Eligible researchers

1. Experienced researcher

At the Reference Date the applicant MUST fulfil the criteria of being an ‘Experienced Researcher’ as per MSCA definition:

Experienced Researchers

 – Shall at the Reference Date, be in possession of a doctoral degree; and

if the applicant does not have a doctoral degree, they shall have at least four years of full-time research experience.

2. Reference date

For Call 7 the applicable Reference Date will be August 1, 2020 (subject to the ranking list being finalised before this date). To be eligible for funding, you have to demonstrate that you comply with both eligibility and mobility criteria on the Reference Date.

We understand it might be difficult to know for certain whether you will comply with both eligibility and mobility criteria at a future ‘Reference Date’. MULTIPLY therefore asks applicants to make an informed assumption.

Compliance with the eligibility and mobility criteria will be checked in detail AFTER the ‘Reference Date’ and applicants are advised that documents evidencing compliance may be requested at any stage during the Evaluation and Selection Process. Originals of some of the documents requested will have to be seen by the prospective host and/or MULTIPLY Management Team before any employment contract is signed.

In the unlikely event of a delay in establishing the ranking list the applicable Reference Date may need to be revised (delayed).

3. Full-time research experience

Research Experience is measured from the date when the researcher obtained the degree entitling him/her to embark on a doctorate (either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country of the prospective host) even if a doctorate was never started or envisaged.

Research Experience is measured to the Reference Date.

Only time spent on postgraduate research activities can be included. The postgraduate research activities have to have been remunerated and can include the PhD studies and any other relevant research training activity. Working outside research will not be taken into account.

Part-time work:  Any periods of part-time activity in research should be translated into full-time experience (e.g. 3 year half time = 1.5 years full-time).

4. Career Break

MULTIPLY does not impose an age limit or a requirement of a recent PhD degree and encourages applications from applicants who suspended their career for personal reasons (e.g. maternity/paternity/parental/sick leave and compulsory military) or professional reasons (e.g. inter-sectoral and non-academic mobility such as working in industry) to reintegrate into the research environment and be treated on equal footing with those candidates who developed their scientific careers continuously.

Career breaks shall not be penalized in the assessment procedure, i.e. applications shall only be evaluated according to their merit. Career break will not be an obstacle or a disadvantage, and the only criteria taken into consideration are those specified in the evaluation process. Nonetheless, it will be requisite that the applicant sufficiently substantiate the claim of a career break and reasons therefor.