Hungarian Academy of Sciences Lendület “Momentum” for Research Teams Programme

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) launches a call for applications to establish new Lendület (“Momentum”) research teams 2019–2024

Objectives

Under the funding scheme of the Lendület (“Momentum”) Programme, the President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences launches a call for applications to establish research teams which will start working in 2019. The Lendület (“Momentum”) Programme aims at a dynamic renewal of the research work going on either at research institutions of MTA’s research network or at universities, via attracting internationally acclaimed scientists and highly-talented young researchers either by hiring them from abroad or keeping them in Hungary.

The mission of the Lendület Programme is to support both excellence and mobility. Accordingly, its purpose is to provide funding for research teams to be set up at host institutions with a view to conducting research on new research themes.

The budget earmarked for the Lendület Programme is expected to be of HUF 540 million, to be used for the funding of maximum 15 new Lendület research teams with starting dates between 1st July 2019 and 1st December 2019. The entire grant period, in accordance with the provisions of this call and with the grant award document, may extend to a maximum of 5 years.

Who can apply? Conditions of participation

(i) Researchers with a scientific degree PhD/DLA are invited to submit applications – in line with their respective age-groups and scientific achievements – to head new Lendület research teams in the categories specified below:

• Lendület I – Researchers at the outset of their independent research careers: promising young researchers, typically aged under 38, with an outstanding and steadily increasing scientific output. Grantees in this category must undertake to apply to any of the funding schemes of the European Research Council (ERC) either in the course of their Lendület project or after its completion.
• Lendület II – Researchers consolidating their independent research career: internationally acclaimed leading researchers with continued excellent and steadily increasing scientific output, typically aged between 35 and 45. Grantees in this category must undertake to apply to the Consolidator Grant Call or the Advanced Grant Call of the European Research Council (ERC) either in the course of their Lendület project or after its completion; alternatively, they must undertake to obtain funding in the framework of any other international research grant scheme, whose funding should be at a rate commensurate with the funding offered in the Lendület scheme, so that this might be sufficient to maintain the operation of the research team after the completion of the Lendület grant period.
• “Targeted Lendület Research” – Researchers conducting applied (targeted) research of outstanding efficiency: researchers typically under 45 years of age, committing themselves to carrying out research which is expected to have direct impact in terms of economic competitiveness. In the category “Targeted Lendület Research” at least half of the grant amount shall be provided (via HUF transfer) by a company having been registered in Hungary for at least two years with registered seat in Hungary which is operating in the Hungarian private sector. In this category the grantees are expected to be aiming at both results which may be freely published and on the basis of these, results which may be directly utilized by the funding company. The planned grant period in this category is 3, 4 or 5 years under the conditions listed in the Section 1 of the current call, and – subject to a joint decision of the grantors – the three‑year period may be extended by a maximum of 2 years, while the four‑year period may be extended by a maximum of 1 year.

In any of the above categories, a researcher raising a child shall be granted an age limit extension of 2 years per child as an extension of the standard age limit where prior to the submission of the application the researcher has received childcare benefit based.

A researcher who has been awarded a grant in any of the above categories may not submit a new application in the same category.

(ii) In the Lendület programme applications may be submitted only for research activities in institutions belonging to MTA’s research network and Hungarian universities as host institutions. Applications are to be submitted jointly by the head of the host institution – that is either the head of an MTA research institution or the rector of a university – and the applicant researcher who is the prospective PI of the research team to be established. Applicants shall decide which Lendület category to apply for upon consultation with the head of the host institution.

Only new research themes, or research themes that have been on the agenda of the host institution for no longer than five years, exhibiting considerable success, may be proposed in the application. The specific research themes must be in strategic alignment with a promising line of research attracting considerable international interest. A detailed description of the international recognition of the proposed topic must be given in the application. 

(iii) The grant is non-repayable and its minimum amount is HUF 25 million per year throughout the grant scheme, while the maximum amount of the grant in Lendület I is HUF 50 million per year and in Lendület II HUF 60 million per year; in the category “Targeted Lendület Research” the minimum grant amount is HUF 25 million per year each from MTA and from the funding company, while the maximum grant amount may differ from the above limits, depending on the amount of external funding. There is no need to involve own resources.

(iv) In the humanities and social sciences, the project activities may, when properly justified, include a study visit or work under fixed-term employment abroad the duration of which may not exceed 1 year.

(v) Prospective PIs in Lendület I and Lendület II are expected to be actively involved in research and to act as research team leaders in the next 10-15 years, and they are expected, either in the course of their Lendület project or afterwards, to obtain an ERC grant (or other international grant based on excellence) alternatively, they are expected to be able to prove that they have been involved in a research project as a major partner. The planned research should be suitable to increase the host institution’s competitiveness, both in terms of scientific reputation and in terms of fundraising capability.

Submission of applications

Applications must be submitted  in English or in Hungarian via the electronic submission portal of Lendület. The deadline for electronic submission is:

• for applicants for Lendület I and Lendület II: 12:00 CET, 8th March 2019
• for applicants for “Targeted Lendület Research”: 12:00 CET, 22nd March 2019