The Hungarian Academy of Sciences launches a call for applications for the “Fulbright - MTA Mobility Research Grant” for the academic year 2018-2019

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences launches a call for applications for the

“Fulbright - MTA Mobility Research Grant”

for the academic year 2018-2019

Aim of the grant

Pursuant to points j) and m), paragraph (1) of Section 3 of the Act XL of 1994 on the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and the Act CXCV of 2011 on Public Finances (hereinafter referred to as the Public Finances Act), as well as the Government Decree (XII.31.) 368/2011 on the Implementation of the Act on Public Finances (hereinafter referred to as the Government Decree implementing the Public Finances Act), as well as pursuant to the Agreement on Scientific Cooperation between the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Hungarian-American Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange (hereinafter referred to as Fulbright Commission) of 23 March 2016 the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as “MTA”) is launching a call for applications for the “Fulbright - MTA Mobility Research Grant” in order to promote the international recognition of MTA’s research network and to strengthen ties between American and Hungarian scientific communities.

The main objective of the research grant is, on the one hand, to provide supplementary funding for young Fulbright Grantees employed within the research network of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences to pursue research in the United States, and on the other hand, to encourage U.S. scholars and researchers to pursue research in the research network of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for the academic year 2018-19.

Eligibility

This call for applications is an open call. Eligible applicants are Fulbright Grantees for the academic year 2018-19 (1) with Hungarian citizenship, employed on a full-time or part-time basis within the research network of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2) with U.S. citizenship, who wish to carry out their research within the research network of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The applicant must be employed as a public employee by a research centre or research institute of MTA or by the Office for Research Groups Attached to Universities and Other Institutions of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

The application is subject to registration in the Academy Database (AAT).

Source and amount of funding

The source of funding is the „Financial Framework for Specific International Relations” available in the Academy’s 2018 budget.

The amount available for the research grant in the year 2018 is HUF 5,000,000, or HUF 5 million.

Form and amount of the grant, funding period

The amount of support that can be earned is HUF 750,000 (seven hundred fifty thousand HUF) for the supplementary scholarship granted to research activities in the United States, and HUF 500,000 (five hundred thousand HUF) for scientific work in Hungary.

The form of support is non-refundable subsidy.

The funding rate is 100%.

In the framework of this application, research activities carried out between 1 September 2018 and 30 June 2019 will be eligible.

Submission of applications

The application can be submitted by the Fulbright - MTA Mobility Scholarship Scheme attached to the Academy Database by 27 May 2018, 2:00 pm (CET) at the following link:

https://palyazat.mta.hu/fulbright_mta_mobilitasi_osztondij_2018/

Technical requirement of entering the electronic submission portal:

1. Applicants are required to register in the Academy Database (AAT) and upload/update their data and scientific biography.

The electronic application material shall contain:

1. Applicant's data

(compulsory data from AAT)

2. Application’s data (to be filled in on the application website)
3. Document certifying the valid Fulbright Scholarship ( to be uploaded as attachment to the application website)

Validity of application, remedy of deficiencies

The funder shall inform the applicant regarding acceptance of the application via email within 7 days of submitting it, or the application is rejected without a substantive examination.

Before acceptance the following are to be examined (formal examination):

a). the applicant meets the terms and conditions of the application, and he/she belongs to the group of acceptable applicants specified in the call for applications;
b) the amount of the required subsidy does not exceed the maximum extent grantable, and the scale of support remains within the range of the maximum intensity specified in the grant pronouncement;
c) the documents meet the content requirements set in the call for applications, are undersigned and submitted by the given deadline,
d). there is no reason for exclusion against the applicant.

Should the application prove to be faulty or insufficient, MTA Secretariat Department of International Relations invites the applicant in an email via their given email address to correct the deficiencies. Only one such occasion is allowed, and it is to be submitted within 3 working days from the date of notification.

If the applicant fails to submit a sufficient correction to the application, or to respond to this invitation within the prescribed time limit, the application is rejected without a substantial examination.

