SFI Principal Investigator Information Packagepage 1 of 27

SFI Principal Investigator – Information PackagePage 1 of 27

SCIENCE FOUNDATION IRELAND (SFI)

The National Foundation for Excellence in

Scientific Research

INFORMATION PACKAGE

SFI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

Guide for ApplicantsPage 2

Application FormPage 7

Support NotesPage 21

SCIENCE FOUNDATION IRELAND (SFI)

The National Foundation for Excellence in

Scientific Research

GUIDE FOR APPLICANTS

SFI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

INTRODUCTION

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has been launched by the Government to establish Ireland as a centre of research excellence in strategic areas relevant to economic development, particularly Biotechnology and Information & Communications Technologies (ICT). The Technology Foresight Ireland Reports, published in 1999 by the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (ICSTI) and Forfás had recommended that the Government establish a major fund to develop Ireland as a centre for world class research excellence in strategic niches of Biotechnology and ICT. As part of its response the Government has approved a Technology Foresight Fund of over £500 million (€635m, US$600m) for investment in research in the years 2000-2006.

This fund is part of a £1.95 billion (€2.5b, US$2.3b) initiative on R&D that the Irish Government has earmarked for Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) activities in the National Development Plan 2000-2006. Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is responsible for the management, allocation, disbursement and evaluation of expenditure of the Technology Foresight Fund. The Foundation will be set up initially as a sub-Board of Forfás: the National Policy and Advisory Board for Enterprise, Trade, Science, Technology and Innovation.

There has been wide consultation in developing an initial strategy for the new Foundation. Advisory Panels with international experts in both Biotechnology and ICT have been set up to advise on the overall strategy of the Foundation in their respective areas. The Biotechnology Panel is chaired by Prof. Frank Gannon, Director of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) and the ICT Panel by Mr. Eoin O’Driscoll, Managing Director, Vice President International Operations, Lucent Technologies, Bell Labs Innovations.

The purpose of this document is to provide the details of the first funding initiative by the new Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). This document should be read in conjunction with the “Terms and Conditions” - Research Grants for SFI Principal Investigators.

APPROACH

The Foundation will, following competitive international peer review, support a small number of outstanding researchers (SFI Principal Investigators) who will lead world-class research teams in Universities, Institutes of Technology and Public Research Organisations located in Ireland. The teams are likely to consist of 3-12 people depending on the type of research. A typical team will include:

SFI Principal Investigator

Senior Researchers

Postdoctoral Researchers

Postgraduate Researchers and

Support Staff

The Foundation will fund all relevant costs, including salaries, equipment, consumables, collaboration and travel with an annual budget up to £1 million (€1.3, US$1.2). The Foundation will fund the SFI Principal Investigator and their team for periods of 3-5 years, subject to satisfactory performance as monitored by international experts.

RESEARCH FIELDS

The objective of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is to create a critical mass of excellence in basic research within Biotechnology and Information & Communications Technologies (ICT). This will underpin the enterprise environment in Ireland particularly for industries such as Biopharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Agri-Food, Information and Communications. The areas eligible for funding in this Call are:

Biotechnology

Molecular and Cellular Biosciences

Bioinformatics & Computing
Novel Enabling Technologies from other disciplines
Functional Genomics and Proteomics
Integrative Biology

Information & Communications Technologies (ICT)

Underlying Science of ICT (including Physics, Mathematics & Chemistry)
Optics and Nanotechnology (including Innovative Computing Paradigms)
Scaleable Networking (particularly linking fixed and mobile networks)
Services and applications
Software Engineering (including Formal Methods, Verification, Automation)
Useability and Multi-sensory Interactions (Natural language processing to include recognition)
Circuit Design, Sensors and Communications Systems

Excellent proposals outside of these areas within Biotechnology and ICT will not be excluded and, in particular, multidisciplinary proposals in Biotechnology/ICT are welcome.

SFI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

The successful applicants will have already made an outstanding contribution to basic research at an international level in a research area that is fundamental to the advancement of science in Biotechnology and ICT. They will also have demonstrated an ability to lead and manage a world-class research team.

The applicants must demonstrate the potential of the proposed research programme to make major contributions in the chosen area and indicate the possible impact. There must be a convincing approach put forward for the management of the programme and a breakdown of how resources will be deployed over the period of the award.

Outstanding researchers from Ireland (both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) and from the global research community are encouraged to submit proposals. Prospective applicants not familiar with the research environment in Ireland can approach the Foundation for guidance.

The applicant will submit proposals in agreement with a Research Body (University, Institute of Technology or Public Research Organisation in Ireland). The Research Body must demonstrate that suitable arrangements are in place with regard to infrastructure and facilities.

The SFI Principal Investigator and team will work essentially full time on the research programme. They can accept at most limited teaching and other responsibilities the level of which will be agreed between the SFI Principal Investigator, the Research Body and the Foundation.

The Foundation will cover the salary costs of the SFI Principal Investigator and attractive remuneration packages will be offered at a level appropriate to the calibre of the researcher. The Foundation will also cover the salaries of the team members in accordance with the practices of the Research Body provided these are regarded as being acceptable to the Foundation.

The Foundation will cover the equipment necessary to carry out the research and costs associated with access to and the use of equipment and services not available in the Research Body. The Foundation will also cover the necessary materials/consumables for the research, travel & subsistence costs for conferences and collaboration when justified within the context of the work of the team.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF PROPOSALS

The aim of the Foundation is to provide for each applicant an evaluation of his/her proposal that is transparent, objective and consistent. The assessment of proposals will be entrusted to the scientific community itself and will use international peer review. The Foundation Board will appoint Biotechnology and ICT Scientific Evaluation Committees that will be responsible for the evaluation of proposals. Their members will be outstanding international experts in Biotechnology and ICT.

