Call for Basic Research opens in April 2016.

Updated regulations are available on the following link (Government regulation N84, amendments in regulation N148 dated 29.03.2016)

Call for Basic Research 2016 aims at gaining new knowledge in various scientific fields. The Call for Proposals is oriented on theoretical and experimental analysis of the developments, facts, theories, models, new ideas and concepts that should support socio-political, economic, public, cultural and information-technological progress of the country in a long-term perspective. Research developed under this call should not necessarily bring commercial benefit. The call for Basic Research supports creation of competitive research environment, approximation of research activities to International standards and internationalization, supports integration of research and higher education, fostering the career development of young scientists by means of their Involvement in research projects.

Basic research call 2016 is open in various scientific fields: 

a) Natural Sciences:

a.a) Mathematics;

a.b) Information Technologies;

a.c) Physical Sciences;

a.d) Chemical Sciences;

a.e) Earth and Environmental Sciences;

a.f) Biological Sciences;

a.g) Other natural sciences;

 b) Engineering and Technology:

b.a) Civil Engineering;

b.b) Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering;

b.c) Mechanical Engineering;

b.d) Chemical Technology;

b.e) Materials Technology;

b.f) Medical Technology;

b.g) Environmental Study Engineering;

b.h) Ecological Biotechnology;

b.i) Industrial Biotechnology;

b.j) Nano-technology;

b.k) Other engineering technologies;

 c) Medical Sciences:

c.a) Basic Medicine;

c.b) Clinical Medicine

c.c) Health Sciences;

c.d) Medical Biotechnology;

c.e) Other medical fields;

d) Agricultural Sciences:

d.a) Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries;

d.b) Livestock and Dairy;

d.c) Veterinary Sciences;

d.d) Agricultural Biotechnologies;

d.e) Other agricultural sciences;

 e) Social Sciences:

e.a) Psychology;

e.b) Economics and Business;

e.c) Education Sciences;

e.d) Sociology;

e.e) Law;

e.f) Political Sciences;

e.g) Social and Economic Geography;

e.h) Media and Communication;

e.i) Other social sciences;

f) Humanities:

f.a) History and Archeology;

f.b) Languages and Literature;

f.c) Philosophy, Ethics and Religion;

f.d) Arts (arts, history of arts, performing arts, music);

f.e) Other Humanities;

g) Georgian Studies.

 

The foundation will only consider institutional grant proposals.

Eligibility:

• Leading and/or co-participating organizations – Legal Entities of Public Law, established in accordance to the Georgian legislation, non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities registered in Georgia, aiming at developing scientific research; the higher educational institutions. Together with leading organization, co-participating organization provides project key personnel and support personnel with the material-technical base described in the project. Apart from an organization’s accounting process, co-participating organization performs grant accounting and other responsibilities under the grant agreement;   

• Key personnel – individuals funded to carry out the main tasks of the proposed project. The ‘Key Personnel’ can be Master’s students, PhD students, applicants having Master’s degree or PhD or an equivalent degree;
• Support personnel – persons employed under the project, supporting key personnel in dealing with technical issues;

Proposed project should be led by a Principal Investigator (PI) – key personnel of the project, citizen of Georgia with PhD or an equivalent degree. PI coordinates the project implementation and all the related research. She/he is responsible for the project’s scientific outcomes, as well as the administration and reporting.

Proposed project should involve a coordinator – individual from the key personnel, involved in the project administration processes, responsible for the project management and organizational issues.

 

Restrictions on submission of proposals for the Basic Research Call 2016:

1. A person regarded as ’Key Personnel’ cannot simultaneously participate in more than 2 funded projects as part of Applied Research Call, Basic Research Call and a Collaborative Research Project Call (compatriots call).

1. Principal Investigator (PI) - cannot simultaneously lead more than one funded project as part of Applied Research Call, Basic Research Call and a Collaborative Research Project Call (compatriots call).

1. It is not acceptable to propose projects for Basic Research Call, which contradict the rules indicated in points 1 and 2 above.

Explanation to the restrictions on proposal submission for the Basic Research Call 2016:

• An applicant regarded as ‘Principal Investigator’ cannot simultaneously propose more than one project for the Basic Research Call.

• An applicant regarded as ‘Key Personnel’ cannot simultaneously participate in more than two funded project as part of Basic Research Call.

