Research grant applications to VR − principles, procedures and kSEK

1. Research grant applications to VR − principles, procedures and kSEK • Informal information & discussionseminar 2011-02-16 • Physics & Astronomy, UU • Gunnar Ingelman, chairman grant committee NT-MN • Per Nordblad, chairman grant committee NT-NO • Welcoming information/news from faculty … • recruitmentcommittee,Hans Siegbahn • research secretaries Sofia Wretblad, YlvaBäcklund, Ulrika Huss-Melin

2. VR = VetenskapsRådet = Swedish Research Council Budget  4.2 GSEK NT = Natural science & Technology Budget  1 GSEK

3. VR support categories Support categories MSEK # positions & stipends Young researchers Senior researchers

4. VR support to fields & universities

5. NT-rådet = Scientific Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences 9 members, active researchers chosen by the research community for 3-year period (+ possible 3-year extension). Chairman: Svante Björk (geology, Lund) Bengt Andersson (chemical reaction technology, Chalmers)Olle Eriksson (theoretical magnetism, Uppsala) Olle Häggström (mathematical statistics, Chalmers) Ellen Moons (material physics, Karlstad)Elisabeth Rachlew (fusion/plasma physics, KTH) Anders Rantzer (automatic control (reglerteknik), Lund) Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede (biological chemistry, Umeå) Susanne Åkesson (zoological ecology, Lund) Secretary general: Sven Stafström (computational physics, Linköping)

6. 19 evaluation panels (~250 researchers) … … assess and prioritise research applications + observers from the Council that supervise evaluation work NT-L Semiconductor Physics, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, PhotonicsSemiconductor Physics, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Photonics, Electrophysics, Electrical Measurement and Instrumentation, Electric Power Technology NT-MN Subatomic Physics, Astrophysics, Space Physics and FusionAstroparticle Physics, Astrophysics, Elementary particle physics, Fusion, Mathematical physics, Nuclear physics, Radiation physics, Relativity theory and cosmology, Space physics NT-NO Atomic and Molecular Physics and Condensed Matter PhysicsAtomic physics, Chemical physics, Cluster physics, Condensed matter physics, Magnetics, Molecular physics, Nanoscience, Optics, Plasma physics, Quantum information, Quantum liquids and quantum materials, Statistical physics, Structural and vibrational physics, Superconduction NT-P Engineering PhysicsChemical Physics, Magnetism, Super-conduction, Electronic Structure, Structural and Vibration Physics, Low-temperature Physics, Macromolecular Physics, Mesoscopic Physics, Optics, Computational Physics, Statistical Physics, Non-linear Dynamics, Chaos, Biological Physics NT-Q Materials ScienceMaterial Chemistry, Polymeric Materials, Ceramics, Glass, Metallic Materials, Surface and Colloid Physics, Metallurgical Process and Production Technology, Material Structure, Material Production and Processing, Heat Treatment, Surface Coating, Corrosion, Material Characterisation, Design of Materials, Properties of Materials, Atomic Computations, Thermodynamics, Diffusion, Phase Transformations, Physical and Mechanical Metallography

7. NT-MN Evaluation panel with 14 members to cover theory & experiments in nuclear & particlephysics, astroparticlephysics, astrophysics, mathematicalphysics, relativity, cosmology + spacephysics & fusion (since 2009) Task: check/grade120 applications: 70 projects, 26 research assistant, 18 equipment/operation/planning Eachapplicationreviewed by 3 members  up to 35 applications/member(no external experts)

8. NT-MN project applications: grades & priorities 5=outstanding/world leading 4=excellent/national leading 3=very good, 2=good,1=insufficient 5=highest , 4=high 3=medium, 2=low, 1=rejected • Competence of applicant • Quality of project • Feasibility of project For young researchers, more based on potential !!

9. NT-MN project applications: budget allocation 2010 • New boundary conditions: • grant  300 kSEK (135 last year) • grant  700 kSEK (15% increase) 11.6 MSEK available for NT-MN  Maximum 17 grants possible !! max min 19/70  27% success rate

10. Reference group 3 • combines the 5 panels NT-L + NT-MN + NT-NO + NT-P + NT-Q • represented by theirchairpersons, alsoNT-boardmembers • 2010: • 6.9 MSEK for projects (reshuffling/competition) • grant  690 kSEK  10 grants  2 grants/group • 8.7 MSEK for 5-6 research assistant positions • 1 position/group + 1 extra to applicantwithin NT-MN • 6 positions for 74 applicationssuccess rate 8%

11. NT-MN: time evolution of budget & grants budget constant increased scope & overhead required grant increase  fewer grants !! Note:

12. NT 2010 (2-3%) 23% 26% 8% 10%

13. VR grants to IFA @ UU IFA bokslut 2010  59% from VR

14. News for VR applications 2011 • Project grants: • more flexible; contain all kinds of projectrelatedcosts, • e.g. salary for applicant • grant duration max 5 years(previouslyusually 3 years) • mean grant 800 kSEK(since 2010) • New employmentrules VR cannothire no VR-research-ass/researcher • Keep at least same support to young researchers • 1/3 of yearly total grants for projects and postdocswithineach • evaluation panel to be distributedamongyoung researchers • Postdoc (as before) • Project grant for young researcher, new form of support • PhD exam max 7 yearsearlier, i.e. 2004—(modulo parental leaveetc) • max 75% salary for applicant

15. Conclusions • … ? • … ? • … ? • Discussion • … !!!