FAQ call 2024 - Estonian Research Council

Frequently asked questions about research funding: call 2023

Before familiarising yourself with the FAQ, please read through the application and evaluation guidelines. The applications will be processed and evaluated in accordance with the documents concluded by a directive of the Management of the Council. Only the most frequently asked questions and identified problems are being discussed here. FAQ page is complemented during the call.

NB! The Estonian Research Council will continue with restrictions on Russia and Belarus in the new research funding period. Please keep in mind that in the calls organised by ETAG there are restrictions on cooperation with Russia and Belarus, and we do not fund joint research work or mutual visits with these countries.

NB! Please make sure that

the applicant and all persons who are included in the application meet the requirements;
the ETIS CV of the applicant and senior research staff is up-to-date and public;
the requirements for the requested grant amount have been met;
when applying for a team grant, the requirements set for the team (members and the composition) have been met.

What is new, compared to last year?
Compiling the application
Grant amounts
Applying for the postdoctoral grant
Applying for the starting grant
Applying for the team grant
Evaluation of the applications
If the project receives funding

What is new, compared to last year?

In this application call, starting and team grants have two fixed grant amounts: small and large. The amounts correspond to amounts II and IV of the previous call.

The fixed amounts for starting grants (SG) in 2025:

Amounts in 2024	Amounts in 2025	Total fixed amount (per year)
SG II	SG small	76 000
SG IV	SG large	117 000

The fixed amounts for team grants (TG) in 2025:

Amounts in 2024	Amounts in 2025	Total fixed amount (per year)
TG II	TG small	192 400
TG IV	TG large	270 000

Using generative AI tools for compiling the application is not forbidden, however, their use must be transparent.

For this reason, the first tab of the application form now includes a question concerning the use of AI, where the applicant must clearly indicate, whether and in which capacity AI tools have been used in the application.

Changes in the “Ethics” tab of the application

Compared to last year, there are changes in the wording of questions and explanations in the “Ethics” tab. The checklist and instructions now include the subject matter of AI.

The question regarding the need for the ethics committee approval now includes a section where you are asked to explain the details related to the approval, e.g. how many approvals and from which ethics committee the project needs, whether there are plans to extend the previous approval, etc. The additional question is displayed only if the need for ethics committee approval is marked as “yes”. Questions regarding data management have also been clarified and three questions about open data, restrictions on data publication and shared intellectual property rights have been added. Additions and changes are based on the recommendations of the Council’s Expert Panel on Research Ethics and Data Management.

Compiling the application

When can the project begin?

The start date of the funded projects is 1 January 2025. In justified cases, the starting grant and team projects can begin later than on 1 January 2025, but in this case the end date of the project will not be postponed. In case of a later start date, the allocated grant amount will be smaller during the first year in accordance with the number of the months passed.

Can the PI, the member of the senior research staff, or the member of the other research staff of an ongoing ETAG project apply for the grant?

In 2024, it is not allowed to apply for the grant if you are the PI of a project funded by the Council, incl. the incoming postdoctoral project that will continue in 2025.

The members of the senior research staff and other research staff of ongoing projects cannot apply for team grant if their participation will continue in 2025. They can, however, apply for the postdoctoral or starting grant.

Can a researcher who is on parental leave apply for the grant?

Yes, he/she can apply.

Does the applicant have to work at the institution at the time of submitting the application?

No, he/she does not. By submitting the application, the applicant and the institution confirm that if the application will be approved, the institution will enter into a full-time employment contract with the applicant for the project period.

In how many applications can the same person be incuded?

Senior research staff member can be included in more than one application of the call only if his/her participation periods in different projects do not coincide (e.g. the senior research staff member’s participation period in one application is 01.01.2025-31.12.2026, and 01.01.2027 – 31.12.2029 in the other application). Other research staff members can participate in several applications at the same time.

Who can be included as the other staff members in starting and team grant applications?

In starting and team grant applications, students and skilled specialists (laboratory technicians, assistants, engineers, technicians, etc.) whose participation is essential for the implementation of the project can be included as the other staff members. It is not possible to include people with a doctoral degree and in the case of a starting grant also doctoral students as other members of the research staff.

In which language do I have to fill in the application?

The application has to be filled in in English, because the applications are evaluated by international expert panels.

Are there any restrictions for presenting previous research outcomes in the application?

