Presentation

The EPICluster Mobility Program is a test run coordinated by the University of Strasbourg, France. We will evaluate the application and selection procedures as well as the overall success or failure of the program to determine their interest and ease of use for early career researchers.

Applicants should understand that this program is under development and that your feedback will help us create easier processes for everyone involved, from early career researchers to external professionals and jury members.

Applicants are invited to submit their feedback to Guillaume Parodi, EPICUR-Research Project Officer at the University of Strasbourg, France, at parodi@unistra.fr

About the programme

 

The EPICUR Alliance welcomes early career researchers of all disciplines to carry out collaborative research projects (“EPIClusters”) meant to tackle scientific and societal challenges for a period not exceeding six months.

 

The EPICluster Mobility Program’s main objectives are to:  

  • Welcome early career researchers in hybrid residencies with the unique opportunity to run interdisciplinary research projects;
  • Foster new research techniques by encouraging the use of interdisciplinary skills;
  • Access research infrastructures at EPICUR’s partner universities
  • Produce and transfer results through setting up an open, scholarly program that is directed at broader audiences and addresses the complex challenges faced by European/global society;
  • Shape future academic careers while ensuring that every participant receives continuous supervision and guidance; to provide early career researchers with concrete perspectives by the end of the residency;
  • Establish long-term cooperation between academia and external stakeholders, including society in general, to develop more sustainable strategies for education and training, research and innovation.

 

EPIClusters offer tailor-made experiences at one of the partner universities for researchers from both academic and non-academia and serve as a network for scientific exploration and ideas spanning the Alliance. Each EPICluster will gather at least 5 early career researchers and non-university professionals in residence at one of the EPICUR-Research partner universities for a 1-to-6-month residency for research, creation, and experimentation.

 

The Call for Applications is open to groups of a minimum of 5 early career researchers. Applicants must come from at least 3 different EPICUR universities. Applications are accepted from all scientific disciplines addressing one or more EPIChallenges.

 

Application and selection procedures for an EPICluster conform to the European Commission’s hiring practices standards, ensuring observance of values such as transparency in the selection process and equal treatment of all applicants. EPICUR welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, race, color, national, ethnic, or social origin, religion, beliefs, or sexual orientation.

 

The University of Strasbourg (UNISTRA) and Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan (AMU) will welcome EPICluster participants in residence for the 2023 Call for Applications.

Jury

The selection committee responsible for examining applications includes 8 researchers nominated by EPICUR’s partner universities and 2 early career researchers nominated by EPICUR’s Early Career Researcher Board. Once the applications have been examined, the selection committee will decide on the list of selected groups, as well as the duration of the residency that will be granted to them.

Eligibility criteria

 

May I apply to the program if I don’t have a group?

EPICUR might be able to connect individual researchers looking for a group as well as groups lacking team members to apply for an EPICluster. Please contact Guillaume Parodi, EPICUR-Research Project Officer, at parodi@unistra.fr

May we apply to the program if we did not attend an EPICamp or an EPICradle?

The EPICluster Research Residency program is a standalone program, completely independent from its sister opportunities at EPICUR-Research. Although early career researchers may have attended other developing formats tested by partner universities, there is not one singular and linear pathway to benefit from EPICUR’s offering. Both EPICradle recipients and newly created groups are encouraged to present their application.

How detailed should the scientific proposal for an EPICluster application be?

Your research project proposal should underline how is your research connected to at least one EPIChallenge and that the team member’s background and disciplines are able to contribute to the project in a meaningful way. Your project proposal should show that you have a set idea for what you would like to achieve during the residency, which research infrastructures you would like to access and the envisioned output of your collective work across fields and disciplines. Finally, your project proposal should also explain why and how you will work with the “Science with and for Society” output in mind, meaning that collaborations with experts from non-EPICUR entities should be reflected in your proposal. Ideas for showcasing your work should also be part of your proposal (see “Research in the Making” in the Program Guidelines for more info).

Does our group have to come from different universities, or can members come from the same university?

Applicants must come from at least three different EPICUR-Research universities. Several members of one group may come from the same university.

The “Open Science Days” format for the application mentions original and innovative formats – What does that means?

EPICUR wants to go beyond classical research activities, so your research showcase should connect to civil society, government, or business. We are open to all ideas; there is room for you to explore and test the limits of academic research. The focus is not just on publications but also on communication to the public. This communication activity may be something written but is not limited to that. You should aim to conceptualize your communication activity, including actors outside of academia, e.g., artists etc. Focus on what your starting point is and then describe your ideal process of distribution – the host university will work with you on making this happen.

For the application process, it is started that you should hand in a Letter of Recommendation. Is it also mandatory for Post-Docs/Assistant Professors or only for doctoral students?

Doctoral students are asked to provide a Letter of Recommendation to ensure that the EPICluster program does not interfere with their work and to avoid conflicts of interest between parties. As such, the answer depends on your personal situation: Postdocs and Assistant Professors are not necessarily required to hand in a Letter of Recommendation but can do so if they wish to inform their surroundings of their intention to participate in this program. A letter of Recommendation can, of course, also be seen as an additional testimony to the suitability and fit of both the individuals and their topics from the perspective of the applicants’ scientific environment and thus strengthen the persuasiveness of the application.