

1. Career
Opportunities in
the Marie
Skłodowska-Curie
Actions’
Dr. Jennifer Brennan
National Contact Point
National Delegate

2. Irish Marie Skłodowska-Curie Office
Sponsored by the Irish Research Council
(www.research.ie)
• Promote the Actions to Irish researchers and
research organisations
• Support researchers in preparing funding
applications
• Contribute to policy initiatives relevant to the
Actions

3. • ‘One-stop-shop’
centralised support on
issues related to
mobility, incl.
immigration
• Linked to central EU
EURAXESS Site
• Website in each
European Country (and
beyond)
• Jobs Portal
• CV Database
EURAXESS
www.euraxess.eu www.euraxess.ie

5. Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions in Horizon 2020:
€6.2 billion budget
Funds ALL RESEARCH AREAS
(no thematic calls or priorities)
Implemented via Annual
Calls for Proposals
Training
Marie
S-Curie
Actions
Career Mobility
Squo-dovska

6. Job & Fellowship Opportunities

7. Opportunity 1: Apply for a job in an
FP7 Marie Curie Action
• Projects funded during FP7 (2007 – 2013)
• Initial Training Network (ITN)
• Industry-Academia Partnerships & Pathways (IAPP)
• Need PhD or four years of research experience after
primary degree (Experienced Researcher): for ITN, no
more than five years of experience (includes years spent
completing PhD, if relevant)
• All advertised on EURAXESS Jobs
• Search filter for “Marie Curie Vacancies”

8. Mobility Rule
• To be eligible you must not have resided in the country of
host organisation for > 12 months in the last 3 years on the
day you begin your employment contract.
• Example 1: If applying for a Marie Curie job in France, you must
not have resided in France for > 12 months in the 3 years before
starting the job.
• Example 2: If you have lived in Ireland for < 12 months in the last
3 years, you can apply for a Marie Curie job at an Irish
organisation.
• No nationality/citizenship/age restrictions

10. Opportunity 2: Apply for a
Marie S-Curie Individual Fellowship
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
• Annual Calls for Fellowships (next deadline Sep 2015)
• Need PhD or four years of research experience after
primary degree (Experienced Researcher)
• Researcher applies with support of host organisation
• Operated by European Commission (Research
Executive Agency)

11. Individual Fellowships
• A personal fellowship to support a
period of mobility
• For Experienced Researchers
• Post-PhD or equivalent
• No upper age or experience limit
• Fully-funded fellowships
• Salary, research costs etc.
• Minimum duration 1 year
• Supports Career Restart and
Reintegration into Europe
• Optional secondment during
fellowship

12. Mobility rule
Cannot apply for a fellowship in a
country where you have lived for
>12 months in the 3 years before
the Call deadline, or for >3 years in
the 5 years before the deadline for
the Career Restart and
Reintegration Options.
European
Fellowships
IF – European and Global
Global
Fellowships
1 – 2 years
2 – 3 years (incl. 12 months back in Europe)

13. Opportunity 3: Apply for a fellowship in a
COFUND Fellowship Programme
• National or International Fellowship Schemes
• Co-funded by FP7 MCA/Horizon 2020 MSCA, but
operated by national/international organisations in
European Countries
• Need PhD or four years of research experience after
primary degree (Experienced Researcher)
• Each scheme is different, with different
eligibility/mobility rules. In the main, Researcher
applies with support of host organisation

14. https://maps.google.be/maps/ms?msid=213886836935025775306.0004ce712744501893f6c&msa=0&ll=48.019324,3.999023&spn=25.732753,67.631836&dg=feature

15. Sample COFUND Programmes open now
• ASSISTID
– International Training and Career Development programme
– Assistive Technologies for People with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism
– Operated by DOCTRID Research Institute http://www.assistid.eu/
• BEWARE FELLOWSHIPS Academia
– Operated by the Federal Government of Wallonia (Belgium)
– Funds all research areas
– Goal to attract researchers to Wallonia (over 100 fellowships available)
– http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/fgDetails/68458
• Frias COFUND Fellowship Programme
– Operated by the University of Freiburg, Germany
– Offering 3 – 24 month positions at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies
– Funds any research area relevant to the activities of the Institute
– http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/jobs/fgDetails/73212
All open calls advertised on EURAXESS Jobs