Each proposal will be directed to international evaluators for a written assessment. Applicants may submit the names of evaluators who, they believe, should/or not review their proposals. The relevant Committee will review the results of this postal review, rank the proposals and submit the list to the Foundation with their comments. On the basis of this assessment, the Foundation Board will fund a limited number of exceptionally high quality proposals. Following the decision of the Board, all applicants will be informed of the decision and given feedback on the results.

Strict guidelines on conflict of interest will be adhered to in the review process. To ensure consistency and fairness, an independent observer will monitor the whole process.

6.CONTRACTS & PAYMENTS

Contracts will be drawn up between the Foundation and the Research Bodies in which the research will be done. The SFI Principal Investigator and the team involved will be contracted directly to the Research Body on terms and conditions agreed with the Foundation. The Research Body will ensure that the required facilities are made available to the SFI Principal Investigator and team in order to carry out the work. Payments by the Foundation will be made directly to the Research Body, in advance, on a quarterly basis, on receipt of claims submitted by the Research Body.

7.PROGRAMME MONITORING

On a periodic basis, the work on the research programme of the SFI Principal Investigator will be evaluated by international peer review. Funding will be continued under the approved grant if the review is positive. If the review is negative, funding may be continued for a maximum period of twelve months within which a further review will be carried out. A second negative review will lead to immediate termination of the research programme.

PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

The full details of the call are available on our website at All of the documents including the applications forms can be downloaded. Further information can be obtained by contacting our helpdesk at

Email:

Telephone:+ 353 1 607 3200

Fax: + 353 1 607 3201

Potential applicants are requested to submit an Expression of Interest form giving an outline of their proposal. This form is available on the Foundation website and will assist the Foundation in preparing for the evaluation of proposals. Note that this is not compulsory for intending applicants and will not be part of the evaluation process.

Proposals can only be accepted on the application forms provided by the Foundation. Proposals must be submitted by posting printed forms to the following address:

Science Foundation Ireland (SFI),

Call for Proposals,

Wilton Park House,

Wilton Place,

Dublin 2,

Ireland

The deadline for submission of proposals is 17h00 GMT on Tuesday 26 September 2000. Proposals arriving after the deadline will not be accepted.

Science Foundation Ireland

SFI Principal Investigator

GRANT APPLICATION FORM

AND

SUPPORT NOTES

Please read the notes BEFORE completing and submitting a research grant application.

Science Foundation Ireland

SFI Principal Investigator

Application Form
Science Foundation Ireland

SFI Principal Investigator

Grant Application Form

Principal INVESTIGATOR:

Surname:
Forename (s):
Dept/Unit:
Institution:
Address:
City: / Postcode:
Country:
Telephone: / Fax:
Email: / Webpage:

PROPOSED RESEARCH BODY IN IRELAND:

Name:
Dept/Unit:
Contact Person:
Address:
City: / Postcode:
Country:
Telephone: / Fax:
Email: / Webpage:

For Office Use Only

SFI-2000-

RESEARCH PROGRAMME TITLE: (Max 30 words)

RESEARCH PROGRAMME SUMMARY: (Max 400 words)

KEYWORDS (List 5 to 10)

RESEARCH Area(s): (Tick one or more boxes as appropriate)

Molecular & Cellular Biosciences /  / Underlying Science of ICT (including Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry / 
Bioinformatics & Computing /  / Optics and Nanotechnology (including Innovative Computing Paradigms / 
Novel Enabling Technologies from other disciplines /  / Scaleable Networking (particularly linking Fixed and Mobile Networks) / 
Functional Genomics & Proteomics /  /

Services and Applications

/ 
Integrative Biology /  / Software Engineering (including Formal Methods, Verification, Automation) / 
Useability and Multi-sensory Interactions (Natural language processing to include Recognition) / 
Circuit Design, Sensors and Communications Systems / 
Other Biotechnology (please specify below)
______/  / Other ICT (please specify below)
______/ 
Multidisciplinary Bio/ICT / 

RESEARCH PROPOSAL (do not exceed a total of 20 pages)

A. PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (not to exceed 5 pages)

(a) Scientific Achievements

(b) Biographical Sketch of Principal Investigator

B. RESEARCH PROGRAMME (not to exceed 15 pages)

(a) Background

(b) Objectives of Research Programme

B. RESEARCH PROGRAMME (contd.)

(d) Research Design and Methods

(e) Literature Cited

(f) Work Programme Plan

(g) Biographical Sketches of Named Senior Researchers in Team

CURRENT/PENDING SUPPORT OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGTATOR

Awarding Agency
(and details) / Project/Proposal Title / Total Award Amount (IR£/€) / Total Award Period Covered / % of time committed to project
Current Grants
Grants Pending

INFRASTRUCTURE / FACILITIES REQUIRED BY PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (Max 2 pages)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (Max 1 page)

DURATION OF RESEARCH PROGRAMME

Duration, in months, of proposed research programme (max 60)
Start date (dd/mm/yy)

SUMMARY OF PERSONNEL: RESEARCH PROGRAMME COSTS (Max IR£1 million / approx. €1.269 million per annum)

Cost Items / Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3 / Year 4 / Year 5 / Cumulative
Staff
Equipment
Materials
Travel & Other
Overheads
Total

PERSONNEL: (This should include all team members)

Name (if already identified) /