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UCD TOPMed10

Guide for Applicants for Call 1 (2015)

About this document This document presents main features of the UCD TOPMed10 Fellowship Programme and provides practical information for potential applicants on the application process, assessment procedure and conditions of employment. The information presented within this document is also available on the UCD TOPMed10 website (www.ucd.ie/topmed10).

1 UCD TOPMed10 Programme.........................................................................................................3

1.1 About UCD TOPMed10..........................................................................................................3

1.2 University College Dublin (UCD).............................................................................................3

1.3 Personalised Medicine...........................................................................................................3

1.4 Marie Curie............................................................................................................................4

2 Fellowship Details..........................................................................................................................5

2.1 Fellowship Categories............................................................................................................5

3 Eligibility Criteria............................................................................................................................6

3.1 Eligibility of applicants...........................................................................................................6

3.2 Eligibility of project proposals................................................................................................6

3.3 Eligibility of host organisations for outgoing phase...............................................................6

4 Selection of Fellows.......................................................................................................................7

4.1 Assessment Criteria – written proposal.................................................................................7

4.2 Assessment Criteria – interview.............................................................................................8

4.3 Selection Process...................................................................................................................9

4.3.1 Publication of the Fellowship Call..................................................................................9

4.3.2 Preparation of the Application.......................................................................................9

4.3.3 Submission of the applications......................................................................................9

4.3.4 Eligibility checking........................................................................................................10

4.3.5 International Peer-Review...........................................................................................10

4.3.6 Ranking of the applications..........................................................................................10This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 666010.

http://www.ucd.ie/topmed10

4.3.7 Interviews of top scoring candidates...........................................................................10

4.3.8 Fellowship offers for successful applicants..................................................................10

4.4 Redress Procedure...............................................................................................................11

5 Ethical Issues................................................................................................................................12

6 Intellectual Property Rights.........................................................................................................13

7 Employment Conditions..............................................................................................................14

7.1 Contractual arrangements...................................................................................................14

7.2 Financial aspects..................................................................................................................15

7.3 Rights and obligations..........................................................................................................15

7.4 Training and Career Development aspects..........................................................................16

7.4.1 Personal Development Plan.........................................................................................16

7.4.2 Mentoring....................................................................................................................16

7.4.3 UCD Research Skills and Career Development.............................................................17

7.5 Support for the Fellows.......................................................................................................18

7.5.1 UCD Support................................................................................................................18

7.5.2 EURAXESS Service Centre.............................................................................................18

7.5.3 Hosting Agreement (Researcher Visa Scheme)............................................................19

8 Information on processing personal data....................................................................................20

9 Relevant links...............................................................................................................................21

10 Contact details.........................................................................................................................22

11 Application Templates for Call 1 (2015)...................................................................................23

A. ONLINE APPLICATION REGISTRATION.........................................................................................24

B. PERSONAL DETAILS......................................................................................................................25

C. PROPOSAL DETAILS......................................................................................................................26

D. ETHICS.........................................................................................................................................27

E. RESEARCH PROPOSAL..................................................................................................................30

F. ACADEMIC CV TEMPLATE............................................................................................................33

2This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 666010.

1 UCD TOPMed10 Programme 1.1 About UCD TOPMed10UCD TOPMed10, Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND Action, is a new International Training and Career Development Fellowship Programme at University College Dublin (UCD). The Programme offers 10 prestigious Personalised Medicine Fellowships to experienced researchers. All Fellowships are based in UCD with an optional secondment at a partner organisation in academia or industry.

Training the next generation of leaders in Personalised Medicine

With an emphasis on interdisciplinary training and career support, TOPMed10 aims to serve as a blueprint for what biomedical training can look like in the future.

1.2 University College Dublin (UCD) University College Dublin has its origins in the mid-nineteenth century under the leadership of the renowned educationalist John Henry Cardinal Newman. Since its foundation in 1854, the University has flourished and made a unique and substantial contribution to the creation of modern Ireland, based on successful engagement with Irish society on every level and across every sphere of activity.

UCD is one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities; an environment where undergraduate education, masters and PhD training, research, innovation and community engagement form a dynamic spectrum of activity.

The international standing of UCD has grown in recent years; it is currently ranked within the top 1% of institutions world-wide. UCD is also Ireland's most globally engaged university with over 30,000 students drawn from over 120 countries, and includes 5,500 students based at locations outside of Ireland. The University's main Dublin campus occupies an extensive parkland estate of more than 130 hectares and offers world-leading facilities including the UCD O'Brien Centre for Science, UCD Sutherland School of Law, UCD Quinn School of Business and UCD Student Centre.

As Ireland's largest university, with its great strength and diversity of disciplines, UCD embraces its role to contribute to the flourishing of Ireland; through the study and discussion of people, society, business, economy, culture, languages and the creative arts, as well as through research and innovation. The University's Strategy 2015-2020 outlines the objectives and major strategic initiatives set in place in order to accomplish UCD's mission and vision for this era.

The TOPMed10 programme is hosted between a number of leading biomedical research centres based in UCD:

Systems Biology Ireland is an international leader in the application of computational and mathematical modeling to biomedical questions. Its research focuses on elucidating the basic principles of the design and function of biological signal transduction networks so as to design new therapeutic approaches based on a systems level, mechanistic understanding of biomolecular networks. To do this, the centre draws on the expertise of experimentalists, computational


http://www.ucd.ie/sbi

http://www.ucd.ie/studentcentre

http://www.ucd.ie/quinn

http://www.ucd.ie/law

http://www.ucd.ie/law

http://www.ucd.ie/science

http://www.ucd.ie/innovation

http://www.ucd.ie/research

http://www.ucd.ie/graduatestudies

http://www.ucd.ie/myucd

scientists, bioinformaticians, biostatisticians, physicists, engineers, software developers, chemists and clinicians.