• An applicant regarded as ‘Principal Investigator’ can participate and lead one project only if 1) he/she is NOT Principal Investigator at one ongoing SRNSF funded project as part of Applied Research Call, Basic Research Call and a Collaborative Research Project Call (compatriots call). 2) An applicant is Principal Investigator of one winning project as part of Applied Research Call, Basic Research Call and a Collaborative Research Project Call (compatriots call), but the project ends in September 1, 2016. For example, an applicant regarded as ‘PI’ cannot participate in the Basic Research Call if previously funded scientific project completes after September 1, 2016. 

• An applicant regarded as ‘Key Personnel’ can participate in the Call if he/she is NOT a Key Personnel at one ongoing SRNSF funded project as part of Applied Research Call, Basic Research Call and a Collaborative Research Project Call (compatriots call).

• An applicant regarded as ‘Key Personnel’ can participate in one funded project if he/she is a Key Personnel at two ongoing SRNSF funded project as part of Applied Research Call, Basic Research Call and a Collaborative Research Project Call (compatriots call), but one of the two projects completes in September 1, 2016.

• An applicant regarded as ‘Key Personnel’ can participate in two funded project if he/she is a Key Personnel at one ongoing SRNSF funded project as part of Applied Research Call, Basic Research Call and a Collaborative Research Project Call (compatriots call), but the project completes in September 1, 2016.

Proposed projects’ evaluation is outsourced to the international independent experts. Therefore, project proposals and relevant documentation must be submitted in two languages – Georgian and English. It is essential to prepare high quality English translation of the project proposals. English version of the proposals are sent to the international experts for evaluation. Applicants (PI and the leading institution) are responsible for the quality of English translation.

Applicant must provide the following translated documents in English:

1. Application form/ Project’s cover page;
2. Project proposal;
3. Project summary;
4. Project budget;
5. Project implementation timeframe;
6. CVs of key personnel and a foreign partner/Consultant of the project (if applicable);
7. Leading organization summary;
8. Summary of the previously funded, completed scientific project.

 

It is NOT mandatory to translate the following documents:

1. Registration certificate of the leading organization;
2. Regulations of the leading organization;
3. Registration certificate of co-participating organization;
4. Regulation of co-participating organization;
5. Documents proving academic degrees of the key personnel;
6. Letter of approval of co-funding by individual or legal entity, and related legal documents.

 

Overall evaluation scores are calculated based on the evaluation received from the independent international experts.   

The project evaluation criteria

Principal Investigator of the project must submit electronic versions of the following documents (preliminary forms):

1. Application form /Project cover page
2. Project proposal
3. CVs of key personnel of the project and a foreign partner/Consultant of the project (If applicable)
4. Project budget
5. Project implementation timeframe
6. Project summary/Abstract (maximum 250 words in English, maximum 350 words in Georgian)
7. Summary of the previously funded scientific project of the principal investigator completed over  3 years by (maximum 400 words in English, maximum 600 words in Georgian)
8. Documents showing academic degrees of the key personnel
9. Leading organization summary
10. The legal documents of leading organization (statute, registration certificate, bank details)
11. The legal documents of co-participating organization (statute, registration certificate, bank details)
12. Letter of approval of co-funding by individual or legal entity (registration certificate, bank details). If co-funding organization or individual is a citizen of a foreign country, he/she must present the notary certified Georgian translation of the documents.

The Call administration schedule:

• Call Announcement:
• Call Opening: April
• Info days: April, May (dates will be announced once the call opens)
• The deadline for submitting questions online: May
• Date of opening  electronic registration: May
• Deadline of submitting electronic proposals: May
• The deadline for submitting proposals (hard copy) at the foundation office: May
• Technical expertise: June
• Evaluation by independent international experts: June, July, August
• Announcement of the call results: September.

 

Basic Research Call 2016 coordinators:

• Nino Gachechiladze gachechiladze@rustaveli.org.ge
• Vazha Lomidze vlomidze@rustaveli.org.ge
• Lasha Kelikhashvili kelikhashvili@rustaveli.org.ge
• Ketevan Gabitashvili gabitashvili@rustaveli.org.ge

Please consider, that the foundation will publish project submission forms (project proposal, budget, project implementation schedule, CV template, project summary and previous grant summary) on SRNSF website in April, on the date of call opening.

Candidates must prepare the projects in accordance to the forms specified on the date of the call opening! 

The foundation will publish the detailed instructions for project registration and answers to the frequently asked questions on SRNSF website once the call is open.