16. Funding for Principal Investigators

17. ITN • Innovative Training Networks
RISE • Research & Innovation Staff Exchange
• Co-financing fellowship or doctoral
programmes with transnational mobility COFUND
NIGHT • European Researchers’ Night

18. Innovative
Training
Networks
Quality of Research Training
• Research Training Programme for
Masters’ and Doctoral Students
• Improving career prospects
• Equipping with a broad range of
research and transferable skills
• Promoting Mobility during research
training (international and inter-sectoral)
• 3 types of ITN
• European Training Networks
• European Industrial Doctorates
• European Joint Doctorates (transferred
from Erasmus Mundus)
http://www.iua.ie/irish-marie-curie-office/funding-calls/

19. Research & Innovation
Staff Exchange
Promoting transfer of knowledge
between countries and sectors
• Funds exchange visits from 1 month
to 1 year and networking activities
(workshops, meetings, conferences
etc.)
• Minimum consortium 3 participants
from 3 countries
• Can involve countries outside Europe
• Can involve non-academic
participants e.g. industry, NGOs,
charities etc.
• High success rates
http://www.iua.ie/irish-marie-curie-office/funding-calls/

20. COFUND
COFUND began in FP7:
• Co-funded over 175 fellowships programmes (8 are Irish)
Horizon 2020 will offer co-funding for:
• Doctoral programmes and Fellowship programmes (post-PhD and/or
more senior)
Co-funding rate is ~50%
• “Own funding” can come from any source (national, industry,
philanthropic)
https://maps.google.be/maps/ms?msid=213886836935025775306.0004ce712744501893f6c&msa=0&ll=48.019324,3.999023&spn=25.732753,67.631836&dg=feature

21. NIGHT
European Researchers’ Night
• A European-wide public and
media event to promote
research careers
• 4th Friday of September each
year
• Full or part-funding available
• Next Call in 2016
Discover Research Dublin 2014
TCD and Royal Irish Academy award in
2014 NIGHT Call
Events from 3 to 10pm on Friday 26th Sep
2014
http://discoverresearchdublin2014.com/

22. Which subject areas have been most
successful for Ireland?
10% 2%
21%
28% 12%
0%
11%
16%
CHE (21)
ECO (4)
ENG (44)
ENV (25)
LIF (58)
MAT (0)
PHY (22)
SOC (34)
Data for Ireland as of July 2013
Chemistry
Economic Sciences
ICT & Engineering
Earth & Environment
Life Sciences
Maths
Physics
Social Sciences &
Humanities

23. In Ireland, the highest proportion of FP7 MC
Fellowships have been awarded to Social Sciences
and Humanities researchers.
26% of Individual Awards
Of the 56 MC Initial Training Network Contracts
signed in Ireland, 6 are for Social Sciences and
Humanities projects
Same number of projects were funded in Chemistry and in Physics

24. Sample Funded Projects:
• Disability Rights Expanding Accessible Markets
• Bridging the European and Anatolian Neolithic:
Demography, Migration, and Lifestyle at the Advent of
Civilization
• Mental Health Training through Research Network in
Europe
• A Psycholinguistic Investigation of Irish Orthography and
Reading
• Epistemology and Democracy in Complex Societies
• Brahms and the Fabric of Modernist Culture

25. Reasons for HEIs to get involved
Build Links with Research Groups and Industry Worldwide
Increase number of research students & staff
Attracting Leading & Up-and-Coming Researchers
Fund a Sabbatical Abroad (up-skill for ERC)
Significant co-financing opportunity through COFUND

26. How the MSC Office can help
• Email Distribution List (mariecurie@iua.ie)
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Office Ireland on Linkedin
• Dedicated website www.iua.ie/mariecurie
• YouTube channel MarieCurieActionIre
Information
• Training Webinars for specific Calls (recordings on
website and YouTube)
• Advice on whether your concept ‘fits’ the Call
• Partner search via MSCA NCP network
Support

28. Thank
you!
mariecurie@iua.ie
www.iua.ie/mariecurie
Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Office Ireland