SBI specialises in the development of new network based diagnostics and treatment strategies in cancer. Since its establishment in 2009, the centre has identified and validated new and promising therapeutic targets for treatment of breast cancer, melanoma, neuroblastoma, and colorectal cancer. The centre’s team of some 80 researchers from over 20 countries has secured ~€37 million in direct funding, supported 26 postgraduate fellows and 35 internships, established collaborations with >100 private and academic organisations worldwide; and published 198 original articles and 41 reviews.

UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research is the largest interdisciplinary Irish life science institute dedicated to the investigation of the molecular causes of diseases. The institute houses more than 450 research, technical and administrative staff amongst which are 120 postdoctoral and research fellows; making it Ireland’s largest postdoctoral training facility. The international flavour of the institute is boosted by the fact that over 50% of the 350 early career researchers who have trained in the Conway Institute in the past decade came from abroad. Key research areas include cancer and inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease.

Since its inception, the Conway Institute has sought to build critical mass in a number of well-funded, developing scientific disciplines which are supported by a world-class suite of technology platforms in areas of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics, flow cytometry and imaging.

Over the last 10 years, Conway Fellows have produced more than 3200 publications. More than 80 scientific publications by Conway researchers have been cited over 100 times. These highly cited studies have emerged from across the full range of scientific areas and reflect the world-class research taking place. Prof Des Higgins, Professor of Bioinformatics at the UCD Conway Institute and SBI, has over 100,000 total citations for his work on DNA sequence comparisons; making him the most cited Irish, and one of the most cited researchers in the world.

UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology is the only dermatology research institute in Ireland. It has a focus on skin inflammatory diseases and melanoma. In January 2014, Martin Steinhoff, a clinician scientist, was appointed to the Professorial Chair of Dermatology and Director of the Charles Institute. He joins UCD from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he was the Professor in Residence in the Departments of Dermatology and Surgery. At UCSF he established clinics for eczema and rosacea, a successful NIH-funded research group for neuroimmunology, and clinical trials on novel treatments for pruritus and atopic dermatitis.

Prof Steinhoff’s vision for the Charles Institute is to become a world leader in dermatology research and training in order to improve patient care through the discovery of molecular disease mechanisms that result in new diagnostic tools and therapies. Associated with the Charles Institute are two dermatology university clinics located in St Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH) linked via UCD Clinical Research Centre. This provides basic researchers with invaluable patient access for human studies and translational skin research. The Charles Institute is equipped to the highest standards with state-of-the-art laboratory


http://www.ucd.ie/charles/

http://www.ucd.ie/conway

space. Situated in the heart of the UCD Health Sciences Complex, researchers have full access to comprehensive and advanced analysis platforms for life sciences and biomedical research available in the Conway Institute and leading expertise in cellular signal transduction networks in SBI.

UCD Clinical Research Centre purpose-built clinical investigation and laboratory support facilities were established in 2006 at MMUH and in 2007 at SVUH, two of Ireland’s largest teaching hospitals. UCD CRC undertakes advanced research in a caring environment that aims to progress medical treatment for patients suffering from a wide range of illnesses. The approach to this research is truly a team effort with doctors, nurses, technicians, scientists and patients working together towards the common goal of developing new treatments and improving patient health.

Over 3,000 patients participate annually in research studies in areas such as cancer, dermatology and inflammatory arthritis. Core activities supported by UCD CRC include clinical research, clinical trials phases I-IV, population studies, bio-banking, data collection/handling, biostatistics and provision of training.

1.3 Personalised MedicineWidely considered as the future of medicine, Personalised Medicine is an approach to medical practice in which the individual aspects of a patient are directly considered to guide treatment planning, including his or her genetic make-up, key biomarkers, prior treatment history, environmental factors and behavioural preferences. This enables the development of personalised treatments and therapies as opposed to a ‘one size fits all’, trial and error approach.

Personalised Medicine is now coming into reach because of advances in high throughput –omics technologies and emerging disciplines such as computational modelling, molecular bioinformatics, biostatics, statistical genetics and clinical informatics.

A new generation of scientists and clinicians with interdisciplinary expertise is now required to harness these technologies and disciplines to produce tangible benefits for patients, practitioners and society in general.

1.4 Marie CurieThe Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA), named after the double Nobel Prize winning Polish-French scientist famed for her work on radioactivity, support researchers at all stages of their careers, irrespective of nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines, from life-saving healthcare to 'blue-sky' science, are eligible for funding. The MSCA also support industrial doctorates, combining academic research study with work in companies, and other innovative training that enhances employability and career development.

In addition to generous research funding, scientists have the possibility to gain experience abroad and in the private sector, and to complete their training with competences or disciplines useful for their careers. Internationally respected in industry and academia, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship is a recognised mark of research excellence.

Related Links


http://www.ucd.ie/medicine/ourresearch/researchenvironment/ucdclinicalresearchcentre

Testimonials from Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellows

Marie Curie Alumni Association


https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/

http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/media-library/testimonials/index_en.htm

2 Fellowship Details 2.1 Fellowship CategoriesUCD TOPMed10 Fellowships are for experienced researchers of any nationality and residing worldwide, seeking a prestigious career development fellowship based in UCD, Ireland, including the opportunity to work closely with a number of relevant academic and non-academic partners of their choice and appropriate to their research, training and professional career development.

We welcome applications from candidates who have had career breaks and are looking to return to a research-based career and from candidates who have had a non-traditional career path including those who have built up research experience but who may not have a PhD.

Fellowships are open to candidates of any nationality, who at the time of the proposal submission deadline have not resided in Ireland for more than 12 months in the preceding 3 years.

Fellow level 1

Candidates with 0-3 years post PhD (or equivalent) experience

This is a research training role, where applicants will conduct a programme of research and research training, on a topic of their choice as proposed in their application to the programme, under the supervision of the PI.

The primary purpose of the role is to further develop research skills and competencies including: development of processes of publication; the development of funding proposals; and the mentorship of graduate students.

