FAQ Call 2023 - 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. FAQ is not an official document and not all the important details have been covered here. The applications will be processed and evaluated only 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.

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 the case of postdoctoral grants, one grant amount is distinguished, and the fixed amount is 72 000 euros per year.
A person can also apply for the starting grant if after obtaining his/her doctoral degree they have gained experience outside an R&D institution as a researcher at a research-intensive enterprise in the same country. Additionally, 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 mobility requirements.
The grant amounts III and IV can only be applied for the starting projects where the research team includes at least one member of the senior research staff who is employed at the institution with the workload of at least 0.2.
In 2023 call, numerical quality threshold that iso different in each field is no longer in use. However, applications with a final score lower than 80% of the maximum score do not qualify for funding.
Applications that have received a preliminary funding proposal from The Evaluation Committee along with applications on the waiting list (if needed) are evaluated in the Panel on Research Ethics and Data Management. The panel has the right to ask the applicant for further explanations during the evaluation.
Research ethics and data management are evaluated in separate criteria using an undifferentiated rating scale.
NB! In 2023 call, the application forms of starting and team grants contain automatic checks of technical details. If the application contains an error, the application cannot be confirmed before this error is fixed. Therefore, please give yourself enough time for the confirmation of the application!

Compiling the application

Who can submit an application?

A researcher who has a doctoral degree and has received consent from a positively evaluated Estonian R&D institution can submit the grant application.

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

In 2023, 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 2024.

The members of the senior research staff and other research staff of ongoing projects cannot apply for team grant if their participation will conitinue in 2024. 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 an employment contract with the applicant.

How many applications can the same person submit?

One can simultaneously apply for only one grant.

In how many applications can the same person be listed?

The same person cannot be listed in any other grant application in the same call, except when his/her participation periods in different projects do not coincide.

Who can be listed as the other members of the research staff 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 listed as the other members of the research staff. It is not possible to include people with a doctoral degree who are conducting fundamental or applied research, or development activities, and in the case of a starting grants also doctoral students as the 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, since most of the reviewers evaluating the applications are from foreign countries.

What should be described in the section for research data management?

The applicants should first familiarise themselves with the principles of data management adopted by their institution and complete a data management course at their institution. The guidelines provided on the website of the University of Tartu Library are helpful for filling in the section for data management.

What is the data management plan and when does it have to be submitted?

The data management plan consists of a detailed description on the creation, management, collection, and preservation of data during the period of the project. The PI of the funded project has to submit the data management plan during the first six months of the project. It is advisable to use the form which can be found on the website of the Council.

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 2023, since 2013). 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 the status can be selected in ETIS 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.

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, 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.

NB! Please keep your ETIS CV public and up to date!

Is the workload of the PI and of the member(s) of the senior research staff that has to be included in the starting and team grant applications their workload in the project?

No, it is necessary to include only the workload that the PI and the member(s) of the senior research staff have at the institution according to their employment contract. During the implementation of the project the workload of the PI must be 1.0 except in justified cases with the approval of the Evaluation Committee. The minimum workload that the participants of the team project can have at the institution is 0.2 (one day per week). If applying for the team grant with the grant amount III or IV, then the research team has to include at least three members of the senior research research staff who are employed at the institution with the workload of at least 0.5. If applying for the starting grant with the grant amount III or IV, then the research team has to include at least one member of the senior research research staff who is employed at the institution with the workload of at least 0.2. The contribution of the PI and of the member(s) of the senior research staff has to be described in the application and it could be taken into account when evaluating the applications.

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 is meant by disseminating the results of the project to the public?

It is important to differentiate between dissemination that is aimed at the academic world (both within a particular discipline as well as among other disciplines) and at the public.

The need for disseminating the results of research projects is related to the expectations of the state and the society, aiming to make the research funded with public money more transparent and raise public awareness. Different mediums can be used for disseminating research findings outside academia – social media, websites, newspaper and magazine articles, books and textbooks, public appearances, and audiovisual aids. The dissemination of research findings helps people understand how research can have a positive impact on their life and on the society as a whole. It also encourages the creation of new forms of cooperation with other researchers and with enterprises and demonstrates the importance of high-quality research to decision-making and funding bodies.

