1. I started an interdisciplinary PhD project in Biology and Computational Biology less than a year ago. Can I still apply for an IPhD within SystemsX.ch?
Yes! You are free to submit a proposal even if you are currently part of another project.
2. Who May Apply for RTD Projects?
Faculty members of SystemsX.ch partners are eligible as main applicants.
Experienced senior scientists from other Swiss research institutions are eligible as co-applicants (i.e. not main applicant). However, only SystemsX.ch partners and cooperating partners (according to the revised Research Law Article 7, No. 4; cf Message p. 1448, German version, e.g. SIB and FMI) are eligible to receive SystemsX.ch funding.
After approval by the SNSF, the RTD’s hosting institution must become a SystemsX.ch partner prior to initiation of funding.
2.a. May scientists from Swiss universities which are not currently members of SystemsX.ch be included on a SystemsX.ch project proposal?
Scientists from Universities that are not partner of SystemsX.ch can participate on a SystemsX.ch proposal, however, not as Main Applicant. If you go to the link on the Call for Proposals you will find the current guidelines under section 3.1.4.
2.b. Can we pay a consultant at a foreign university who has strong expertise and would be beneficial for our RTD project?
in fact, no SystemsX.ch money should leave the country, i.e. no salary of a Professor at an institution outside of Swiss Institutions can be paid, because these are federal funds. Since you need expertises not available in Switzerland, you may use SystemsX.ch funds or own contributions to pay travel expenses.
3. Is it possible to submit overlapping proposals? We currently have an IPP which we would like to resubmit. However, we could also embed the project into an RTD. Would it be possible to submit both proposals knowing that the IPP would be withdrawn if the RTD is financed?
It would be great if an existing IPP could lead to an RTD. It is certainly possible to apply for both kinds of projects. However, the IPP and RTD are very different in their scopes (aim, duration, composition, and budget). Please be aware that an RTD is intended to be much larger than an IPP.
4. We need to resubmit our proposal for an IPhD. It is actually an extension of an already existing IPFP. Do I have to submit a new proposal (3 years) or simply file for a two year extension?
Since SystemsX.ch is a new organization, a new proposal should be written. However, you should point out that the project is already underway and possibly highlight some of the results and progress made during the course of the IPFP. This should increase the chances of getting the new proposal accepted.
5. Can IPP Proposals be submitted in collaboration with a non-university company? I am developing a novel technique together with a company.
Allthough SystemsX.ch projects shall in principle be led by faculty members and senior researchers (see Call 3.3.1.) SystemsX.ch intends to encourage collaboration with industry. IPPs can in principle be organized in cooperation with industry, however, there are a few constraints and issues to be clarified before you start the project:
- IP rights have to be clarified
- no SystemsX.ch funds (= federal money!) can flow into industry
- the contribution of industry shall include development
5.2. How could such collaboration with industry concretely look like?
Two factors have to be considered. Although SystemsX.ch encourages international and industry collaboration, no SystemsX.ch funding may go directly to a company and/or a foreign institution. If you want to include foreign partners, a possibility would be to hired people to work with the partner directly at a Swiss institution which is a member, or allow this person to be financed by the partner and claim it as third party funding. Funding from SystemsX.ch can only be released to partner institutions. Our partners are currently: SIB, ETHZ, EPFL, FMI, PSI, UZH, UniBS, UniFR, Unil, UniBE and UniGE. If you include Swiss institutions which are not currently members, there are rules concerning their own contributions. For example, UniNE is getting funding even though they are not members.
5.b. Does funding originating from the industry have to be mentioned in proposals?
Any monies that the project currently or plans to receive from industry has to be listed in the proposal (see section 3.1.5 in the 'Call for Proposals'). Whether this money can be considered in the matching funds section will be decided on a case by case basis.
6. What is the exact framework of collaborations with industry or other private partners?
Each PI can initiate and coordinate his contact and collaboration with the industry for his project. Consequently the technology transfer office of the individual PIs will serve as platform and framework for any industry collaborations.
7. How is the issue of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regulated within SystemsX.ch?
The answer is, SystemsX.ch has no claim to IPR and so we do not regulate it. Since as a legal entity we fall under the 'simple partnership' definition, we cannot make any claims on the information or data generated by members of SystemsX.ch. Each SystemsX.ch member has their own guidelines for IPR and the proper authorities should be consulted for further questions.
8. How do we pack all the information in an RTD proposal into 30 pages max?
Use your good judgement in the length of your proposals. A clear and concise description should suffice for a larger proposal with many sub-projects. Keep in mind who is reading and evaluating the document (SNSF). They do not want to read a novel. We need good science and not excessive administration.
9. Can proposals be submitted outside the specified call deadlines?
No.
10. What are some basic outline tipps for creating an RTD proposal?
A typical RTD should have about 4-7 sub-projects with some common element. Each group should have a unique involvement in the RTD project as a whole with different levels of interdisciplinary involvement. This means some members will work very closely on certian topics, while other might be more independent. However, the interdciplinary nature of the project is essential and highly encouraged.
11. What is the difference between an RTD and a SystemsX.ch initiated project?
An RTD is a project proposal which is submitted to the SystemsX.ch management office for review by the SNSF. It is the bottom up approach for a group to get a project funded by SystemsX.ch, and in that sense has no obligations towards SystemsX.ch beyond qualifying for financial support. In an RTD the principal investigator and his team of collaborators are responsible for defining the goals and dividing up the tasks of the project.
A SystemsX.ch initiated project is one which is carried out as a kind of service to SystemsX.ch for specific needs (i.e. setting up a database). If you chose to be involved in such a project, SystemsX.ch reserves the right to make certain requests and require certian collaborations. On the one hand your project is not subject to the same sort fo review scruitiny as an RTD, but some of your autonomy is lost as you are essentially providing SystemsX.ch with a service.
12. When putting together large RTD project proposals, can the page limit of 30 be exceeded?
There are two things to be considered in this case. We want to avoid receiving unnecessarily long proposals. This is the reason for the limit printed in the call. However, each subproject must be 'reviewable' so that the evaluator can make an informed decision. It seems reasonable that each subproject researcher be able to explain his ambitions in a space of 6 pages max. This means if you have 10 subprojects, you may exceed the 30 page limit. However, you are encouraged to keep it UNDER 60 pages if possible. You should then submit a proposal of maybe 40-50 pages.
13. In section 4 of the IPhD application, the applicant is asked to discuss the expected impact of the project on Systems Biology. How does one answer this?
Here there is room for lot of interpretation. If your student is working on a technique or generating data for wide use, the impact may be quite considerable and clear. In this section the reviewers need to see that the project is adding to the overall goals set by SystemsX.ch. Hence, it could also be that the student will represent a new kind of biologist as a result of the dual-mentoring he/she will receive. The educational aspect of the student is a clear priority for SystemsX.ch and necessary for good future reseach projects in Switzerland.
14. How are the "Own Contributions" ("Matching Funds") organized in the second Call for Proposals? What do I have to submit until Jan.15, 2009?
For the submission, no exact budget for own contribution is needed. However, the rectories have to be informed about the number of proposals that will be submitted by Professors of their institution. Therefore, we ask for a signed letter of acknoledgement about own contributions by the host institutions' management.
15. Where does one list expensive in-kind contributions such as microarray chips and miscellaneous items from the budget form on the RTD own contributions form?
First of all, expensive contributions such as chips should be listed in the 'consumables' section of the budget. Consumables should be added to section 3.2 on the own contributions form while miscellaneous items on the budget form can be added to section 3.3.