Fellow level 2

Candidates with 3+ years post PhD (or equivalent) experience

This is an advanced research training role, building on prior experience as a post-doctoral fellow, where Fellows will conduct their programme of research training on a topic of their choice as proposed in their application to the programme, under the supervision and direction of the PI.

The primary purpose of the role is to develop new or advanced research skills and competencies that will prepare them for an independent position following the programme, including: publishing research outputs; acquiring independent funding; gaining experience in research project management; training in leadership, and supervision and mentorship of graduate students.


3 Eligibility Criteria 3.1 Eligibility of applicants

◦ Must be experienced researchers as per the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions definition: at the time of the deadline for submission of applications, applicants must be in possession of a doctoral degree or, if the applicant has does not have a doctoral degree and is not in the process of completing one, they should have at least 4 years of full-time equivalent research experience

◦ Must have 0-3 years additional research experience order to be eligible for a Level I fellowship (not including career breaks)

◦ Must be have 3+ years additional research experience in order to be eligible for a Level II fellowship (not including career breaks)

◦ At the time of the deadline of the call, applicants must have not resided in Ireland for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline for submission date (compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account)

◦ May not be already permanently employed at UCD

3.2 Eligibility of project proposals ◦ Must be within the TOPMed10 research areas and identify a TOPMed10 PI◦ Must be complete and in English◦ Must be received by UCD through the online admission system on or before the deadline◦ Must include completed Ethics section, as outlined in the fellowship application form◦ Must adhere to the ethical rules of UCD and the European Union Horizon 2020 research

programme

3.3 Eligibility of host organisations for outgoing phase◦ Must be able to provide a suitable research and training environment for the applicant,

including access to research facilities and appropriate supervision◦ Must be comparable to UCD in regard to the standard of research excellence◦ Must be an organisation in academic, industry or government sector


4 Selection of Fellows 4.1 Assessment Criteria – written proposalAll eligible applications will be evaluated by three independent assessors and will be given a score from 0-100 in accordance with criteria for the selection of fellows outlined in the table below which is based on the European Union Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions criteria.

A threshold of 70% will be applied to the final scores. Applicants scoring less than 70% will not progress to the interview phase of the selection process. Of the applicants who score 70% or more, a maximum of 3 applicants per fellowship position will be brought forward to the interview phase. All applicants will be informed by the Programme Manager about the score they have achieved and whether or not they have progressed to the interview phase of the selection process.

Excellence Impact Implementation

Quality, innovative aspects and credibility of the research (including inter/ multidisciplinary aspects, and if appropriate, intersectoral aspects)

Enhancing research and innovation related human resources, skills, and working conditions to realise the potential of individuals and to provide new career perspectives

Overall coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriateness of the allocation of tasks and resources

Clarity and quality of training and career development for the researcher in light of the research objectives.

Effectiveness of the proposed measures for communication and results dissemination

Appropriateness of the management structures and procedures, including quality management and risk management

Quality of the supervision and the hosting arrangements. Appropriateness of the proposed PI. If appropriate, quality of PI at secondment host.

Appropriateness of the institutional environment (infrastructure). Appropriateness of the institutional environment at the secondment host (if applicable).

Capacity of the researcher to reach or re-enforce a position of professional maturity in research

Competences and experience of the secondment host organisation (if applicable).

Weighting

50% 30% 20%

Priority in case of ex aequo

1 2 3


NB: An overall threshold of 70% will be applied to the total weighted score.

4.2 Assessment Criteria – interviewThe interview stage gives us an opportunity to find out more about the applicant as well as giving an opportunity for the applicant to address any potential queries arising from the proposal and to learn more about UCD and the wider environment.

The interview will be carried out either in person or by video-conferencing. The interview panel will be comprised of two members of the panel of independent international assessors who reviewed the written proposals, a representative from UCD with personalised medicine expertise and a representative from UCD Human Resources.

As part of the interview, the applicant will be asked to give a 15 minute oral presentation to address the following topics:

◦ Project proposal◦ Overview of applicant’s career and training development objectives◦ Impact of the fellowship on the applicant’s long-term career prospects.

At the end of the interview, the interview panel will assign a score of between 0-100 based on the following criteria:

Criteria Weighting Priority in case of ex aequo

Performance at the interview during which the selection committee will assess:

◦ Scientific knowledge in the area of interest◦ Analytical skills◦ Communication and presentations skills◦ Demonstration of coherency between fellowship and long

term professional development plan of the fellow

80% 1

Interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral value of the proposed research and training plan

15% 2

Assessment of fellow’s past experiences including time spent in industry or a research management related field

5% 3

The final mark for each application will be comprised of the score for the written proposal and the interview with 50% weighting for written proposal and 50% weighting for the interview.

Applications will be ranked in order of score. A threshold of 70% will be applied once again. Fellowships will only be offered to those candidates scoring on or above the 70% threshold. There


will be a fixed number of fellowships offered per call which will be offered to the highest ranking fellows.

Those who score above the 70% threshold but are not in line for a fellowship offer are placed on a reserve list. Applicants on the reserve list and those scoring below 70% will be informed about the score they achieved and the outcome of the selection process by the Programme Manager.

4.3 Selection Process 4.3.1 Publication of the Fellowship Call The application process starts with the publication of the Fellowship Call, with information about the call disseminated to reach potential applicants. An online application system is open for the duration of call which lasts approximately 12 weeks. The online application system will close on the date of the application deadline.

4.3.2 Preparation of the ApplicationApplicants are encouraged to start the process of the application preparation as early as possible. All relevant documentation, including A Guide for Applicants, Application Form, Assessment Procedures document and Terms and Conditions document, is published on the Programme website in the Application Documents section.

The online application system will require the input of personal details, details on your proposal and completion of an ethics questionnaire. Applicants will also be required to upload a copy of their detailed research proposal, an academic CV and a letter of support from their secondment host, if applicable.

During this phase of the application process, the TOPMED10 Programme Manager will provide support to applicants on all technical and eligibility issues via email, phone and skype.