It is necessary to present the information regarding the applicant’s previous research activities during the past 10 years (i.e., in case of call 2024, since 2014). If the applicant has been on pregnancy, maternity or parental leave, or in compulsory military service, or there have been other exceptional circumstances (e.g., serious illness) after obtaining the doctoral degree and during the past 10 years, then the period is extended by the corresponding period in full years and is rounded up to the higher number of years.

Among the R&D results, it is also possible to show the articles that have not been published yet, but have been accepted by the publisher. In that case, the latest version of the accepted article together with the letter of confirmation from the publisher has to be added.

The PDF files containing the full texts of the articles have to be uploaded. If the access to the articles is restricted, then its status in ETIS can be marked as “restricted”.

NB! The manuscripts that have been accepted and the articles that have been published after the application has been submitted will not be taken into account.

Can only officially formalized parental leave be considered as a period of absence from research?

A period of working with a reduced workload (less than 0.5, until the child turns 3 years old) can also be considered as an absence from research. In the application, it is important to explain the reason why the applicant considers the period of reduced workload as an absence from research (e.g. performed administrative tasks at the institution as a program manager, lecturer, etc., which are not classified as research). The applicant’s CV must not contradict these explanations – if it should reveal activities considered as research (participation in research projects and professional conferences, publishing, etc.), the period with a reduced workload cannot be considered as absence.

How important are the (ETIS) CVs of the applicant and of the members of the senior research staff when it comes to the evaluation of the applications?

The CVs of the applicant and of the member(s) of the senior research staff provide additional information for the experts evaluating the applications (e.g., information regarding previous research experience, a full list of publications, etc.). It is therefore very important that the ETIS CVs of the applicant and of the members of the senior research staff that are attached to the application are correct and up-to-date, so that it would be possible to evaluate their qualifications against their roles

and tasks described in the application. The ETIS CVs that have not been updated may have a negative impact on the assessment of the application.

Do the applications need to indicate the staff members’ workloads in the given project or in the institution?

When describing the role and contribution of staff members, their workloads in the project can be mentioned. Also, for example, in the budget, the calculation of wages can be based on the workload that staff members have in the planned project. It is important to note that if the grant application is approved, the PI and the institution must ensure that the workloads of the group members in the institution meets the requirements (e.g. the PI has a workload of 1.0, the senior staff members of a team grant with a large amount have at least 0.5, etc.). At the time of application, group members do not yet need to have an employment contract with the institution.

Can a person whose workload in the institution is planned to be less than the full workload during the project period apply for a starting and/or team grant?

In justified cases, the PI can apply for a smaller than 1.0 workload at the institution. If the need to do so is already known during the time of the call, an application for the smaller workload must be added to the tab „Additional information“ of the application.

Can the smaller workloads of two different persons be combined to „compose“ one senior staff member’s workload that meets the requirements of a large grant amount (i.e., in the case of a team grant, senior staff member who is working at the institution with at least 0.5 workload)?

No, the required workload must be covered by one person.

What are the additional materials that can be added to the justification part of the application?

Only the following files that can be attached to the justification part of the application in ETIS:

1) the list of references used in the justification part of the application;
2) figures illustrating the relevant issues in the justification;
3) timetable of the project (e.g., Gantt chart);
4) risk assessment and mitigation plan.

NB! It is advised to add the timetable of the project and the risk assessment and mitigation plan as separate files.

The additional files (except the risk assessment and mitigation plan) attached to the justification part of the application cannot contain descriptive or explanatory text (e.g., the research methods have to be described in the main part of the application, not in its annex).

The files of figures and images attached must have titles in English and have an explanation of which argument in the application it relates to. When formatting the additional materials, follow the usual way of submitting materials for article publication. The materials added to the justification part of the application will also be examined by the reviewers and therefore only PDF files can be added (and not, e.g., DigiDoc files).

NB! If the additional materials do not meet the requirements, then the application will be sent back to the applicant for making corrections.

How detailed explanations are expected in the “Ethics” tab? Could not using up all the character space be a disadvantage in the assessment?

The detail is important and helps the expert committee to decide whether to ask for further clarifications or assign additional conditions. The number of the characters is not taken into account in the evaluation. If experts see that important information is missing from the application, the committee can ask the applicant for additional explanations.

What is a Data Management plan and when should it be submitted?