NB! Please think about and describe how and to which target groups the research will be disseminated during the entire period of the project already in the application as well as if and which costs will accompany the dissemination activities.

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

The only files that can be attached to the justification part of the application in ETIS are as follows:

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.

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.

NB! The additional files 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).

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

Only the materials of administrative nature (proofs, letters of confirmation, etc.) and the budget tool in English if applying for the grant amount III or IV can be added.

NB! Materials that contain text describing or explaining the project must not be added.

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 into four fixed grant amounts (I-IV).

How to distinguish between I and II grant amounts or III and IV grant amounts?

There are no separate conditions for distinguishing the I and II grant amounts or the III and IV grant amounts. In this case, the choice of the grant amount depends on the specifics of the project (the specifics of some projects require a slightly larger grant).

How detailed should the budget be?

It is important to justify the amount of the estimated staff costs (why is it necessary to involve this particular number of senior or other members of the research staff, i.e., to what extent will their salary or scholarship be covered by the grant and what are their roles and tasks, incl. the role of the students involved in the project, etc.) and the amount of research costs, incl., the costs for conducting the experiments. It is also necessary to objectively justify why one is applying for this particular grant amount (I-IV in case of starting and team grants).

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.

In case of applying for the grant amounts I and II, adding the PDF file of the budget tool to the application is only optional. In case of applying for the grant amounts III and IV, it is obligatory to add a detailed calculation of the budget to the application form in ETIS, i.e., the filled-in PDF file in English.

In the budget table, the names of the participants of the project have to be mentioned. The salary for the members of the research staff can either be provided so that their names have been listed separately (e.g., in year x, the salary for the member of the senior research staff y will be covered by the grant in the extent of 80% in the sum X, etc.) or so that the salary for the participants have been grouped together (members of the senior research staff, other members of the research staff (academic and non-academic staff), other members of the research staff (students), e.g., the annual salary (incl. taxes) for the three members of the senior research staff X, Y, and Z all together is the sum x. In any case, it is necessary to mention to what extent the salary for each of the participants of the project will be covered by the grant.

Has it been already determined how many projects with the different grant amounts (I-IV) will be funded?

No, this has not been determined beforehand. The applications of the same grant type (starting, and team grant) will compete with each other in the same (sub-)field-specific ranking list. 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.

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.

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

Yes, in justified cases, 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 grant amount III or IV is applied for, then could the Council award the grant amount I or II 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 2023, 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 2018. 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 2023 have to begin no later than on 1 July 2024. 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 2023, researchers who have obtained the doctoral degree between 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2022 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.

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, 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

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?

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

Applying for the team grant

Are there any restrictions for applying for the team grant in call 2023?

In 2023, 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 2024 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 2024 or last longer than that.

Do the members of the senior research staff need to have a valid employment contract with the same 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 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.

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 scientific content of the applications will be evaluated by international Expert Panels. Each application will be evaluated by at least three independent experts and the ranking lists will be compiled based on the combined evaluations. The reviews written by the experts will not be disclosed to the applicants, since the reviews function as the working tools of the Panel. The Council will make the preliminary evaluation and the position of the application in the ranking list, which serve as the basis for the hearing, known to the applicant.

In which research fields will the applications be processed?

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 research field(s) under which the application belongs has/have to be listed in the application. It is also possible to list different (sub-)fields and show their percentages as well as to choose the preferred Expert Panel. However, the Evaluation Committee may decide which Expert Panel should process which application, i.e., the preference chosen in the application may not be taken into account.

What is the threshold?

Since call 2023, numerical quality threshold is no longer in use. However, applications with a final score lower than 80% of the maximum score do not qualify for funding.

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.

When can the project begin?

The earliest start date of the funded projects is 1 January 2024. In justified cases, the starting grant and team projects can begin later than on 1 January 2024, but in this case the end date of the project will not be extended. 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.

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.