Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG) Programme FAQs

Q1: Under the SFI SIRG Programme what is the definition of an applicant?
A: The Applicant will be a researcher with 3-8 years of relevant experience beyond the award of their doctoral degree, who will be responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the research programme, the supervision of the postgraduate student and the submission of reports to SFI. The applicant has primary responsibility for carrying out the research within the funding limits awarded and in accordance with the SFI Terms and Conditions of Research Grants. The Applicant will serve as the primary point of contact for SFI on the award.  The Applicant will serve as the primary point of contact for SFI on the award.

Q2: Under the SFI SIRG Programme what is the definition of a mentor?
A: The Mentor will be an established researcher within the host institution who will give advice and provide laboratory space and related infrastructure to both the Starting Investigator (SI) and the postgraduate student. The mentor will also take the role of co-supervisor for the postgraduate student; however, it is the SI who will act as the primary supervisor. The mentor does not play a supervisory or presiding role to the SI, but acts as an advisor and host. The mentor will work with the SI to ensure that all fiduciary aspects of the award are managed successfully.

Q3: How many applications can an individual make to the SFI SIRG programme?
A: Applicants may only submit one proposal to the SFI SIRG Programme Call.

Q4: If I submit an application to the SIRG programme, can I apply to other SFI programmes e.g. RFP, PI, PIYRA, PICA, Stokes?
A: No. Individuals may not submit an application (as PI or co-PI) to any of the above programmes whilst under active review under the SIRG Programme.

Q5: Can a SIRG award holder submit an application to the Research Frontiers Programme?
A: Holders of SFI SIRG Awards cannot apply for funding through the Research Frontiers Programme (RFP) during the first 24 MONTHS of their SIRG award. For more information on RFP, please refer to http://www.sfi.ie/funding/funding-calls/closed-calls/research-frontiers-programme/

Q6: I’m not sure if my research topic falls under SFI’s remit for the SIRG Programme – how is the remit defined?
A: Science Foundation Ireland funds research in those fields of science and engineering that underpin biotechnology, information and communications technology, and sustainable energy and energy efficient technologies. SFI funds internationally recognised world class research which must advance the boundaries of knowledge and be publishable in international journals or leading conference publications. Technology development will not be funded by SFI, and may be more appropriate for Sustainable Energy Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, or other agencies. Any queries regarding remit should be directed to SIRG-at-sfi.ie.

Q7: My research is in the Energy field, but I’m not sure whether it falls under SFI’s remit for the SIRG Programme. Can you give me some guidelines on whether I can apply to SFI for funding?
A: SFI’s remit has been expanded to include Sustainable Energy and Energy Efficient Technologies, and the Foundation will now support fundamental research in the science and engineering that underpins these areas. In all cases the research must strive to be internationally competitive. The research should advance the boundaries of knowledge and be publishable in international journals or leading conference publications. All applicants to the SIRG Programme need to conform to the eligibility criteria as defined in the Call document.  Technology development will not be funded by SFI, and may be more appropriate for Sustainable Energy Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, or other agencies. Any queries regarding remit should be directed to sirg-at-sfi.ie

Q8: Does the Mentor have to be employed in the same institution in which the SIRG award holder will take up his position?
A: Yes, the SI, mentor, and postgraduate student must all work within the same institution. The mentor will provide the infrastructure within which the SI and student will be accommodated.

Q9: With regard to the number of senior author publications required, this number must be at least equal to number of years since PhD was awarded not necessarily a publication in each calendar year since PhD was awarded, is this correct or can you clarify please?
A: The requirements are as follows: a) At least three senior-author peer-reviewed publications at any career stage, and b) an average of at least one published peer-reviewed article per year post-PhD, which must have been published since the award of the doctorate degree (not necessarily as senior author).

Q10: Can the SIRG applicant, if successful, receive salary from this award?
A.: The successful SIRG applicant can receive salary from the SIRG award and further details can be found in the Call document.

Q11: Are the salary numbers given for each year inclusive of PRSI?
A: Yes, PRSI at 10.75% is factored into these salary contributions.

Q12: Does the Starting Investigator have to be in place in the host Institution at time of application?
A: No, it is permissible for the applicant to carry out their work under a SIRG award at a different institution. However, they will need to first contact the research body where they intend to work.  Furthermore, they will need to provide assurance in their application that a mentor in that institution is able to provide the necessary infrastructure and support.

Q13: What is the institutional cap on the number of applications?
A: Each institution may advance a maximum of 12 proposals from transnational applicants to the proposal submission stage. The number of proposals advanced from national applicants may be no greater than half of the total number of proposals advanced by transnational applicants, rounding up to the next-highest integer. Therefore, an institution advancing nine or ten transnational applicants may also advance as many as five national applicants, but not more than five.

Q14: Is the Teaching Component in Part 2 of the application the proposed PhD project?
A: No. The letter from the research body should indicate the nature and expected volume of lecturing-type activities that they envisage the SI to carry out during the period of the award. While SFI does not expect the SI to be given an excessive workload of this type, it is understood that some experience in this regard would provide excellent training and experience.

Q15: For research institutions which are not universities or ITs, (e.g., Teagasc, Marine Institute) is it necessary to have a teaching component in the application?
A: There is no obligation for institutions to allow SIs to carry out teaching duties while they are funded through the SIRG programme, however, it is understood that some teaching responsibility would provide valuable experience, and may make the application more competitive.

Q16: Is there a limit of one PhD student per SIRG grant?
A: Yes, only one PhD student may be funded through a SIRG award. Postdoctoral researchers will not be funded through a SIRG award.

Q17:  What does SFI consider as the official date of a PhD/MD award?
The official date is defined as the day, month and year that the degree was conferred, i.e. the month and year printed on the official PhD/MD certificate.  Verification of this official date by the awarding research body must be available upon request.  The number of years since the conferring of the degree is measured to the call deadline for submission of proposals (31 August 2011).

Q18: Do you have to have 3 years postdoctoral experience at the time of application or the time the research would start?
A: An applicant to the SIRG Programme must have three years of relevant experience (academic, industrial, a combination of both, or any other relevant experience) on the date of the deadline for submission of proposals to SFI (31 August 2011).

Q19: Can you explain what being senior author on 3 publications means?
A: Essentially, the applicant must be able to demonstrate that they were primarily responsible for the research that is described in each of three peer-reviewed publications. Different publishers have differing rules on how the senior authorship is indicated (e.g., by using asterisks, underlining, placing the name first or last in the list of authors, etc.); what is important is that the applicant could convince and reassure reviewers that they were the key author on these publications. Please note that this does NOT mean that they were responsible financially for the research that was reported. Correspondence authors are generally also the author responsible for the financial responsibilities of the research, and we would not expect SIRG applicants to have such a responsibility at their career stage.

Q20: Concerning the “relevant research record”, does SFI stipulate that SIRG applicants restrict the scope of their proposal to the area of their previous research? If your published background is mainly in kidney research could the proposal centre on intestinal disease?
A: No. It is reasonable to assume that applicants may wish to diversify their research through their SIRG award. However, it will be beneficial to the applicant if they can demonstrate to reviewers through their previous accomplishments that they will be able and prepared to carry out the work that they are proposing to undertake.

Q21: Can first-author publications published during the period of an applicant’s doctoral studies count towards their required three senior-author publications?
A: Yes, senior-author publications can originate from an applicant’s pre- or post-doctorate career. However, articles published before the award of the doctorate degree cannot be considered for the other prerequisite, namely, the authorship (senior or otherwise) of one article on average per year following the award of the PhD, MD, or equivalent.

Q22: Do the publication requirements apply to applicants who have spent time in industrial positions?
A: Yes.

Q23: Will allowances be made for eligible leave?
A: SIRG applicants may extend their period of eligibility by 18 months for each separate period in which they have taken a minimum of 18 weeks of consecutive documented eligible leave since the conferring of their PhD/MD. This can include, but is not limited to the examples below:

Documented maternity leave of less than 18 weeks will be considered upon receipt of a valid birth certificate. Any queries in relation to eligible leave can be forwarded to sirg@sfi.ie. No allowance will be made for part-time working (2 years of half-time working counts as 2 full-time years). The maximum extension to the period of eligibility under this scheme is 4½ years (54 months). Note that career breaks (i.e., to go travelling or for other reasons not in line with those described above) do not constitute eligible leave

Q24: Please outline those candidates that would not be eligible for SIRG.
A: SIRG awards are not available to the following:

Q25: What types of previous research funding can SIRG applicants have held?
A: The following types of awards are allowable for SIRG applicants:

Q26: What types of personal awards do not affect eligibility to the SIRG Programme?
A: The following are examples of personal awards that would not render the recipient ineligible for the SIRG Programme:

Q27: If I meet the criteria for eligible leave does the required average number of papers per year exclude the periods of leave?
A: Yes, subject to a minimum of three published papers attributed to the applicant.

Q28: When are successful SIRG candidates expected to start?
A: Decisions on the applications to the SIRG Programme are expected to be communicated to applicants in the first quarter of 2012. Thus, awards will likely commence in the second quarter of 2012.

Q29: Can SIRG award holders apply for other funding or hold other awards when starting their awards?
A: Applicants to SIRG may hold other awards in line with the guidelines discussed in Q25 and Q26. However, it should be noted that once a SIRG award has been granted it is expected to be the primary source of funding going forward. As such the expected time commitment to the research supported through this award should represent the majority of the time of the award holder. SFI understands that SIRG award holders will actively seek further funding for their research. It is expected that award holders will dedicate almost all of their time to the SIRG award in the first year. In cases where further funding has been obtained, the SIRG commitment should never drop below 50%. SFI must be notified of any other awards won by the SI and, where necessary, reserves the right to approve any expected changes to SI’s time commitments.

Q30: Is there an age limit for SIRG?
A: No

Q31: Which research bodies are eligible to apply for SIRG?
A: Please see the list of SFI eligible research bodies at http://www.sfi.ie/funding/sfi-eligible-research-bodies/ 

Q32: Are current holders of an RFP award excluded from applying?
A: RFP award holders with awards greater than €100k are ineligible. Those with awards less than €100k are technically eligible to apply to SIRG (so long as all other eligibility criteria are met); however, the requirements for working within the laboratory and office space of the assigned mentor will likely not be commensurate with an RFP award holder who has already such space available to them independently.

Q33: Should the PhD student be recruited from Ireland or abroad?
A: Either. However, it should be noted that different fees for non-EU PhD students may apply and cannot be covered from the SIRG staff budget unless they are named in the proposal in advance.

Q34: Can the postgrad student be for a Masters programme or is it mandatory to take a PhD student?
A: It is mandatory to include a PhD student in SIRG applications

Q35: Is it correct that the research institutions have no requirement to offer a post at the end of the SIRG?
A: Yes, there is no requirement.  It is hoped that completing a SIRG award will put awardees in a strong position to avail of such a position should the opportunity arise.

Q36: You mentioned that Transnational and National applicants will be evaluated slightly differently - can you provide more information on this?
A: There is an additional review criterion for transnational applicants ("Indication of how transnational mobility will benefit the applicant"). Thus, the national applicants will have to be reviewed separately to the transnational applicants.

Q37: Can collaborators (academic or industrial) be included in the research programme section?
A: Official collaborators are not included in SIRG proposals. However, SIRG award holders are certainly encouraged to start collaborations and use these to advance their own research programmes. Applicants may name collaborators in their research programme section for context if they wish to do so, but no supporting CVs are allowed.

Q38: Should the SI have an independent office?
A: Preferably. The letter of support from the institution should outline what infrastructure is available to the applicant.

Q39: As a postdoctoral fellow who is currently funded by a three-year fellowship that has costs of less than €100k/year, can I apply?
A: Yes, providing all other eligibility criteria are met.

Q40: I am currently a lecturer working on a fixed-term contract? Am I eligible to apply to SIRG?
A: Yes, providing all other eligibility criteria are met. However, please refer also to Q33 regarding the infrastructural requirements for SIRG award holders.

Q41: Should the applicant mention the number of oral presentations given at international conferences? Should only a maximum of 20 publications be incorporated on the publications list section?
A: Oral presentations may be listed in addition to peer-reviewed publications in the Publication List section. However, the two-page and 20 publication limits will be strictly enforced. Exceeding either of these limits will render the application ineligible.

Q42:  Can travel to an international collaborator anywhere in the world be included in SIRG awards?
A: Yes, providing that sufficient justification is provided and funds are available for the proposed travel.

Q43: If a researcher spent a total of two years abroad but over three different periods (all within the 3 year limit), will this applicant be considered as a ‘transnational applicant’?
A: Yes. The periods outside of Ireland need not be consecutive or continuous.

Q44: Can a proposal be submitted by the same primary applicant to, for example, PIYRA during the same year?
A: Yes, so long as a proposal to SIRG is not under review at the time of submission of the PIYRA application (and vice versa).

Q45: When listing peer-review publications including conference proceedings, does this include conference abstracts which have been published in peer review journals and conference proceedings published in book format (i.e. IFMBE proceedings)
A: Yes. Such proceedings articles may be included.

Q46: Can national applicants approach multiple institutions as host in case there are no transnational applicants from that institution (and hence no national applicants will be permitted)?
A: National applicants may approach as many Research Offices as they wish, but may only submit one application to SFI.

Q47: Are researchers who hold an Enterprise Ireland commercialisation award with a value greater than €100k eligible for SIRG?
A: Yes, providing all other eligibility criteria are met. Commercialisation awards are not considered as being research awards.

Q48: Can the applicant choose as mentor his/her supervisor during previous postdoc years?
A: Yes

Q49: Would there be any exceptional circumstance where applications would be considered for people who have slightly less than the required 3 years’ experience?
A: No

Q50: If the institutions do not provide enough transnational applicants will the number of national applications be increased?
A: No

Q51: Does the call favour any particular area of research?
A: No

 

Please note that the FAQ section will be regularly updated, and was last updated on 22 June 2011.