The data management plan contains a detailed description of the data created during the project, and the processing, collection, storage of data. The PI of the funded project submits a data management plan approved by the institution within the first six months of the project. You can choose the form of the data management plan yourself. You can use the form on the ETAG website.

If the data management plan has to be submitted only after a positive funding decision, why does one have to write about it so thoroughly in the application?

The application form asks to specify the results of the project, including data management, but these questions can also be answered more generally. The information in the application form certainly does not have to be as detailed as in the data management plan. As some projects can be very data intensive, data management should be considered early on, especially if it requires additional resources in the planned project. Also, research data is a valuable result of research, and as a funder, ETAG is interested in how it is shared and what is done with the data after the end of the project. It is also a good opportunity for the PIs of the funded projects to get feedback from the Expert Panel on Research Ethics and Data Management, who have on several occasions given applicants recommendations regarding the preparation of a data management plan.

What has to be written under the section regarding the importance and potential impact of the project?

The information regarding this part of the application can be found in the evaluation guidelines for the respective grant type (starting, and team grant) on the website of the Council.

What materials can be added under the tab “Additional information”?

Materials of administrative nature (proofs, letters of confirmation, application for a later start of the project, application for smaller workload of the PI, etc.) and the budget tool in English if applying for the large grant amount (PDF format).

NB! Materials that contain text describing or explaining the project cannot be added here but must be included under the tab “Justification”.

Is it possible to make corrections and/or additions once the application has been submitted?

Once the applicant and the institution have confirmed the application in ETIS, it has been submitted and it will not be possible to make any content-related changes, corrections, or additions. Before the reviewing process of the applications begins, the technical details (compliance with formal requirements, obvious factual errors, e.g., incorrect year, etc.) will be checked by the Council, during which the Council may send the application back to the applicant for making amendments.

NB! One is allowed to make only these changes that the Council has drawn attention to. In case other additions or corrections become evident or if the changes have not been made by the deadline, the Council is entitled to reject the application.

Grant amounts

NB! Please familiarise yourself with the budget guidelines.

Starting and team grants have two fixed grant amounts (small/large).

In order to calculate the direct costs better, a special budget tool is available both on the website of the Council as well as in the upper right-hand corner of the application form in ETIS. Based on the average annual budget that is calculated in the table (by summing up the annual costs and dividing this sum with the number of the years) and in accordance with the budget guidelines, the most suitable fixed grant amount has to be added to the application.

NB! In case of applying for the small grant amount, adding the budget tool file (Excel) to the application is only optional. In case of applying for the large grant amount, it is obligatory to add a detailed calculation of the budget to the application form in ETIS.

NB! It is important to justify why one is applying for this particular grant amount (small/large in case of starting and team grants).

How detailed should the budget be?

When applying for the small grant amount, the total budget for the first year of the project must be explained, showing the amount of general expenses and the division of personnel and research expenses (i.e. direct expenses). 1) Explanation of personnel costs should include names of staff members whose salary is covered from the grant, their workload in the institution (the workload in the project can also be mentioned). Students whose scholarship is (fully or partially) covered by the grant should also be listed under the personnel costs. A more detailed calculation of personnel costs can be added, but it is not mandatory. 2) Explanation of research costs should show the names of other research staff members and external partners with whom it is planned to formalize contracts of services or authorisation agreements, and what is the approximate total of those expenses. Research costs must also include an approximate total cost related to travelling, publishing, purchase of fixed assets and other noteworthy costs that are considered research costs according to budget guidelines.

When applying for a large grant amount, the budget tab must be filled in based on the same instructions, but in addition, one must submit a detailed budget calculation, i.e. the calculation for the entire grant period in the budget table. The Excel of the budget must show that the entire grant period includes staff members who meet the requirements (including their names, their workloads in the institution), and whose monthly salary during their participation period is (at least partially) covered from the grant.

Please note that if the project is funded, then each year ETAG allocates the requested fixed grant amount, not the amount for the corresponding year indicated by the applicant in the budget table.

Has it been already determined how many projects with the different grant amounts (small/large) will be funded?

No, this has not been determined beforehand. When compiling the budget, one has to pay attention to that the grant amount applied for is justified and realistic for achieving the objectives of the project, and that all the requirements for applying for this grant amount have been met.

Applications are approved based on the ranking lists that have been formed by the Expert Panels and confirmed by the Evaluation Committee. When making the funding proposal, the Evaluation Committee will take into account the position of the application in the ranking list without skipping a single application, regardless of the grant amount. Funding proposals will be made until the funds are depleted.