At the outset of the application preparation, applicants are required to contact a potential UCD PrincipaI Investigator (PI) with whom they would like to work on their research project to ensure that their chosen PI will agree to work with them if the application is successful. Applicants will be asked to nominate a UCD PI in their online application.

4.3.3 Submission of the applicationsThe applications must be submitted via the online application system on the Programme website. In order to submit an application, all applicants need to register in the system. Each applicant will receive individual login details. Once registered, applicants can submit relevant information to the system, which will be stored there until they submit the application or decide to make changes to information recorded earlier.

The online application system will automatically close on the submission date specified in the Call documents. For Fellowship Call 1 the system will close on 11 January 2016. After the closure of the online application system, applicants will be able to monitor the status of their application throughout the peer-review process.


Applicants experiencing any technical difficulties with the online application system are asked to contact the Programme Manager for assistance.

4.3.4 Eligibility checking Once the applications have been submitted and the online applications system is closed, all applications will be checked for eligibility. This will include a check on any ethical issue raised in the application. All applicants will be informed about the results of eligibility checking via email and through their profile within the online application system. If an application is found ineligible, applicants will be provided with explanation of the grounds for ineligibility.

4.3.5 International Peer-Review All eligible applications will be sent out for external international peer-review. Each application will be evaluated by three independent assessors.

Applications will be scored according the TOPMed10 Assessment Criteria.

All applicants will be informed about the final score they achieved and the broad place in the order of merit. All applicants will also receive qualitative feedback from the assessors.

4.3.6 Ranking of the applications Based on the scores assigned to each application through the peer-review assessment a final ranking of the applications will be produced. All applicants will be informed about the outcome of the peer-review assessment and their place in the final ranking as soon as the review panel makes its recommendations.

4.3.7 Interviews of top scoring candidates A number of top scoring applicants from each category will be invited to the next phase – a competency interview. The interview will be carried out in person or via teleconferencing facility.

The interview stage provides an opportunity to meet the candidates and ensure that they have all the competencies required to implement the proposed project. It will also give the candidates an opportunity to address any potential inconsistencies in the proposal and to learn more about UCD and the wider environment.

The final mark for each application will be comprised of the score for the written proposal and the interview with 50% weighting for written proposal and 50% weighting for the interview.

4.3.8 Fellowship offers for successful applicantsUCD Human Resources will issue letters of offer to the successful candidates based on recommendations from the Interview Selection Board.

It is expected that successful Fellows will start the Fellowship at the earliest convenience within four months of acceptance. Given that transnational mobility is a key feature of the programme, UCD recognises that additional time may be required to allow a Fellow to complete their previous activities before the move to UCD. Consequently, the starting date for each Fellow will be negotiated on individual basis by the Fellow in question and UCD.


4.4 Redress ProcedureAll candidates have a right to a redress procedure if they feel that there has been a shortcoming in the way their proposal was evaluated and that this shortcoming may affect the final decision on whether to fund it or not, or if they believe that the results of eligibility checks are incorrect.

To avail of that procedure a candidate needs to submit a request for redress. The requests for redress will be examined by a specially formed internal UCD Committee.

Redress requests must be:

◦ Related to the evaluation process or eligibility checks, as described in the Guide for Applicants for the call.

◦ Completed by using the form available from the UCD TOPMED10, including a clear description of the grounds for complaint.

◦ Received within the time limit specified on the notification which has been received by the applicant.

◦ Submitted personally by the interested applicant.

Once the request is submitted by an applicant, the review Committee will review the case. If there is clear evidence that a shortcoming has occurred that could affect the eventual funding decision, the proposal will be re-evaluated.

This procedure is solely concerned with the evaluation and/or eligibility checking process. The committee will not call into question the scientific or technical judgement of appropriately qualified experts.

Only one request for redress per proposal will be considered by the Committee. All requests for redress will be treated confidentially.


5 Ethical Issues All applicants to the TOPMed10 Fellowship Programme are required to complete an Ethics questionnaire, which is part of the online application form, and submit it as part of their application. A template is included in Section 11D of this Guide

Research areas excluded from funding include:

◦ Research activities aiming at human cloning for reproductive purposes◦ Research activities intended to modify the genetic heritages or human beings which could

make such changes heritable◦ Research activities intended to create human embryos solely for the purposes of research or

for the purpose of stem cell procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer

◦ Research activities involving human stem cells (both adult and embryonic)

Applicants must consider and address any of the following ethics issues, if they arise, in their proposals:

◦ Humans◦ Human cells/tissues◦ Personal data◦ Animals◦ Third countries◦ Environment & Health and Safety◦ Dual use◦ Misuse◦ Other ethics issues

For more information on ethical issues please refer to the documents listed in Section 9 of this Guide. You can also consult information provided by the UCD Office of Research Ethics.

UCD Research Ethics Approvals System will be used to ensure that all ethical issues arising from TOPMed10 Fellows’ research are identified, reviewed and addressed in its implementation. The TOPMed10 Programme is committed to ensure that all research is conducted according to best ethical practice and thus maintain the good name of research in UCD, Ireland and Europe.


http://www.ucd.ie/researchethics/

6 Intellectual Property Rights Intellectual Property is subject to UCD internal policy and provisions of the employment contract of the TOPMed10 Fellows. For UCD Intellectual Property policy, please go to:

http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/UCD_IP_Policy%20(2010).pdf

and for more information on Intellectual Property please go to:

http://www.ucd.ie/innovation/researchers/intellectualpropertyguide/

The IP policy will apply during the Fellow’s stay in UCD and the optional Secondment phase. For Fellowships, where an Secondment Host Organisation is industry based, the industry Host and UCD must sign an Intellectual Property (IP) Agreement. Such agreement must be in place before the Secondment phase of the Fellowship can start. For the outgoing phase of Fellowships based in academia or other public organisations, UCD will recommend signing a Partnership Agreement that will include provisions for IP, on which UCD has clear guidelines and policies.


http://www.ucd.ie/innovation/researchers/intellectualpropertyguide/

http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/UCD_IP_Policy%20(2010).pdf

7 Employment Conditions 7.1 Contractual arrangements The contractual arrangements for TOPMed10 Fellowships are based on many existing postdoctoral programmes currently being run in UCD.

