For 2017, FUV offers:
– One hundred and forty (140)12-month fellowships to promote original clinical and experimental research in leading Italian research institutions. Each fellowship provides a gross sum of € 27,000 (before tax).
– Ten (10)6-month travel grants to support Italian researchers, working in Italy at the time of application, who wish to spend 6-month period of research in a top-level laboratory or clinical department at a foreign institution. Preference will be given to projects allowing the learning of new methodologies and innovative technologies, in order to increase the exchange of skills andknow-how between Italian and foreign Institutions. Each fellowship provides a gross sum of €15,000 (before tax).
RESEARCH AREAS
FUV’s goal is to fund high quality projects characterized by a high level of innovation and based on the concept of patient-benefits. Preference will be given to research projects that have astrong clinical rationale, and whose results can be rapidly transferred from bench to bedside.
In particular, FUV supports projects aimed at investigating the genomic, molecular and cellularmechanisms of prevention and cure of chronic diseases in the fields of Oncology,Cardiovascular diseases, Neurosciences, and Life Style for disease prevention.
The field of Lifestyle for disease preventionincludes proposals aimed at investigating the molecular, genetic, biochemical and cellular mechanisms implicated in the interaction between lifestyles and health (e.g., nutrigenomics, the relationship between food and disease, the relation between cigarette smoke and health, etc.).
Grants will cover both basic and clinical research.
- Experimental research:grants are aimed at supporting researchers from any field of life sciences working on fundamental and translational research projects.
- Clinical research: grants are restricted to medical doctors working on clinical research projects, such as improving therapeutic protocols and patient management.
Scientists and medical doctors working on breast, prostate, testicle and bladder cancers and in the field of paediatric oncologyare particularly encouraged to apply.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
12-month fellowship
o Experimental research. Italian and foreign researchers holding a scientific degree preferably in Medicine, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, or Biotechnologies. In addition, post-degree research (i.e., specialization or PhD) in health-related fields is required. Selected candidates must carry out their research work in leading Italian institutions.
o Clinical research. Italian and foreign medical doctors. Candidates must hold a degree in Medicine and have clinical and/or post-degree research experience (i.e., specialization or PhD). Selected candidates must carry out their work in leading Italian Institutions and shall – based on their expertise – become members of specialized clinical teams, led by top level referents. Please make sure that all qualifications held by foreign candidates are equivalent to their Italian counterparts, in order for them to be able to work as clinicians with patients in Italy. Candidates who do not fulfil the legal requirements to work as clinicians in Italy will be excluded from the evaluation procedure. Please be explicit in the Letter of Acceptance by the Hosting Institute that the candidate meets the legal criteria to work as a clinician.
The 12-month fellowships will only be awarded to researchers (Italian or foreigners) for research work in Italian institutions. There are no fellowships available for research work outside of Italy.
6-month fellowships
o TRAVEL GRANTS. Travels grants are limited to Italian citizens working in Italy at the time of application. Candidates should preferably hold a scientific degree such as Medicine, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, or Biotechnologies. Clinical and/or post-degree research experience (specialization or PhD) in a health-related field is mandatory.
For ALL the fellowships:
– Candidates must have officially obtained a PhD or specialization degree not later than 31st December 2016.
– All candidates (except women with children) must be under the age of 43 on 1st January 2017. If awarded a grant, the candidate will be asked to confirm in writing that he/she is under the age of 43.
– Women with children are allowed to count one extra year per child (for example: women with 1 child can apply if they are younger than 44 on 1st January 2017 and so on). If awarded a grant, the candidate will be asked to show a “family certificate” to be able to receive the fellowship.
– Candidates must have at least one original paper as first/co-first/last/co-corresponding author and at least one other article (original or review) in peer-reviewed international journals. “In press” articles are eligible publications but a DOI number if available or proof of manuscript acceptance is mandatory. Submitted/under revision manuscripts, book chapters, and conference abstracts and proceedings are not considered eligible publications.
– All supporting materials must be written in English.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES
All applications sent by the deadline and meeting the eligibility criteria will be evaluated by a Scientific Committee.
Candidates will be awarded funding based on the following criteria:
- Quality of the applicant’s scientific CV.
Please note that the quality of publications (i.e., the impact factor – IF – of the journals) will be a part of the selection criteria. It is thus mandatory to clearly indicate the IF of every single publication mentioned in the application. Please report the IF of a journal as IF in 2014 and not in the year of publication. Only original papers and reviews will be evaluated for the publication record. Posters/abstracts at conferences, meeting proceedings, and book chapters will not be considered for the evaluation of publications but can be included, separately, in the CV.
- Quality of the proposed research project.
Compliance with the call, feasibility, innovation, and translational basis of the project and the field of application, as well as the potential of the outlined research to make a substantial contribution to the field, will be evaluated.
- Quality of the Hosting laboratory or Institution.