Who can be remunerated from the grant?

In case of starting grants, the PI and the member(s) of the senior research staff have to be fully or partially remunerated from the grant.

In case of team grants, it is obligatory that the member(s) of the senior research staff are fully or partially remunerated from the grant, and it is also allowed to pay the other research staff members.

To fill the requirements of remuneration, at least a part of the monthly salary (according to the employment contract between the member of the senior research staff and the institution) must be covered from the grant. Senior research staff members of the project are not allowed to be paid solely as a variable salary (i.e. bonuses), even if it is transferred monthly during their participation period. It is also not allowed to pay the senior research staff members on the basis of an authorisation agreement of a contract of services. Authorisation agreements or contracts of services can be used for paying to other members of the research staff or external partners (persons from other institutions or countries who contribute to the project episodically or on a smaller scale). Partners from the same institution can be compensated with a variable salary in the form of a boonus for the additional work done for the project. Also, a bonus can be paid to the senior research staff of the project, provided that their salary according to the employment contract is also covered from the grant.

Is there an upper limit to the number of senior and other research staff members involved in the project?

No, there is no numerical upper limit as long as all of them have tasks in the project and/or their work is related to the project. There is, however, a lower limit to the number of senior research staff members involved in the team grant.

Is it possible to apply for a smaller amount than the fixed grant amount?

Yes, the applicants of starting and team grants have the right to request a smaller amount than the fixed grant amount, but the amount has to be rounded up to a whole number.

If the large grant amount is applied for, then could the Council award the small grant amount instead?

No, the justification for and the elaboration on the grant amount (direct costs) will be evaluated on the basis of the objectives of the project as well as on the methods and/or specifics of the research field. If the budget has not been justified well enough, then it will have an impact on the score of the application, which could mean that, since the competition is tough, the application will not be approved.

Applying for the postdoctoral grant

How is the date of obtaining the doctoral degree calculated?

In call of 2024, the date of obtaining the first doctoral degree in the research field in which the application is to be processed cannot be earlier than 1 January 2019. The date of obtaining the doctoral degree is the date in the respective document issued by the awarding body.

If the applicant has been on pregnancy, maternity or parental leave, or in compulsory military service, or there have been other exceptional circumstances (e.g., serious illness) after obtaining his/her first doctoral degree, the period of qualification is extended by the corresponding period in full months and is rounded up to the higher number of months.

The applicant who does not have a doctoral degree at the time of submitting the application may submit the application, provided that the applicant will obtain the doctoral degree or equivalent qualification before 1 January of the year the project is scheduled to begin.

If the applicant does not have a doctoral degree at the time of submitting the application, then the time when the doctoral degree is expected to be obtained has to be specified in the application. It is advisable to contact the Council in order to make sure that you are eligible to apply in this call. It will not be necessary to submit an application for making an exception.

Can the postdoctoral fellow who has been awarded the postdoctoral grant receive additional funding from the institution or from the collaborating institution?

The postdoctoral fellow can neither be the PI or the member of the (senior) research staff of another research project funded by the Council. When it comes to receiving additional funding from other sources, then the Council does not impose any restrictions in this respect.

What should one do if he/she simultaneously applies for funding from different funding instruments (e.g., the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant, etc.) and receives funding for more than one project?

If the topics of the postdoctoral projects coincide, then the applicant has to choose one of them. The same project cannot be financed from different sources.

What is the institution? What is the collaborating institution?

The institution is an Estonian R&D institution that will enter into an employment contract with the postdoctoral fellow. The collaborating institution is the foreign R&D institution where the project will be carried out. The grant will be allocated to the Estonian institution (not to the collaborating institution).

Can a person who has obtained the doctoral degree in Estonia apply for the grant to carry out the postdoctoral project at an Estonian R&D institution?

No, the applicant who has been awarded the doctoral degree by an Estonian R&D institution cannot apply for the postdoctoral grant to carry out the project in Estonia. If the applicant wishes to implement the postdoctoral project partially in Estonia, then it has to be highlighted in the application and its necessity has to be justified. It is also necessary to clearly indicate the time period(s) of staying in Estonia as well as the activities undertaken in Estonia (e.g., in the Gantt chart).

Can a foreign citizen who has obtained the doctoral degree in Estonia apply for the outgoing postdoctoral grant?

