Division B Call for proposals for researcher excellence grants and researcher mobility grants (Stage 3)

The publication of the list of selected proposals of EMRP projects shall be accompanied by a call to the wider researcher community to join EMRP projects through researcher excellence and/or researcher mobility grants.

Each EMRP project consortium shall be invited (unless it has already introduced a proposal for researcher and excellence grants when submitting a proposal for an EMRP project as described in the seventh paragraph of section A.(b)) to launch, within three months of the date of entry into force of the EMRP project contract, a call for proposals to identify potential beneficiaries and propose to EURAMET e.V. to award them a researcher excellence and/or a researcher mobility grant. The indicative funding breakdown of the EMRP shall be calculated so that on average each EMRP project could be associated with at least one researcher excellence and/or researcher mobility grant. However, this is not a binding obligation and such grants shall be implemented in the most flexible manner.

The EMRP project consortium shall publish the call for proposals in at least one international journal and in national newspapers in three participating States. It shall also be responsible for advertising the call widely using specific information support, particularly on Internet sites on the Seventh Framework Programme, in the specialised press and brochures, and through the national contact points set up by Member States and countries associated to the Seventh Framework Programme. In addition, the publication and advertising of the call for proposals shall conform to any instructions and guidance notes established by EURAMET e.V.. The consortium shall inform EURAMET e.V. of the call and its content at least 30 days prior to its expected date of publication. EURAMET e.V. shall examine the conformity of the call with relevant rules, instructions and guidance notes.

The call for proposals shall remain open for at least five weeks.

The EMRP project consortium shall evaluate the proposals received with the assistance of at least two independent experts appointed by it on the basis of the Rules for Participation in the Seventh Framework Programme.

The following core evaluation criteria shall apply to the evaluation of the proposals:

1. (i)

   scientific and/or technological excellence;

2. (ii)

   relevance to the objectives of the EMRP project;

3. (iii)

   quality and implementation capacity of the applicant and his/her potential for further progress;

4. (iv)

   quality of the proposed activity in scientific training and/or transfer of knowledge.

The call for proposals shall concretise the core evaluation criteria. Additional criteria may be introduced provided that they are published in the call for proposals, are non-discriminatory and do not prevail over the core evaluation criteria.

The EMRP project consortium shall propose to EURAMET e.V. to award the grant to a beneficiary and report to it on the administration of the call for proposals, including the manner of publication and the names and affiliation of the experts involved in the evaluation. Within 45 days of the receipt of this proposal, EURAMET e.V. shall either award the grant or refuse it if the selection was not in conformity with relevant rules, instructions and guidance notes.

EURAMET e.V. shall invite European countries which have limited or no capabilities in metrology research to encourage their research institutes and universities to apply for researcher mobility grants as one means of building up their capacities in metrology research.