After the evaluation procedure has been completed, UCD will send a letter of offer and an Acceptance Form by e-mail (and also in hardcopy) to the successful applicants, who will be asked to sign the Acceptance form and return it to UCD in soft and hard copy. Then, the successful Fellows will be provided with two copies of a Standard Research Fellow Contract. Both copies must be signed by UCD and the Fellow. One hard copy will be retained by the applicant and one by UCD. The signed contract means all parties agree to the Terms & Conditions as set out in the contract. UCD will hold an employment contract with the Fellow for the entire duration of the Fellowship, including during the optional secondment. The employment contract will contain information about the statutory working practices and will determine the conditions for the implementation of the project.

In addition to the general terms and conditions the employment contract will specify the following:

◦ The nature of the appointment of the researcher in terms of status (i.e Fellow Level 1 or 2)◦ The total duration of the Fellowship (36 months for Fellow Level 1 and 24 months for Fellow

Level 2)◦ Details of the Secondment Host Organisation.◦ Details of the names of the PIs (mentors) in charge of supervising the project.◦ The salary level of the Fellowship, including any additional payments, such as mobility

allowance etc. and payment information for the Fellow.◦ Annual leave entitlement and other leave entitlements, such as sickness and maternity

leave.◦ Arrangements between organisations and the researcher relating to IP rights.

The TOPMed10 Fellows will have the following entitlements:

◦ The Fellows will have the option to join a group scheme with one of the Irish private health insurance companies and the University will facilitate payment through payroll.

◦ All Fellows will receive a pension from UCD. Once they have paid into the pension fund for two years, they are entitled to receive a pension upon retirement.

◦ All TOPMed10 Fellows, where relevant, are entitled to 26 weeks maternity leave. Under Irish law, mothers receive a basic social security Maternity Benefit. UCD will also continue theFellowship to its full 2-year term. Fellows are also entitled to 16 weeks of unpaid maternity leave by Irish law; they may use this as a ‘no-cost extension’ to the duration of the award.

7.2 Financial aspects

Cost categories

Fellowship Fellowship


(€/year) Level 1 Level 2

Living allowance

37 060 41 630

Mobility allowance*

6 500 6 500

Family allowance**

2 700 2 700

Contribution to research costs***

15 900 15 900

Please note that all or part of the costs may be liable for taxes.

* The mobility allowance is provided to cover expenses linked to the personal household and relocation of the Fellow.

** family is defined as persons linked to the Fellow by (i) marriage, or (ii) a relationship with equivalent status to a marriage recognised by the legislation of the country where this relationship was formalised; or (iii) dependent children who are actually being maintained by the Fellow.

*** to cover consumable costs, publication costs and travel to attend an international conference, workshop or summer school or to facilitate training activities.

7.3 Rights and obligations Fellows will be employed full time for the period of 24 months. All absence will be regulated by the employment contract and where appropriate by the National Legislation. Serious justified reasons connected to personal or family circumstances can authorise a temporary break in the research activity but the total project length cannot, in any case, exceed the duration of the European Commission Grant Agreement from which the TOPMed10 Programme is co-funded, specifically must end by 30th June 2020.

Fellows will receive all the necessary administrative and technical support to ensure access to the facilities required to carry out their research. The agreement will include a section where the Secondment Host Organisation affirms that any necessary equipment and resources are available to progress the work. Technical conditions that will be provided by UCD and the Secondment Host Organisations will also include access to the office and lab space needed to carry out the research project. Fellows will have the same rights of access to space as regular staff. Office space will contain the usual facilities, such as a personal computer, Internet connection, e-mail facilities and telephone, and access to general office equipment. The Secondment Host Organisations will offer similar


technical conditions and this will be documented in the partnership agreement signed by both parties.

7.4 Training and Career Development aspects 7.4.1 Personal Development PlanIt is a requirement of the fellowship that all fellows engage in developmental conversations with their dedicated PI and that a personal development plan template is used to track long-term career goals as well as the aims of the research, to record progress and to provide reflective space for identifying growth areas within the fellows/PI relationship. This personal development plan aims to support the Fellow in their current role as well as prepare them for their future chosen career. The Fellow is responsible for his/her own development and is supported by the PI, who, with the support of the TOPMed10 Programme Manager and relevant UCD departments, will assist the Fellow in the realisation of their career development plan.

To ensure that a balance between the demands of the Fellow’s role and the desire for development is maintained, it is recommended that the Fellow will plan for up to 3 development objectives over a 9-12 month period.

The personal development plan should cover all stages of the research career, providing checks and balances, feedback and counselling. Fellows will be required to liaise with their PI in this regard and submit annual reports outlining their progress in the implementation of their personal development plan.

7.4.2 MentoringWithin three months of starting work at UCD, all fellows will take part in one-to-one career coaching conversations with the Research Careers Manager (based in the UCD Career Development Centre, this role supports the UCD Research Career Framework which establishes a structured and supportive skills and early career development model for postdoctoral researchers at UCD). These sessions apply a person-centred, values based approach to professional development, integrating self-awareness exercises with competency awareness exercises so that fellows can conduct a competency gap analysis for themselves and make informed decisions about training needs and career transition options. This is a confidential space where fellows can consider the most effective approach to working with their PI and completing their personal development plan.

The UCD Career Development Centre provides a mock interview service for fellows applying for jobs inside or outside academia. An interview panel is formed by the fellow sourcing a panel member, and the Research Careers Manager (chair) sourcing a panel member. This provides an environment that is more ecologically valid than one-to-one mock interviews. A feedback session with the Research Careers Manager uses panel interview assessments and score sheets and a fellow self-assessment score-sheet to ensure the fellow has explicated his/her positive learning from the exercise.