Quality of the Host Institution (in terms of laboratories, facilities, etc.) as well as the competence of the Head of the hosting laboratory (expertise in the field of the project, mentoring, international standing, etc.) will be evaluated.
ENROLMENT PROCEDURE
To start submission of the application, please enter your Name, Surname, Email address and your proposed type of research (experimental or clinical). You will then be directed to the correct application form.
In the form, you will be asked to provide:
- i) candidate’s CV (max 4000 characters including spaces). Candidates who have had a period of justified absence from work (i.e.maternity leave), may state it in the CV.
- ii) a list of your scientific peer-reviewed publications,
iii) a short abstract of the proposed project (max 2000 characters including spaces)
- iv) a description of the proposed research project – background, experimental plan, and description of expected results and future applications to health – (max 9000 characters including spaces),
- v) PI’s CV (max 2000 characters including spaces) including the field of investigation, up to five selected publication of the last five years, and granted founding (optional).
Please note that during the application process you will be also asked to upload the following documentation:
- Two letters of recommendation not dated before 1st January 2015 (mandatory)
- A letter of acceptance by the hosting Institute, signed by the legal representative of the Institute (mandatory). This letter must include the declaration that, if the candidate is awarded a Fondazione Veronesi fellowship, he/she will be able to carry out his/her research in that institution. Please also include in the acceptance letter the name of the laboratory, the name of the PI/Professor/Group leader who will supervise the candidate, the department and the institution where the research will take place.
- A report on any previous projects undertaken with a grant from Fondazione Umberto Veronesi (if any)
- Preliminary results of the project (if available) (max two pages).
All files must be in PDF format.
Please note that once you have started filling in the form, you will have to complete and submit your application. You will not be able to save and complete it later.
Each candidate is allowed to enter only one application. Candidates who enter more than one application will be excluded from the evaluation process.
FUNDING REGULATIONS
The total amount of each 12-month fellowship grant is € 27,000 (before tax) or €15.000 euro (before tax) for 6-month travel grants. The fellowship is only for paying the researcher’s salary and cannot be used to cover other expenses (lab reagents and supplies, etc.).
The fellowship can be terminated at any time by giving timely notice to FUV by email at:borse@fondazioneveronesi.it
The fellowship CANNOT be combined with any other form of bursary; similarly, the fellowship is not compatible with either temporary or permanent employment by any other Institution; the fellowship is compatible with forms of funding other than the above, provided that they do not exceed a total of € 10,000 (before tax) per annum.
Please note that all expenses covered by the DGL 81/2008 (Attuazione dell’articolo 1 della legge 3 agosto 2007, n. 123, in materia di di tutela della salute e della sicurezza nei luoghi di lavoro) are the responsability of the hosting Institute. Please state clearly in the acceptance letter that the hosting Institute agrees to this clause.
REPORTING
Fellows will be required to produce short reports on their research activity, describing their progress and results obtained. One mid-term report after 6 months and one final report at the end of the 12 months are required for both experimental and clinical fellowships. One final report at the end of the 6 months is required for the Travel Grants.
The mid-term report is required within the first two weeks of the seventh month of the fellowship. Please note that if FUV does not receive the mid-term report by this deadline, payment will be suspended until the report is submitted.
The final report must be submitted at least two weeks before the end of the 12th month. The last payment will not be paid until FUV has received the final report.
Fellows will receive an email close to report deadline with all indications regarding the submission.
DURATION
Grants awarded by FUV will have a duration of 12 months (for fellowships in Experimental and Clinical research) or 6 months (for Travel grants) and will start on the 1st January 2017. However, the starting date can be postponed until no later than 1stApril 2017. It will not be possible, under any circumstances, to further postpone the starting date.
Candidates who have previously been granted FUV fellowships may apply again: however, they will be required to follow the standard application procedure and upload a short description of the projects already funded by FUV, indicating key findings and results.
AWARD OBLIGATIONS
It is mandatory for all successful applicants to acknowledge FUV in any publications, including those related to the granted proposal and those generated from any other research activities carried out during the period supported by FUV.
Once a candidate has been granted the fellowship, by accepting it, he/she agrees to cooperate with FUV in its dissemination activities and promotion of its scientific research, whenever required. The candidate must therefore be available to be interviewed for articles in printed and online journals and participate in promotional events (such as a press conference, meetings in schools, and one or two events with the general public) or other scientific dissemination activities organized by FUV.
Researchers working in Italy will be asked to organize at least one meeting in one school in their city/region during the year of the fellowship, with the goal of promoting engagement between young students and the scientific world. More information will follow for the successful applicants.
DEADLINE
All applications must be sent no later than 20thSeptember 2016, 23.59 (Central European Time, CET).
After completing the online form you will receive a confirmation email at the email address supplied.
The list of awarded candidates will be published on Fondazione Umberto Veronesi web page on20th December 2016.
For any further information, feel free to contact the Fondazione Umberto Veronesi at the following e-mail address: borse@fondazioneveronesi.it