The ECIU
RESEARCHer
Mobility
Fund

Call for Applications to
the ECIU Researcher Mobility Fund

long-term open call for applications

anytime until 31.12.2025

up to 5,000 Euros per grant

ECIU recognises the importance of developing a culture of transnational and multidisciplinary collaboration among its researchers at different member institutions all together.  Being aimed at stimulating and facilitating its researchers for cross member institutions scientific collaboration, the ECIU Researcher Mobility Fund (RMF) is launched to promote researcher exchanges and scientific visits. A researcher, Ph.D. candidate, and supporting staff for research at any member institution of the ECIU may apply a grant for travels and associated costs to visit other member institutions to establish and extend collaboration for research.

The Aim of the ECIU Researcher Mobility Fund:

  • Promote interactions and strengthen research collaboration among researchers across all member institutions of the ECIU.
  • Catalysing international research excellence and improving high-quality research outputs within ECIU, for example towards joint research funding applications, publications, and research projects.
  • Support professional development on research career through acquiring specific know-how from experience and good practice at another member institution.
  • Provide access to the excellent research facilities at member institutions of ECIU.

Who can apply

Any researcher, Ph.D. candidate for research based at a member institution of ECIU are welcome to apply.

Funding available

Applicant may apply for up to €5,000 with a grant through the member institution which the applicant is based at.

Each member institution of ECIU makes €20,000 per year in 2024 and 2025 for the ECIU Researcher Mobility Fund.

Research fields supported

RMF is in general open to all disciplines with preferences given to applications addressing the common research fields under the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 11 (Sustainable cities and communities)

Examples of exchanges supported by RMF

Participants are encouraged to explore different types of exchanges, based on their needs, including but not limited to following examples:

  • Research activities as the focus to strengthen research collaboration, prepare for future research publications, projects, and funding applications.
  • Intensive programme for Ph.D. candidates with opportunities to take a short-term intensive study course at a member institution.
  • Shadowing programme for researchers or research supporting staff with opportunities to get acquainted with a host institution’s research infrastructure, working methods or organisational model.
  • Training programme for RMF participants to travel to a host institution for a specific training purpose.

What can the funding be spent on

The RMF in general is used for outgoing travels and associated subsistence costs to visit member or associate member institutions of the ECIU. The applicant remains an employee of the home institution, which is responsible for awarding grants to applicants from the same institution and paying the usual salaries according to its own financing rules and regulations.

The funding in principle covers following types of costs and expenditure:

  • Costs for travels (e.g., tickets of bus, train and flights) and associated subsistence costs (e.g., accommodation and travel allowance).
  • If experiments are planned, coverage of lab costs (including access) needs to be agreed between participating member institutions before the mobility.

The funding in principle does not cover following types of costs and expenditure:

  • Attendance fees for conference or symposium, as well as costs for consultancy work for research proposals.
  • Bench fees charged by a hosting member institution.
  • All personal expenses of participants.

Duration of stay at a member institution

Applicants are obliged to a minimum stay of 5 working days (excluding travel days). Duration of stay is negotiated on an individual basis.  

Insurance

The applicant must make sure that he or she has sufficient insurance coverage at all necessary levels while traveling abroad.

How to apply for RMF

Contact the RMF Contact Person at your member institution where you are based to receive information on how to apply for a grant.

Each member institution of ECIU publishes regulations on RMF, including details of criteria on application, assessment, data protection provisions, the general rights and obligations of grant providers and grant holders etc., on its own website.

The application will be sent to and further assessed by the member institution where the applicant is based.

Evaluation of your applications

Decision to award a RMF grant is made by the member institution where the applicant is based. Criteria used to assess and select applications in principle include, but not limited to following aspects whether

  • purpose and clarity of outcomes from proposed collaboration are clearly articulated.
  • research goals behind the collaboration are clearly identified.
  • resulting research and/or knowledge exchange benefits to collaborating parties and universities are evident.
  • longer-term mechanisms for supporting collaboration beyond ECIU fund are considered.
  • application is economically budgeted.

Contacts for Research Mobility Fund

University
Contact Person
Position
More Information
Aalborg University
Mogens Rysholt Poulsen
Dean
Universidade de Aveiro
Vera Fernandes
Science and Technology Officer
Universitat A. Barcelona
Xavier Biarnes Mas
International Projects Advisor
Dublin City University
Emma McGrath
ECIU University Project Officer
Hamburg University of Technology
Krista Schölzig
Administrative Director
Linköping University
Lotta Kåvemark
International Coordinator
Lodz University of Technology
Agnieszka Dybała-Defratyka
Director of Science Support Center
INSA Group
Anaïs Moulis
Administrative assistant to the Vice-Rector for Research
Tec. de Monterrey
Neil Hernandez Gress
Associate ViceRectorfor Research
University of Stavanger
Kjetil Halvorsen
Senior Adviser
Kaunas University of Technology
Gitana Marmaite
Administrative Assistant to the Vice-Rector
Tampere University
Mariam Sutidze-Haveri
Specialist international mobility
University of Trento
Michele Dalba
International Relations Division
University of Twente
Ryan Wakamiya
Strategic Policy Advisor

TestimonialS

Luís Novo Testimonial
"When I first learnt about the ECIU mobility award,I couldn’t help thinking "here’s a cool way to fund a trip overseas and hopefully set in motion a new partnership". Surely, I was not wrong, but it was also so much more than that."
Luís Novo,
Researcher, Department of Geosciences, University of Aveiro
Read the full story
Ali Baghizadeh Testimonial
Within ECIU consortium, he found the University of Twente , one of the world leading Universities in developing pulsed laser technique. While he was staying there, he got training on their available facilities to conduct his research
Ali Baghizadeh,
Researcher, University of Aveiro
Read the full story
Ulla Saari Testimonial
"The mobility program provides a great opportunity to establish international contacts and build research networks"
Ulla Saari,
Postdoctoral Researcher, Tampere University
Read the full story
Testimonial Lina Dagiliene
"KTU’s membership in ECIU is beneficial for every researcher of the University. It benefits our image and opens new opportunities to disseminate information”
Lina Dagilienė,
KTU School of Economics and Business
Read the full story
Testimonial Esa Räsänen
"It was one of my personal highlights of last year. Now, we have many ideas for joint publications on the science of music that are likely to get a lot of media attention."
Esa Räsänen,
Vice Dean for Education, Faculty of Tech. and Nat. Sciences Tampere University
Read the full story