Research grant applications to VR − principles, procedures and kSEK

G. Ingelman: VR grant applications 1

Informal information & discussion seminar 2011-02-16

Physics & Astronomy, UU

Gunnar Ingelman, chairman grant committee NT-MN

Per Nordblad, chairman grant committee NT-NO

Welcoming information/news from faculty …

• recruitment committee, Hans Siegbahn

• research secretaries Sofia Wretblad, Ylva Bäcklund, Ulrika Huss-Melin

VR = VetenskapsRådet = Swedish Research Council

G. Ingelman: VR grant applications 2

NT = Natural science & Technology Budget 1 GSEK

Budget 4.2 GSEK

VR support categories

G. Ingelman: VR grant applications 3

Support categories MSEK # positions & stipends

Young researchers

Senior researchers

VR support to fields & universities

G. Ingelman: VR grant applications 4

NT-rådet = Scientific Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences

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9 members, active researchers chosen by the research community for 3-year period (+ possible 3-year extension).

Chairman: Svante Björk (geology, Lund)

Bengt Andersson (chemical reaction technology, Chalmers)

Olle Eriksson (theoretical magnetism, Uppsala)

Olle Häggström (mathematical statistics, Chalmers)

Ellen Moons (material physics, Karlstad)

Elisabeth Rachlew (fusion/plasma physics, KTH)

Anders Rantzer (automatic control (reglerteknik), Lund)

Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede (biological chemistry, Umeå)

Susanne Åkesson (zoological ecology, Lund)

Secretary general: Sven Stafström (computational physics, Linköping)

19 evaluation panels (~250 researchers) …

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… assess and prioritise research applications

+ observers from the Council that supervise evaluation work

NT-L Semiconductor Physics, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, PhotonicsSemiconductor Physics, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Photonics, Electrophysics, Electrical Measurement and Instrumentation, Electric Power Technology

NT-MN Subatomic Physics, Astrophysics, Space Physics and FusionAstroparticle Physics, Astrophysics, Elementary particle physics, Fusion, Mathematical physics, Nuclear physics, Radiation physics, Relativity theory and cosmology, Space physics

NT-NO Atomic and Molecular Physics and Condensed Matter PhysicsAtomic physics, Chemical physics, Cluster physics, Condensed matter physics, Magnetics, Molecular physics, Nanoscience, Optics, Plasma physics, Quantum information, Quantum liquids and quantum materials, Statistical physics, Structural and vibrational physics, Superconduction

NT-P Engineering PhysicsChemical Physics, Magnetism, Super-conduction, Electronic Structure, Structural and Vibration Physics, Low-temperature Physics, Macromolecular Physics, Mesoscopic Physics, Optics, Computational Physics, Statistical Physics, Non-linear Dynamics, Chaos, Biological Physics

NT-Q Materials ScienceMaterial Chemistry, Polymeric Materials, Ceramics, Glass, Metallic Materials, Surface and Colloid Physics, Metallurgical Process and Production Technology, Material Structure, Material Production and Processing, Heat Treatment, Surface Coating, Corrosion, Material Characterisation, Design of Materials, Properties of Materials, Atomic Computations, Thermodynamics, Diffusion, Phase Transformations, Physical and Mechanical Metallography

NT-MN

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Evaluation panel with 14 members to cover theory & experiments in

nuclear & particle physics, astroparticle physics, astrophysics, mathematical physics, relativity, cosmology

+ space physics & fusion (since 2009)

Task: check/grade 120 applications: 70 projects,

26 research assistant,

18 equipment/operation/planning

Each application reviewed by 3 members up to 35 applications/member (no external experts)

NT-MN project applications: grades & priorities

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No Name Mean grade

1-5

Variance Mean ranking

1-10

Internal grade 1 - 7

Grade1 - 5

Priority1 - 5

Amount granted

2011

Amount granted

2012

Amount granted

2013

Amount granted

2014

Accum amount

2011

1 NN … 0,17 … 7 5 5 … … … … …2 NN … 0,27 … 7 5 5 … … … … …3 NN … 0,27 … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …16 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …17 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … ...18 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …19 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …20 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …21 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …… … … … … … … … … … … … …… NN … … … … 3 3 … … … … …… NN … … … … 2 2 … … … … …70 NN … … … … 1 1 … … … … …

5=outstanding/world leading4=excellent/national leading3=very good, 2=good,1=insufficient

5=highest , 4=high3=medium, 2=low, 1=rejected

• Competence of applicant• Quality of project• Feasibility of project

For young researchers, more based on potential !!