From the beginning of their fellowship, peer mentoring sessions for fellows will be facilitated (jointly) by UCD Research, UCD Learning and Development, the UCD Career Development Centre and the Research Staff Association. These networking events will provide regular interaction for those


working in interconnected research areas, experiencing many of the same challenges – such as managing work-life balance while advancing a research career. Through these sessions, the fellow group is encouraged and supported to maintain their peer-mentoring sessions themselves, seeking mentoring in specific areas as required (e.g. contacting a specific PI or the UCD Learning and Development Unit to source a speaker to address a particular issue). The ultimate aim of the above approaches is to establish a culture of ‘constellatory mentoring’, whereby this team of fellows, in keeping with the interdisciplinary nature of their research, generate a network or ‘constellation’ of mentors to support them in their professional and personal development.

7.4.3 UCD Research Skills and Career Development It is a condition of the fellowship that all fellows actively and fully participate in the postdoctoral professional training, research skills and career development process in UCD. A Postdoctoral Fellow Specific Orientation Event will focus on linking fellows directly to information and supports available to them to carry out high quality, interdisciplinary research as well as to the UCD Research Staff Association and other internal researcher networks. The interactive afternoon session of this event is dedicated to professional and career development, encouraging fellows to consider career options, transferable skills, competency gaps and training needs from the outset of their fellowship.

Fellows can access a range of short courses and modules in clinical translational research (module topics to include clinical trial design, clinical bioinformatics, biostatistics, data handling etc) which are being specifically offered to the programme by the UCD Clinical Research Centre who have an established partnership with ICON plc (a partner organisation on TOPMed10) in provision of training in clinical and translational research skills to respond to current industry needs.

It is a requirement of this programme that all Fellows take part in a minimum of three professional development training events focused on (non-research-oriented) transferable skills. Supports are delivered through tailored and bespoke workshops, seminars, one-to-one coaching sessions, employer/ recruiter liaison events, informal networking events and online support activities, across four key development areas:

◦ Research and Research Management◦ Personal and Professional Excellence◦ Teaching, Learning and Mentoring◦ Innovation and Transferable Skills

Potential training course include:

◦ Research skills and techniques, such as managing research projects, grant writing.◦ Communication skills, e.g. science communication, community engagement, report writing,

presentation skills, teaching skills.◦ Outreach through UCD Imagine Science, including the making of short films in collaboration

with the Film School at the Institute of Art Design and Technology.◦ Interpersonal effectiveness, e.g. time management, building research leaders.◦ Awareness of knowledge transfer opportunities and methods, IPR issues, e.g. patents,

copyright etc.


◦ Career management, e.g. career planning and development, accessing the hidden job market, writing a CV, developing interview strategy.

◦ Teaching towards a certificate for those wishing to remain in academia.◦ Innovation and entrepreneurship training provided by the UCD Innovation Academy.

Additionally, fellows have access to a wide portfolio of training and development events open to all academic staff, including academic leadership training, health and wellbeing seminars and IT/ Library and finance skills seminars.

All fellows will take part in an exit interview with the Research Careers Manager anytime from three months to the end of their contract to discuss their personal development plan, and in particular the next step in their career. An online system has been designed by UCD to record the fellow’s development from orientation though to exit, so that upon fellowship completion, an official transcript outlining all development activities participated in can be generated. This transcript will capture the key activities undertaken as part of the personal development plan and can be used to support future job/ grants applications.

7.5 Support for the Fellows 7.5.1 UCD Support UCD will offer support to all applicants during the entire period from application preparation stage until the end of the Fellowship and beyond, where appropriate. The TOPMed10 Programme Manager will run a support helpdesk for applicants and Fellows throughout the duration of the Programme. Helpdesk Support will include provision of information on:

◦ the application◦ the eligibility criteria◦ the submission procedure◦ suitability of a research topic

The Programme Manager will also facilitate technical support for any problems associated with the online application system.

7.5.2 EURAXESS Service Centre Applicants and Fellows can avail of a range of services offered by the Irish EURAXESS Office. EURAXESS.ie provides information on a range of issues and areas affecting researchers, including immigration and visas, employment law, healthcare, childcare, social services and life in Ireland.

EURAXESS, in collaboration with the TOPMed10 Programme, will organise a welcome event for all Fellows.

7.5.3 Hosting Agreement (Researcher Visa Scheme) Ireland is a signatory of the Hosting Agreement Scheme. The Scheme offers a free and fast track service for visa applications for higher education institutions and the private sector, who wish to recruit non-EU researchers to the country. Under the Scheme visas are issued rapidly and work permits are not required. Researcher’s families can accompany them immediately and use public


schooling. Family members have access to the job market and the researchers can stay on to look for a job after their contract ends.

The Scheme is operated by the EURAXESS Ireland office based in the Irish Universities Association and is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.


8 Information on processing personal data Personal data of applicants submitted as part of the application for the TOPMed10 Fellowship will be processed only for the purposes of the present call and the possible signing of the employment contract with UCD. The processing of personal data will adhere to the UCD Data Protection Policy.


http://www.ucd.ie/dataprotection/policy.htm

9 Relevant links European Charter for Researchershttp://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/europeanCharter

Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchershttp://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/codeOfConduct

EC Guidance: How to complete your ethics self-assessmenthttp://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/ethics/h2020_hi_ethics-self-assess_en.pdf

European Textbook on Ethics in Researchhttp://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/textbook-on-ethicsreport_en.pdf

UCD Research Skills & Career Developmenthttp://www.ucd.ie/researchcareers/trainingdevelopmentopportunities/

UCD Research Careers Frameworkhttp://www.ucd.ie/hr/rcf/

UCD HR Strategy for Researchershttps://www.ucd.ie/research/about/officeofthevpforresearchinnovationandimpact/hrstrategyforresearchers/