Yes, they can.

Are there any temporal restrictions regarding the postdoctoral project, e.g., in case the postdoctoral project begins earlier than the results of the call become available?

Even if the Evaluation Committee has made the funding proposal, then until the directive of the Management of the Council to award the grant has been signed, this is at the applicant’s own risk. The start date of the postdoctoral project can be postponed, but the projects that have received funding in call 2024 have to begin no later than on 1 July 2025. In justified cases, it is possible to request a later start date of the project, but in this case the end date of the project will not be extended and the allocated grant amount will be smaller according to the number of the months passed. The start date of the postdoctoral project is the first day of the month and the end date is the last day of the month.

What information should the letter of confirmation from the collaborating institution include?

The letter of confirmation has to be addressed to the Council. It has to contain a confirmation by the collaborating institution and by the postdoctoral supervisor that:

the supervisor is familiar with the topic and with the period of the postdoctoral project and is willing to supervise the postdoctoral fellow on this topic and during this period;
the supervisor and the collaborating institution are aware that the postdoctoral fellow will implement the project (at least partially) in the country where the collaborating institution is situated;
if the application will be approved, the postdoctoral fellow will have a place of work, necessary equipment, and access to the necessary information and research infrastructure.

It is also advisable to add a short description of the planned tasks that the postdoctoral fellow will undertake at the collaborating institution.

The letter should be signed by the supervisor and/or by an authorised representative of the collaborating institution.

What should be taken into account when describing the impact of the project on the development of the research career of the postdoctoral fellow?

When describing the development of the research career of the postdoctoral fellow, it should be considered if the project includes the following aspects:

- gaining experiences through new methods and methodology, and working with new instruments;
- participating in seminars and (training) courses at the collaborating institution;
- transferable skills, incl. compiling a project or patent application, leading a project or a research team, supervising students, public speaking, entrepreneurship, etc.

Can the postdoctoral project have more than one supervisor?

Yes, in justified cases (e.g., in case of an interdisciplinary project) the postdoctoral fellow can have more than one supervisor. The CV of the co-supervisor(s) can be added as a separate file under the tab “Additional information”. The co-supervisor(s) will not be evaluated.

Is it possible to remunerate the supervisor of the postdoctoral project from the grant?

Yes, it is possible to use some of the grant money for remunerating the supervisor. In addition to remunerating the supervisor, the collaborating institution may also ask the postdoctoral fellow to reimburse other costs. The applicant should find out which costs (e.g., bench fee) the collaborating institution expects him/her to cover as soon as possible. The ways for covering these costs have to be arranged with the (Estonian) institution beforehand.

Applying for the starting grant

How is the date of obtaining the doctoral degree calculated?

In 2024, researchers who have obtained the doctoral degree between 1 January 2018 and 1 January 2023 are eligible to apply. The date of obtaining the doctoral degree is the date in the respective document issued by the awarding body.

If the applicant has been on pregnancy, maternity or parental leave, or in compulsory military service after obtaining his/her first doctoral degree, then the period of qualification is extended by the corresponding period in full months and is rounded up to the higher number of months.

See also the question “Can only officially formalized parental leave be considered as a period of absence from research?” above.

Is previous research experience in a foreign country the prerequisite for applying for the starting grant?

The applicant of the starting grant needs to have acquired research experience (e.g., as a postdoctoral fellow, researcher at an R&D institution or at a research-intensive enterprise, etc.) after obtaining his/her doctoral degree in a different country than the one he/she has obtained the doctoral degree from or outside an R&D institution as a researcher at a research-intensive enterprise in the same country. Based on the respective application (submitted together with the application under the tab “Additional information”), the Evaluation Committee may deem an applicant to meet the requirements if, stemming from the specifics of the research, e.g., in case of healthcare practitioners, it has not been possible to fulfil the aforementioned mobility requirements.

NB! It is advisable to consult with the Council before applying for the exception.

Can a doctoral student be involved in the starting grant project as a member of the other research staff?

In case of starting grants, the doctoral students must be members of the senior research staff.

In case the starting project plans to include a young researcher who has not been immatriculated as a doctoral student by the time of submitting the application, can we list them in the application as a senior research staff member?

No, a person planning to start doctoral studies can only be listed as a member of other research staff in the application.

Applying for the team grant

Are there any restrictions for applying for the team grant in call 2024?

