Available budget

In the period 2024-2027, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation allocates a combined budget of HUF 13.5 billion from the NRDI Fund for the programme of the thematic research projects (K_23), the young researchers’ and postdoctoral excellence programmes (FK_23, PD_23) and the programme of thematic research projects based on Hungarian–Slovenian bilateral cooperation (SNN_23).

Duration of the projects

Projects shall commence on 1 January 2024, and the maximum project duration is 36 months.

Amount of funding

According to the call, HUF 30 million for maximum 36 months can be requested for each project. If the duration of the project is shorter, requested funding should be decreased on a pro rata temporis basis. Apart from remuneration and related taxes payable by the employer, certain tangible costs are also eligible, as well as overhead costs and costs of acquisition of scientific information and Open Access publication, both 10% of the direct project costs. The eligible amount of full-time researcher’s salary is HUF 530,000 gross per month. The implementation of PD type projects cannot involve participating researchers, however technical staff and students are allowed. The earliest date for reporting costs is the project start date specified in the funding agreement.

Submission of applications

The NRDI Office enables applicants to submit their applications exclusively electronically. In this case, the documents required in Chapter “K” of the call to be submitted by regular mail / with electronic signature must be signed electronically as specified in Chapter “K” of the call and attached to the application on the Online Application Portal by the deadline for electronic submission, that is, by 3 May 2023 at 16:00 (CET).

Please note that all documents required to be submitted by regular mail / with electronic signature must be submitted to the NRDI Office in the same way, that is, either all such documents should be submitted by regular mail or all of them should be submitted electronically with electronic signature.

In the case of submission by regular mail, the submission is successful if the proposal was finalised electronically by the applicant and approved by the head of the host institution by the deadline for E-submission, and the documents required in Chapter “K” of the call were submitted by regular mail to the Customer Service of the NRDI Office by the deadline.

In the case of electronic submission, the submission is successful if the proposal was finalised electronically by the applicant and approved by the head of the host institution by the deadline for E-submission, and the electronically signed versions of the documents required in Chapter “K” of the call to be submitted by regular mail / with electronic signature have been submitted through the Online Application Portal.

All applications must be submitted in English irrespective of the field of science. Applications in Hungarian are only allowed on the basis of prior approval (so-called Hungaricum permission, to be requested not later than 14 April 2023). In the case of PD type proposals submitted in humanities and social sciences, bilingual research plans may be submitted, regardless of a Hungaricum permission.

Eligible applicants

Principal investigators can apply jointly with the host institution which has to be a Hungarian based

• higher education institution, research centre, research institution, budgetary institution or an institution thereof having legal personality that qualifies as a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation under Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014;
• business company which has at least two completed business years, maintains double-entry accounting that qualifies as a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation under Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014;
• non-profit organisation that qualifies as a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation under Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

Throughout the entire implementation period the principal investigator shall be employed by the host institution under an employment contract, civil service contract or other contract aimed at performing work. Awarded postdoctors must undertake to work at least 50% of their time (0,5 FTE) on the tasks defined in the project proposal.

Further eligibility terms for principal investigators

Only those postdoctors are eligible for the funding whose doctoral degree (PhD/DLA) was issued not earlier than 1 January 2018. Researchers with child(ren) born after the date of degree can apply for preferential terms in this respect. Further relief from the rule may be granted in special circumstances, upon individual considerations.

No more than one proposal may be submitted to this call as principal investigator, and FD_23, K_23 or SNN_23 proposals are not allowed in parallel. Grantees of K_22, FK_22, PD_22, ANN_22, SNN_22 projects, grantees of Forefront (KKP) projects and Momentum (Lendület) projects of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences are not eligible either. Further “OTKA” type grants may be awarded in the future, however, submission of such proposals is not allowed in the first 12 months of the PD_23 implementation period.

Eligible objectives and actions

Project proposals can cover discovery research in any fields of science, regardless of thematic priority, if otherwise the application meets the conditions laid down in the call. Those actions are eligible which aim to achieve the key objectives developed on the basis of the research and work plan specified in the proposal, in any field of science and set out in the research project plan submitted to the NRDI Office.