NT-MN project applications: budget allocation 2010

G. Ingelman: VR grant applications 9

No Name Mean grade

1-5

Variance Mean ranking

1-10

Internal grade 1 - 7

Grade1 - 5

Priority1 - 5

Amount granted

2011

Amount granted

2012

Amount granted

2013

Amount granted

2014

Accum amount

2011

1 NN … 0,17 … 7 5 5 … … … … …2 NN … 0,27 … 7 5 5 … … … … …3 NN … 0,27 … 6 4 4 1 100,0 1 100,0 1 100,0 1 100,0 …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 6 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …16 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …17 NN … … … 5 4 4 400,0 400,0 400,0 0,0 11 580,0

… … … 18 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …19 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …

… … … 21 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …23 NN … … … 5 4 4 … … … … …… NN … … … … 3 3 … … … … …… NN … … … … 2 2 … … … … …70 NN … … … … 1 1 … … … … …

New boundary conditions:• grant 300 kSEK (135 last year)• grant 700 kSEK (15% increase)

11.6 MSEK available for NT-MN

Maximum 17 grants possible !!

max

min

19/70 27% success rate

Reference group 3

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combines the 5 panels NT-L + NT-MN + NT-NO + NT-P + NT-Qrepresented by their chairpersons, also NT-board members

2010:

• 6.9 MSEK for projects (reshuffling/competition)

grant 690 kSEK 10 grants 2 grants/group

• 8.7 MSEK for 5-6 research assistant positions1 position/group + 1 extra to applicant within NT-MN

6 positions for 74 applications success rate 8%

NT-MN: time evolution of budget & grants

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Year Group Budget Extra LHCK Sum # grants grantkSEK

# foass

1997 NFR EP+N ~11

1998 NFR EP+N ~11

2003 NT-M 10.3 3 -- 13.3 24+9=33 400 2 or 3

2004 NT-M 15.5 1.8 -- 17.3 37+7=44 400 2

2006 NT-M 6.7 1.8 4.7 13.2 26+4=30 440 1 or 2

2009 NT-MN 13.2 1.5 6.6 21.3 26+7+4=37 580 3

2010 NT-MN 11.6 0.9 1.2 13.7 17+3+3=23 680 (600)

2

budget constant increased scope & overheadrequired grant increase

Note: fewer grants !!

NT 2010

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26% 23%

8%

10%

(2-3%)

VR grants to IFA @ UU

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Year Total amount # grants grant

2009 53 MSEK 95 560 kSEK

2010 61 MSEK 106 580 kSEK

IFA bokslut 2010

Prestation Intäkter MSEK

110 Grundutbildning 50.5

120 Uppdragsutbildning 7.8

210 Forskning/FU 93.3

220 Bidragsforskning 103.0

230 Uppdragsforskning 5.8

Totalt 260

59% from VR

News for VR applications 2011

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Project grants:

• more flexible; contain all kinds of project related costs,

e.g. salary for applicant

• grant duration max 5 years (previously usually 3 years)

• mean grant 800 kSEK (since 2010)

New employment rules VR cannot hire no VR-research-ass/researcher

Keep at least same support to young researchers 1/3 of yearly total grants for projects and postdocs within each

evaluation panel to be distributed among young researchers

• Postdoc (as before)

• Project grant for young researcher, new form of support

PhD exam max 7 years earlier, i.e. 2004— (modulo parental leave etc)

max 75% salary for applicant

Conclusions

G. Ingelman: VR grant applications 15

• … ?• … ?• … ?

Discussion… !!!