In 2024, a person cannot apply for the team grant if he/she is the PI of a research project funded by the Council that will continue in 2025 or last longer than that. Members of the senior research staff of ongoing projects funded by the council cannot apply for the team grant if their participation period will continue in 2025 or last longer than that.

Do the members of the senior research staff need to have a valid employment contract with the applicant’s institution?

The researchers who work at other Estonian R&D institutions may also participate as the members of the (senior) research staff. Their remuneration and the research costs of the project shall be agreed upon between the PI, the institution, and the institution(s) where the members of the (senior) research staff are employed.

Can a doctoral student who is going to obtain the doctoral degree in the near future be listed as the member of the senior research staff in the application?

If there is a wish to include students who will obtain their doctoral degree in the future, then they have to be listed as the members of the other research staff in the application. It is also possible to explain that they will be involved in the project as the members of the senior research staff once they have received their doctoral degrees, however, they are not considered to meet the requirements of senior research staff in the application.

Can a specialist of a particular field who does not have a doctoral degree (e.g., a doctor) be included as the member of the senior research staff in the application?

No, that is not possible.

Evaluation of the applications

The applications are processed and the ranking lists compiled in the Expert Panels which represent seven R&D (sub-)fields in accordance with the categorisation of the OECD Frascati Manual (2015) classification of research and development (R&D) fields. Depending on field-specific differences, the number of the applications, etc., there could be one or several Expert Panels in one field. The funding decisions will be made in seven fields:

Natural sciences
- Exact sciences
- Biological and environmental sciences
Engineering and technology
Medical and health sciences
Agricultural and veterinary sciences
Social sciences
Humanities and the arts

The applicant can choose the Expert Panel that they prefer for evaluation of their application. It is also possible to list different (sub-)fields and show their percentages. However, the Evaluation Committee may decide that another Expert Panel is more suitable for processing the application, i.e., the preference chosen in the application may not necessarily be taken into account.

Each application will be reviewed by at least three independent experts and ranking lists will be confirmed based on combined evaluations. Individual reviews serve as working tools for the committees and as such will not be made available to the applicants. Reviews are the input for discussion of the panel meeting, based on which the preliminary final evaluation will be combined. The experts can see the reviews of other experts only after submitting their own review. Based on the discussion during the panel meeting, reviewers will form a consensual evaluation, which may not reflect each reviewers’ individual ratings. For this reason, the applicant will receive the most accurate feedback for their application from the combined evaluation. The combined evaluation which will be made available for the applicant as the preliminary final evaluation. The applicant will be informed of the preliminary decision and their place in the ranking list. This will be the basis for the hearing. The applications that have received the funding proposal and applications that have been assigned to the waiting list shall be forwarded to be evaluated by the Expert Panel on Research Ethics and Data Management.

What is the threshold?

Since call 2023, numerical quality threshold is no longer in use. The applications with a final score lower than 80% of the maximum score do not qualify for funding, regardless of their field. However, the qualification threshold on the nine-point differentiated rating scale (grades 1–5) is 3 (good).

NB! If you have applied for the same grant type before from the Council and you are not certain whether this application passed the threshold or not, please contact the Council beforehand in order to make sure that you are eligible to apply in this call.

How will confidentiality be guaranteed when evaluating the applications?

The grant applications are visible in ETIS only to a very limited number of people. In order to process the applications, authorised employees working at the Council and at the R&D institutions have access to the applications. In order to evaluate the applications, the members of the Evaluation Committee, members of the field-specific Expert Panels, and the reviewers have access to the applications. All the aforementioned people have to sign an authorisation agreement, the integral part of which is the declaration confirming confidentiality and the absence of any conflict of interest.

NB! The people evaluating the applications will not gain access to the applications before signing the declaration. If someone has declared a conflict of interest or the conflict of interest with one or more applications has become evident, then no access to this/these application(s) will be granted in ETIS, i.e., this person will neither be able see the application, the additional materials attached to it, nor the evaluation results.

NB! In case of reasonable doubt concerning the conflict of interest or breach of confidentiality, the applicant shall inform the Council immediately.

If the project receives funding

What is meant by the requirement to “adhere to the principles of research ethics during the implementation of the project”?

NB! First of all, please make sure that you are familiar with the principles of the Estonian Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. It is also necessary to familiarise yourself with the relevant documents at your institution (if present).