Rejection without substantial examination also pertain to the following: (1) applications submitted after the deadline set in the call for applications, (2) applicants not eligible for the terms and conditions of the grant, or (3) applicants provide false, forged or misleading data substantially affecting the outcome of the decision. The reason for rejection must be stated by the funder.

The applications are only valid if all the necessary documents have been submitted fully by the deadline, and there is no reason for exclusion under the relevant legislation or with respect to this call for applications.

Evaluation

The International Relations Department of the Secretariat of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Fulbright Commission decides jointly on the granting of mobility scholarships by 8 June 2018.

The evaluation of the applications will be conducted on the basis of scientific significance, social utility of the research topic, applicant’s previous scientific achievement and professional qualifications, the originality, elaboration and feasibility of the research plan, as well as the justification for the required United States or Hungarian presence with regard to the planned research work.

Applicants will be notified of the results via electronic mail by 12 June 2018.

Reasons for disqualification

No support can be given to the applicant if:

a) necessary declarations defined by the present call for applications and related state budgetary regulations have not been made, mandatory documents have not been submitted, or declarations have been withdrawn during the process.

b) false, forged or misleading data have been provided or such statement made, affecting the content of the funding decision in effect;

Conditions of funding

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences provides funding from its budget under Chapter XXXIII. of Act C of 2017 on the 2018 Central Budget of Hungary. The Secretariat of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences acts on behalf of MTA and is entitled to sign the funding contracts as Grantor. The applicant may receive the supplementary scholarship after the conclusion of the contract, which will be paid by bank transfer, in a single amount, before or within three months after the commencement of the scholarship period, in the form of advance payment.

Winners of the grant must prepare accounts on the professional and financial aspects of their research work and send it via e-mail to the MTA Secretariat Department of International Relations following the end of their grant period.

The deadline for sending the professional accounts is one month after the end of the grant period.

The professional accounts will be evaluated by the MTA Secretariat Department of International Relations. In case the grantee does not fulfil his obligations regarding the professional report on time he/she will be excluded from applying for the next 3 years.

Objection

An applicant may submit an objection to the President of MTA if they consider the procedure of the grant, the decision making process, the funding contract, the provision of or the demand for refund of support being unlawful or not in compliance with the present call for applications. Objections may be submitted in written form within 10 days after receiving notification of the objected decision or failure, stating the grounds for objection. This is limited to one occasion during the grant procedure.

The objection should include the reasons – the regulations of the violated law or grant procedure – that may serve as a basis for the supervision of the decision. In case there is a lack of justifiable grounds or exact references for the objection, it is rejected without a substantial examination. The examination of the objection covers the investigation of the objected issues only. The objection is to be examined within 15 days of receipt.

Legal remedy

No legal remedy may be pursued against the decision regarding the result of the grant.

The funder informs applicants:

a) that the Treasury operates a monitoring system regarding budgetary funding, and collaborates in synchronising the utilisation of budgetary supports. A support decision not registered in the monitoring system may not serve as a basis for valid funding. Providing data for the monitoring system, in case of funding through a grant process, the Funder makes sure that the data of the call for applications are published on the relevant website,

b) about the publication of the data regarding the facts and conditions of the legal contract, the provision of support, and reporting, determined by the Funder or occurring in connection with the utilisation of support, on the pertinent website. The data registered in the monitoring system may be deleted after 5 years from the last calendar day of the year the decision of support was made in.

c) The data not of public interest and personal particulars handled by the person or body preparing the call for applications, inviting applications, preparing and making the support decision in connection with the grant, the grant process, and the support decision are all open to the public on the basis of public interest and are not considered special data.

d) The Funder controls the utilization of support in keeping with the regulations of the Act on Public Finances, and according to the funding contract.

Further information on the grant may be required at MTA Department of International Relations (solymosi [dot] beata [at] titkarsag [dot] mta [dot] hu, phone number:+36 1 411 6156)

Budapest, 9 May 2018
László Lovász
President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences