Applying
Where can I find the application form?
You can find the application form on your ETIS (Estonian Research Information System, www.etis.ee) desktop, when logged in. In order to get access to ETIS, please contact your host institution.
Can one applicant apply for a project in different R&D institutions?
An applicant can simultaneously apply for one returning researcher grant.
What are the cases of reasonable justification when the Evaluation Committee can make a proposition to award the grant to a researcher who has worked abroad less than 2 years?
The justified cases concern, for example, postdocs whose postdoctoral grant period lasts less than 2 years.
Also, application can be submitted by the researchers who haven’t completed a postdoctoral fellowship by the closing date of the call but would like to continue their research in an Estonian research institution immediately after completion. In this case the Evaluation Committee will decide if funding the project is justified.
Is it possible to start the project before signing the grant agreement?
With the approval of the host institution the project can be started before signing the grant agreement, but the project costs will be eligible only after the funding decision from the Estonian Research Council.
What is the Nagoya Protocol?
The Nagoya Protocol is a convention on biological diversity aimed at sharing the benefits arising from the access to and utilisation of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way. You can find more information here.
What should be described in the section for data management?
In the section for data management, please describe if and which data will be created, managed, or collected; which methods and standards will be applied; will the data be shared or made public and in which way; how the data will be stored during the period of the project and preserved after the end of the project.
The guidelines for compiling a data management plan can be found on the webpage of the University of Tartu Library: https://sisu.ut.ee/rdm_course1/data-management-plan
What does “place of work outside Estonia” mean?
The place of work of the returning researcher must be outside Estonia. Work is considered according to the employment relationship, which means that working in Estonia under any load does not qualify. An exception is a researcher who received a grant financed from the Estonian state budget to complete a postdoctoral program (PJD) in a foreign country.
Which Estonian R&D institutions are positively evaluated?
You can find the list of positively evaluated R&D institutions from our homepage or from the Research in Estonia portal.
Salary and workload
How much of the amount of the grant can be allocated to salary and how much to research?
We use unit costs which means that we don’t specify how much a postdoc or returning researcher should spend on salary or research. The salary should correspond to the salary level at the host institution and is agreed between the researcher and the host institution.
What is the required grantee’s workload?
The grantee must carry out their research project to the full. The grantee must have a full-time employment contract at the host institution with a place of work in Estonia.
How much are the taxes for the grant salary and relocation allowance?
The salary fund and mobility allowance include any taxes laid down in Estonian legislation.
Please use the salary and tax calculator
Example: If the personnel costs for one year are 27 000 € e.g.:
- employers’ taxes are 6821 €;
- gross salary is 20 179 €;
- net salary is 16 120 €.
The actual tax rate depends on your annual income.
Project implementation
Is it mandatory to acknowledge the research grant in a publication?
An acknowledgement of the research grant in a publication is mandatory, unless limited by publishing restrictions, copyright, or intellectual property laws. Only the publications which include an acknowledgement will be taken into account in final reports.
Correct form of acknowledgment of the research grant in English:
This work was supported by the Estonian Research Council grant (XXX number).
Correct form of acknowledgment of the research grant in Estonian:
Uurimistööd on finantseerinud Eesti Teadusagentuur (XXX number).
Contact: