The Early Career Scientific Development Grant offers financial support to paediatric endocrinologists and basic scientists for the purpose of gathering information and experience on a specific research issue OR on a laboratory technique in the field of paediatric endocrinology.

The call for applications is now open!

Deadline: 31 May 2024

For more information about how to write a good grant application, please click here*.


An Early Career Scientific Development Grant can be used to finance a short-term visit to an external laboratory/hospital/institute in order to:

  • Learn a new technique
  • Troubleshoot on existing methods
  • Discuss new methods/techniques in a research seminar
  • Compile statistics on joint research projects
  • Test samples in the framework of a joint research project

Alternatively, the grant may be used to finance the visit of an outside expert in order to receive essential guidance, consultation or advice at the requester's home institute.

During the COVID19 crisis and as long as international travel restrictions are in place, the grant can also be used to spend a research period at the home institution with a maximum duration of three months.

Grant Information 

  • A maximum of three grants of up to €2,500 each is available on an annual basis.
  • The grant application deadlines will be on 31 January, 31 May and 30 September.
  • The grant covers travel and housing expenses only. Personal living expenses are not included. When the research is performed at the home institution, no travel or housing costs can be covered.
  • For external research stays, the grant will support research materials and costs at a rate of €100 per week with a maximum of €500 for the time of the grant.
  • For research performed at the home institution, research materials and costs can be supported at a rate of €250 per week with a maximum of €2500 for the time of the grant. Applicants must provide sufficient motive for using funding for research materials and report this in the Grant Report Form.  The grant will not cover personnel costs.
  • The Science Committee can award more than three grants a year in extraordinary circumstances.
  • If all applications within a quarter are deemed poor in quality the Science Committee reserves the rights to withhold the award.
  • Either the applicant, host or sponsor must be an ESPE member in good standing
  • No Principal Investigator can hold two Early Career Scientific Development Grants at any one time. If they wish to apply again they must have completely finished their previous project. Principal Investigators can however be supporting investigators in new applications whilst they hold a grant as PI. Applications will be selected on merit as per usual.
 


Eligibility

Specific Requirements:

  • The sponsor of the applicant should be an ESPE member. The applicant and host supervior are not required to be ESPE members.
  • A grant should be used to finance a short-term visit of up to six weeks at an external laboratory/hospital/institute or to finance the visit of an outside expert in order to receive essential guidance, consultation or advice at the requester's home institute. During the COVID19 crisis, and as long as travel restrictions are in place, the grant can also be used to finance short-term research of up to three months at the home institution.
  • A grant must be used within 6 months of receipt.
  • Current members of the Science Committee and ESPE Council are not eligible to apply for this grant.
  • A brief report using the report form template should be submitted within three months of completing the visit.
  • Grant recipients are encouraged to acknowledge the grant support in all publications resulting from it.
  • Applications from candidates who are based in the same research group as any member of the Science Committee cannot be considered for the grant, i.e. members of the Science Committee cannot be involved in the development, execution or outcomes of the project, including any publications resulting from the grant to upcoming projects and activities, nor in the decision on the grant allocation.
  • ESPE is not currently accepting grant applications from Russia or Belarus.

If you have any queries regarding the scientific content of your application please contact the Early Career Scientific Development Grant convenor Dr Tülay Güran for discussion. Any queries regarding documentation administration, both in the application stage and in the grant claim stage, should be directed toward the ESPE Office

Selection Criteria

The applications will be scored based on the following criteria: 

  • Applicant CV
  • Host CV and institution
  • Focus and quality of application
  • Hypothesis
  • Methodology and experimental design
  • Potential for publication and further research
  • Timing and feasibility
  • Budget justification
  • Benefit for applicant and home institution
  • Relevance of the topic

Evaluation

Each application will be peer-reviewed by the Convenor of Early Career Scientific Development Grant and at least one other member of the Science Committee.

APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN

Post-Award information

The forms below are for recipients of this grant only. Please submit all receipts/invoices/bills related to payments being claimed with the forms.

  • Grant Payment Form - Should be submitted within 6 months of being awarded the grant before beginning the project. Recipients should claim the full amount in one form.
  • Grant Report Template- Should be submitted within 3 months of completion of the grant

Your completed report must be submitted electronically to the ESPE Team.


*Reference: 12 top tips for writing a grant application. (October 2015). Insight Blog (Medical Research Council, MRC). Retrieved from http://www.insight.mrc.ac.uk/2015/10/05/12-top-tips-for-writing-a-grant-application/