UCD Innovation Academyhttp://www.innovationacademy.ie/

Toolkit “Gender in EU-funded research”http://www.yellowwindow.be/genderinresearch/index_downloads.html


http://www.yellowwindow.be/genderinresearch/index_downloads.html

http://www.innovationacademy.ie/

https://www.ucd.ie/research/about/officeofthevpforresearchinnovationandimpact/hrstrategyforresearchers/

https://www.ucd.ie/research/about/officeofthevpforresearchinnovationandimpact/hrstrategyforresearchers/

http://www.ucd.ie/hr/rcf/

http://www.ucd.ie/researchcareers/trainingdevelopmentopportunities/

http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/textbook-on-ethicsreport_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/textbook-on-ethicsreport_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/ethics/h2020_hi_ethics-self-assess_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/ethics/h2020_hi_ethics-self-assess_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/codeOfConduct

http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/index.cfm/rights/europeanCharter

10 Contact details UCD TOPMed10 ProgrammeSystems Biology IrelandUniversity College DublinBelfield, Dublin 4Ireland

Programme Manager: Will Fitzmaurice

E: [email protected]: www.ucd.ie/topmed10T: +353 1 716 6308


http://www.ucd.ie/topmed10

mailto:[email protected]

11 Application Templates for Call 1 (2015)

All applications for the UCD TOPMed10 Fellowships must be submitted using the online application system on the Programme website.

This document presents the templates of documents that are required to be submitted as part of an application.

A. Online application registration

B. Personal Details

C. Online proposal details

D. Ethics

E. Research proposal

F. Academic CV

Please note that sections A, B, C and D (‘Online application registration’, ‘Personal Details’, ‘Online proposal details’ and ‘Ethics’) will be completed as part of the online form, while the remaining documents (E & F) shall be submitted in pdf format as an attachment.


A. ONLINE APPLICATION REGISTRATIONBefore submitting an application all applicants are required to register with the online application system. The required registration details are presented in the table below.

First Name

Last Name

Email

Website

Mobile number

Phone number

Password

Security Question

Security Answer


B. PERSONAL DETAILSOn logging on to the application system, you will be prompted to complete the following details

Person details

Title

First Name

Last Name

Gender

Contact Details

Mobile Number

Phone Number

Email Address

Personal Website

Citizenship Details

Country of Citizenship

Address

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Address Line 3

Postcode

County

Country


C. PROPOSAL DETAILSProposal TitleResearch AreaProposal summary A short summaryof the proposal of up to

2000 charactersFellowship Type (choose one) • Incoming Fellowship Level 1

• Incoming Fellowship Level 2

Proposed UCD Principal Investigator (PI)

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact potential PIs in UCD with whom they wish to collaborate on the development of their application prior to the submission of their application

Proposed Secondment (optional)Proposed Secondment Principal Investigator (PI) (optional)Key words (maximum five)


D. ETHICSThe following research areas are excluded from funding:

- Research activities aiming at human cloning for reproductive purposes- Research activities intended to modify the genetic heritages or human beings which could make

such changes heritable- Research activities intended to create human embryos solely for the purposes of research or for

the purpose of stem cell procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer- Research activities involving human stem cells (both adult and embryonic)

All questions marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory. If you answer YES to any mandatory question, please answer the follow up questions in that section and please provide details in the main research proposal text on how these issues will be addressed in your research.

Please consult the 2013 People Programme Guide for Applicants for Marie Curie Actions on Ethics for further information. The Guide is available on the TOPMed10 programme website.

1. HumansDoes your research involve human participants?*

Are they volunteers for human sciences research?

Are they persons unable to give informed consent?

Are they vulnerable individuals or groups?

Are they children or minors?

Are they patients?

Are they healthy volunteers for medical studies?

Does your research involve physical interventions on the study participants?

Does it involve invasive techniques?

Does it involve collection of biological samples?

2. Human cells/tissuesDoes your research involve human cells or tissues?*

Are they available commercially?

Are they obtained within this project?

Are they obtained within another project?

Are they deposited in a biobank?

3. Personal dataDoes your research involve personal data collection and/or processing?*

Does it involve the collection and/or processing of sensitive personal data (e.g.: health, sexual lifestyle, ethnicity, political opinion, religious or philosophical conviction)?

Does it involve processing of genetic information?


Does it involve tracking or observation of participants?

Does your research involve further processing of previously collected personal data (secondary use)?

4. AnimalsDoes you research involve animals?*

Are they vertebrates?

Are they non-human primates?

Are they genetically modified?

Are they cloned farm animals?

Are they endangered species?

If yes please indicate the species involved (Maximum number of characters allowed: 1000)

5. Third countriesDoes your research involve non-EU countries?*

If Yes specify the countries involved (Maximum number of characters allowed: 1000)

Do you plan to use local resources (e.g. animal and/or human tissue samples, genetic material, live animals, human remains, materials of historical value, endangered fauna or flora samples, etc.)?

Do you plan to import any material from non-EU countries into the EU?

If yes specify material and countries involved (Maximum number of characters allowed: 1000)

Do you plan to export any material from the EU to non-EU countries?

If yes specify material and countries involved: (Maximum number of characters allowed: 1000)

If your research involves low and/or lower middle income countries, are benefits-sharing measures foreseen?

Could the situation in the country put the individuals taking part in the research at risk?

6. Environment & Health and SafetyDoes your research involve the use of elements that may cause harm to the environment, animals or plants?*

Does your research deal with endangered fauna, flora, or protected areas?*

Does your research involve the use of elements that may cause harm to humans, including research staff?*

7. Dual useDoes your research have the potential for military applications?*

8. MisuseDoes your research have the potential for malevolent, criminal or terrorist abuse?*


9. Other ethics issuesAre there any other ethics issues that should be taken into consideration?*

I confirm that I have taken into account all ethics issues described above and that, if any ethics issues apply these have been fully addressed in my application.*


E. RESEARCH PROPOSALThe maximum number of pages for the research proposal document is 12. Font size to be used is 11 for main text and 10 for tables.

