The postdoc call (PD_17) financed from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund contributes to the strengthening of centres of excellence in Hungary by funding researchers under 40 years of age with a doctoral degree and by creating a predictable domestic postdoctoral system.

The new postdoc call is the starting point for developing the system which ensures a predictable career for researchers. Researchers of early career stages but already holding a doctoral degree can form the future scientific community expected to develop new methods and procedures, dynamically revive and reinforce centres of excellence, launch pioneering research projects and train the next generation of researchers.

Submission of project proposals

Applications can be submitted electronically through the Online Application Portal of the NRDI Office by 27 February 2017. The submission is successful if the application was finalised electronically by the researcher and approved by the host institution, and if the hard copies of all required documents were received by the customer service of the NRDI Office via regular mail, postmarked no later than 9 March 2017. Applications may not be submitted in person.

All applications must be submitted in English irrespective of the field of science. In certain cases applicants may be exempted from the requirement of submission in English if the NRDI Office has given its prior consent — upon a request to this effect submitted electronically by 13 February 2017 — to the submission of the application in Hungarian with reference to the fact that, according to the reasons provided by the applicant, the research project can only be properly assessed by Hungarian experts.

Who can apply

Researchers with Hungarian or foreign nationality may apply jointly with a host institution seated in Hungary which shall be

• a higher education institution, research centre, research institution, budgetary organ or an institution thereof having legal personality if it qualifies as a research organisation;
  
• a business company having at least one full financial year closed, applying double-entry bookkeeping, not belonging to the scope of simplified entrepreneurial tax (EVA) (only non-profit activities are eligible for funding);
  
• a non-profit organisation pursuing research and development as core activity.
  

Once selected for funding, the postdoctoral researcher shall be employed full-time by the host institution under an employment contract, civil service contract or other work-related legal relationship, throughout the entire implementation period.

Further eligibility terms for postdoctors

A postdoctor can be considered eligible only if his/her PhD/DLA diploma is dated no later than 1 January 2010. If the postdoctor does not possess the doctoral diploma when applying for funding, but the awarding decision has already been made by the doctoral council of the university, this fact must be evidenced by an official document. Applications may only be submitted by researchers not reaching the age of 40 years by 9 March 2017. Upon request, this age limit may be raised with the period spent on maternity leave or full-time child-care.

The applicant must undertake to work on the tasks specified in the application in 70% of his/her work time.

One applicant may only submit one application. At the time of submitting the application and, if selected for funding, during the PD_17 funding period the applicant is allowed to be the leader or participant in a researcher-initiated research project (funded under K, NK, NF or NN type schemes) or the leader of a project funded under a postdoctoral call providing only research funding (former OTKA, PD1 type schemes), if these projects thematically overlap.

Eligible objectives and actions

The postdoc call is open for discovery research projects in any field of science without thematic priorities, provided that the application meets the conditions specified in the call.

Activities included in the project plan developed on the basis of the research and work plan outlined in the postdoc application submitted to the NRDI Office are eligible for funding.

The postdoc call is only to cover wage-like disbursements to the postdoctor as well as related taxes payable by the employer, therefore to seek funding for their independent research projects this year, awarded postdoctoral researchers can apply for and win further funds under the calls K_17 and FK_17 or under the call NN_17 in the case of projects to be implemented in international cooperation.  

Available budget

In order to achieve the objectives of the call the NRDI Office has earmarked a total budget of HUF 1.5 billion from the NRDI Fund for the 2017–2019 period in line with the Act on the Central Budget and with regard to the programme strategy of the NRDI Fund. From this amount HUF 0.5 billion can be disbursed in 2017.

Funding amount and eligible expenditure

The maximum amount of funding is HUF 15.408 million per project for a period of up to 36 months. Maximum funding intensity is 100%.

In addition to the personal remuneration payable to the postdoctor and related taxes payable by the employer, overhead costs are eligible up to 5% only. The eligible amount of wage is HUF 330,000 per month.

Duration of the project

Funded projects shall be implemented within 36 months from project launch. Projects shall commence between 1 September 2017 and 1 December 2017.