The applicants are required to consider and describe all ethical issues involved in the proposed project already during the application phase. The applicants have to consider the ethical risks of any procedure involving human participation, the collection and use of personal data, and animal testing. The description of the principles of research ethics must specify how the principles of voluntary participation, informed consent, and confidentiality will be followed, and how the well-being of the subjects will be guaranteed.

If the applicant believes that no ethical issues will arise during the implementation of the project, then this, too, has to be explained in the application. In order to assess the various potential aspects of research ethics in the project, it is advisable to take the relevant guidelines into account. The ethics guidelines can be found on the website of the Council.

It is also necessary to clearly state already in the application if the project requires a licence from a specific ethics committee. If you are not certain whether the licence is necessary or not, please contact the research ethics advisor of your institution or the ethics committee.

The panel on research ethics and data management may prescribe conditions that have to be fulfilled and complied with during the implementation of the project.

NB! The ethics committee licence has to meet all the following requirements:

1) the licence has been issued for implementing this particular project,

2) the licence has been issued to the applicant/PI, to the member of the senior research staff, or to the supervisor,

3) the licence is valid during the period of the project.

By which date is it necessary to present the licence from a specific ethics committee?

If the relevant licences have been obtained by the application deadline, then they should be attached to the application. In other cases, the licences have to be submitted no later than prior to the beginning of the respective research. If the licence from the specific ethics committee has not been submitted prior to the beginning of the respective research, then the Council is entitled to revoke the decision of approving the application and terminate the grant contract.

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. It is important to be certain if the project necessitates compliance with the Nagoya Protocol before submitting the application. If human genetic resources will be used, then the Nagoya Protocol does not apply to the project. If it becomes apparent that the planned R&D activities are related to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge and therefore necessitate compliance with the Nagoya Protocol, then it will be necessary to declare the due diligence declaration in the international database DECLARE. If the project that necessitates compliance with the Nagoya Protocol is funded, then the due diligence declaration has to be submitted to the Council in the final report at the latest. The due diligence declaration is necessary for gaining access to genetic resources. Should you wish to discuss whether your research and research objects necessitate compliance with the Nagoya Protocol, please contact a Research Funding Officer working at the Council or a contact person working at the Ministry of the Environment before submitting the application.

The guidance document on the scope of application and core obligations of Regulation (EU) No 511/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the compliance measures for users from the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation in the Union was adopted on 14 December 2020. The overview of the conditions for applicability of the EU ABS regulation can be found in Annex I. Specific guidance on the concept of utilisation is presented in Annex II.

Are there any restrictions regarding the workload of the PI at the institution? Is it possible to change the workload of the PI during the project?

The PI of the team project may, in exceptional cases, have a less than a full-time employment contract at the institution. Changing the workload of the PI has to be agreed upon with the Council before submitting the request, which has to be confirmed by the institution, to the Council. What should be taken into consideration is that the Council may decide to continue funding the project at a lower rate if the workload of the PI has reduced.

The PI of the starting project may have a less than a full-time employment contract at the institution if he/she simultaneously works part-time for another employer in Estonia to achieve the objectives of the project (e.g., working simultaneously as a healthcare practitioner).

Can the PI be replaced?

The PI of the starting project cannot be replaced. In justified cases, it is possible to request the replacement of the PI of the team project with a member of the senior research staff of the project. In order to do that, the PI and the institution have to submit a well-reasoned request to the Council.

Can the project be temporarily suspended?

Grant projects can be temporarily suspended upon receiving a justified request from the PI, which has also been confirmed by the institution. The request has to be submitted to the Management of the Council prior to the beginning of the suspension period (the start date and the expected end date in full months). It is not possible to suspend the project retrospectively. The PI can request the temporary suspension of the project in case of pregnancy, maternity or parental leave, compulsory military service, or in case of other exceptional circumstances for up to three years. The grant contract will be suspended for the temporary suspension period of the project.

Can the ratio of direct costs differ over the years?

Yes, it can. The activities and direct costs of the project are to be described in the application for the first year of the project, but the distribution of the direct costs may change from year to year. The ratio of direct costs may be changed up to 20% (of the annual grant sum) without making a contractual amendment. If the changes exceed that, then the changes must first be agreed upon with the Council. The budget allocations may be transferred from one year’s budget to another year if this is in accordance with the accounting regulations of the institution.