President of Ireland Young Researcher Award (PIYRA)
The President of Ireland Young Researcher Award (PIYRA) is Science Foundation Ireland's most prestigious award to recruit young researchers currently based around the world to carry out their research in third level institutions in Ireland. This premier programme emphasises the importance that Science Foundation Ireland places on the early development of academic careers. The award recognises outstanding engineers and scientists who, early in their careers, have already demonstrated or shown exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of knowledge. Awardees will be selected on the basis of exceptional accomplishments in science and engineering that underpin Biotechnology, Information and Communications technology, and Energy, and on the basis of creative research plans that are built on work that has attracted international attention. The programme also intends to encourage entrepreneurial efforts that couple the Research Body and Irish-based industry in appropriate ways.
Through this award, SFI will identify the most promising of a new generation of top-tier cutting edge researchers in fields that are critical to Ireland's economic and social prosperity.
Objectives
- To identify the most promising of a new generation of top-tier cutting edge researchers in fields that are critical to Ireland's economic and social prosperity.
- To offer funding opportunities that will help Irish Research Bodies attract top-tier young researchers to Ireland.
- With the support of the host research body, including an identified mentor, to assist the awardee to build an internationally respected research activity.
- To stimulate broader investment in first-rate individual researchers and, through them, to attract and develop superb students through research opportunities dedicated to the most sophisticated problem-solving.
- To fund a period of intensive research to enhance the candidates' research programmes / projects and further encourage and promote Ireland's participation in the international research community.
- To enable awardees, together with their teams, to carry out their work in Ireland's public research bodies, including universities and institutes of technology.
Funding
Duration:
5 years.
Amount:
Up to €1,000,000 of total value (inclusive of the host institution contribution) in direct costs.
Salary:
The PIYRA award may be used to make a contribution up to a maximum of 50% towards the salary of the successful candidate. The remainder of the salary is to be provided by the Host Institution. Host institutions may, at their discretion, request that their contribution to the applicant's salary be introduced on a phased or graduated basis over the course of the award. That is, the host institution does not necessarily have to contribute 50% of the applicant's salary every year, provided that their salary contribution over the full course of the award is at least 50% of the applicant's salary costs.
Applicant Eligibility
Applicants for the PIYRA competition must meet all of the following requirements.
- Awarded PhD or MD within the last eight years and have completed a minimum of 36 months active post-doctoral research (with extensions for documented eligible leave).
- Has not previously received an SFI investigator-type award, such as Principal Investigator, Research Frontiers, Stokes Professorship & Lectureship, Research Professorship, Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG) and PIYRA, but excluding smaller awards such as Waltons, Young Women in Engineering Scholarship, UREKA supplement.
- Will be recognised by the research body upon receipt of the SFI grant as an independent investigator who will have an independent office and research space at the host research body for which he/she will be fully responsible for at least the duration of the SFI grant.
- Has an exceptional record of internationally recognised independent research accomplishments for their career stage (as measured by publications in top quality international journals and conferences, invited talks at international conferences, or other academic metrics appropriate to the applicant's field).
- Has demonstrated research independence (or be in the process of establishing independence) and shown exceptional potential to become a research leader of the future.
- The applicant is expected to have the capability and authority to mentor and supervise postgraduate students and team members.
Application Procedure
Deadline:
Rolling call, with submissions accepted from 14 February 2011.
Candidate Nominations:
A potential candidate for the SFI PIYRA Programme can contact any Irish Research Body and request consideration by the institution to be nominated. All applications must be submitted from an eligible Irish Research Body. Applicants must request an invitation to submit a full proposal to the SFI PIYRA programme. This Expression of Interest should be submitted to SFI by the applicant's proposed host research body.
Downloads:
Full details on the proposal and submission requirements may be found in the proposal call. Please read the documentation carefully in advance of queries and submission.
Documents
SFI reserves the right to make amendments to the documents if required. Please ensure that you are referring to the most recent version of the Call document and FAQs. Research Offices will be contacted in the event of any updates to the call documentation.
For queries on this programme please contact the relevant Research Body directly. Alternatively, if your query is not included in the FAQs document, you may contact SFI directly at piyra@sfi.ie.