Literature should be listed in footnotes, font size 8 or 9. All literature references will count towards the page limit.

The applicants should use the structure outlined in the table below for the research proposal.

Indicative word counts/page counts and comments on content are provided in each section (grey text) below to serve as a guide on structuring the proposal. These are guidance notes and do not have to be strictly adhered to.

Headings Comments on the contentCOVER SHEET (~1 page)Name of the ApplicantTitle of the projectSummary (~200 words) Provide a short summary of the proposal. This should

be an overview of the entire research proposal text. Many authors postpone writing the summary until the rest of the document is finished.

RESEARCH DESCRIPTION (~6 pages)1.1 Introduction State the research problem (often referred to as the

purpose of the study). Provide the context and set the scene for your research

project in such a way as to show its necessity and importance.

Present the rationale of your proposed project and clearly indicate why it is worth doing.

Briefly describe the major issues to be addressed by your research.

Proceed with a concise research statement, which can take the form of a hypothesis, a research question, a goal statement - followed by a clarification of the extent to which you expect your project outcomes to represent an advance in the current knowledge domain.

All relevant references pertaining to the major issues described should be cited.

1.2 State of the art Outline what is currently the most important research in the field relevant to your proposed project

Demonstrate that you have built a solid knowledge of the field where the research is taking place, that you are familiar with the main issues at stake, and that you have critically identified and evaluated the key literature.

Credit/cite authors who laid the groundwork for your research.

1.3 Aims and objectives of the State the research aims and objectives of your project


project bearing in mind the background/state of the art.1.4 Research methodology and approach

This is the ‘how to’ component of the proposal and should provide an overview of the research activities and methodological approaches you have in mind to face the key research challenges of your project.

It should be detailed enough to let the reader decide whether the methods you intend to use are adequate for the research at hand and are the best available approaches for the proposed project.

Include ethical considerations if relevant.1.5 Originality and innovative aspects

Explain the contribution that the project is expected to make to advancements within the project field.

Emphasise innovative elements in comparison with previous or on-going research i.e. any novel concepts, approaches or methods that will be employed.

2. CAREER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN (~1 page)

Outline your immediate and long-term goals for your career.

Provide a description of your plans for the acquisition of new knowledge and skills during the period of this Fellowship in the context of the long-term goals.

Explain your reasons for choosing this Fellowship and how this Fellowship programme will contribute to reaching these goals.

Detail how the Fellowship will enable you to gain skills relevant to employment outside the traditional academic sector.

Detail how the Fellowship will enable you to acquire competencies that improve the prospects of reaching and/or reinforcing a position of professional maturity, diversity and independence.

3. SECONDMENT/TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE (if applicable) (~ 0.5 page)

Discuss how you will gain new knowledge from the secondment organisation during the Fellowship.

Explain how both hosting organisations may benefit from the proposed secondment and describe how you intend to share your knowledge with the host organisations.

4. SUPERVISION AND HOSTING ARRANGEMENT (0.5 page)

Outline qualifications and experience of the UCD Principal Investigator (PI) and the Secondment PI, if proposed, including experience on the research topic of the proposal, track record and other relevant information.

Explain why you have chosen to carry out research at UCD and how UCD can support you and your research. Relevant information is available on the TOPMed10 website under ‘working environment’ and ‘support services for fellows’. In particular you can ascertain information on the following through these pages:- The UCD postdoctoral career development

framework- Professional development services/courses


available to postdoctoral researchers through UCD- Central UCD supports for research funded staff- Access to state-of-the-art core technologies- Access to clinical research centre (including

associated courses/services)5. IMPACT (~1 page) Briefly summarise the impact of the Fellowship on your

career path referring back to the section 2. Career Training and Development plan.

Briefly summarise how the potential project outcomes advance science and technology referring back to section 1.5 Originality and innovative aspects.

Explain how the potential project outcomes will address the present and future social/economic needs (such as industry needs, clinical needs, healthcare needs, training and education needs etc.)

Outline the measures you propose to employ in order to communicate and disseminate the results. The most common dissemination methods adopted by research projects include Institution newsletters, Project web site, Social media, Journal articles, Conference presentations, Conference posters, Workshops, Demonstrations, Online discussion forum/blogs/lists, Press releases, Flyers/brochures, Projects / cluster meetings, Case Studies, Reports and other documents. The choice of dissemination method is dependent on the target audience. Details of UCD’s open access policy and research repository are available the TOPMed10 website under ‘support services for fellows’.

6. IMPLEMENTATION (~2 pages) Present your Work Plan, including Work Packages, deliverables, and milestones.

Outline the allocation of tasks over time (using a Gantt Chart) and the allocation of resources.

Describe the potential risks associated with project implementation and propose contingency plans.

Templates for each of the above is available as part of the resources on the TOPMed10 website under ‘Application Process’


F. ACADEMIC CV TEMPLATEAll applicants should use the following CV format.

Font: Arial, Font size: 11

Personal InformationFirst nameLast nameAddressPostal codeCityCountryE-mailPhone

EducationUniversity levelDegree University name Dates (start – finish) Grades

OtherCourse Name of the institution Dates (start – finish) Grades

EmploymentDates (start – end) Position Employer Responsibilities, tasks and skills

Teaching experienceOrganisation/school Subject Description

Leave of absence (e.g. sickness, family- parental leave or military service)Dates (from – to) Type of leave of absence

Prizes and awardsDate Prize/award


ConferencesDate Title and involvement (paper, presentation, poster, chair, organisation, etc.)

Memberships of professional organisations, committees and other community rolesOrganisation Status (member, fellow, reviewer, advisor etc.)

Language skills*Language Reading Writing Verbal

*Please use the following scale for describing your language skills: native, very good, good, fair and poor.

List of publicationsPlease list all relevant publications including journals, books, book chapters, and reports using Harvard Referencing style (http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/Guide69.pdf


http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/Guide69.pdf