The new International Fellowship Mobility Programme for Experienced Researchers in Croatia – NEWFELPRO is a fellowship project of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports (MSES). The project is co-financed through the Marie Curie FP7-PEOPLE-2011-COFUND program. Its total value is 7 million euros, of which 60% is financed from national sources. The project duration is from 2013 until 2017.

The long-term objective of the NEWFELPRO fellowship project is to raise the presence of research-qualified individuals by providing them with new opportunities to gain relevant international experience, and thus contribute to the further development of international scientific networks.

Strategic objectives:

1. Provide new impulse to national research programmes for foreign researchers, encouraging incoming mobility of experienced researchers from abroad to Croatia (new incoming fellowship scheme, duration of 12 or 24 months);
2. Facilitate additional mobility of the Croatian research community by increasing outgoing mobility of Croatian scientists abroad (new outgoing fellowship scheme, duration of 16 or 36 months);
3. Reverse the ’brain drain’ process by encouraging outstanding Croatian researchers to develop their careers in Croatia and also invite them to return to Croatia (new reintegration fellowship scheme, duration of 24 months);
4. Internationalize research developed in all Croatian universities by fostering competitiveness and exchange ideas with the best international research institutions (all schemes);
5. Support the development of an effective labour market for researchers in Croatia by linking industry and academia, public and private research institutions and industrial laboratories, enhancing the transfer of knowledge and creating better employment opportunities for researchers with an emphasis on innovative processes in SMEs, in particular (all schemes).

 
Eligibility criteria:

NEWFELPRO Fellowships are intended for experienced researchers and senior researchers, namely those who either:
i. have at least 4 years of research experience (full-time equivalent) after obtaining the degree which would formally entitle them to embark on a doctorate either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the research training will be provided; or ii. are already in possession of a doctoral degree (PhD) – EXPERIENCED RESEARCHERS
ii. have more than 10 years of research experience (full-time equivalent) – SENIOR RESEARCHERS.
The time limit in fulfilling one of these conditions is the deadline for submitting the proposal for the relevant call. The required research experience does not include breaks during the research career of a researcher, irrespective of the reason (e.g. working outside research, family reasons, etc.).

Researchers must have Croatian citizenship for outgoing and reintegration schemes. Researchers can have any citizenship, except Croatian, for the incoming scheme.

• Outgoing scheme

At the time of the Call deadline, eligible researchers must have been residents or have had their main activity (studies, work) in Croatia for at least 2 years in total.

• Incoming scheme

Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host institution for more than 12 months in total in the three years immediately prior to the Call deadline.

• Reintegration scheme

Researchers must have a Croatian citizenship and already be in possession of a doctoral degree (PhD) and have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in a third Country for at least three years in total and should not have resided in Croatia more than 12 months prior to the call deadline.
 

Application guidelines:

The proposal is to be submitted on the official forms available on the NEWFELPRO website:

1. Part A - General information is to be completed online using the NEWFELPRO web portal;
2. Part B – Project proposal;
3. CV of the applicant/project leader;
4. CV of the scientist in charge (not applicable for senior researcher applying for the reintegration scheme)
5. Letter of Commitment of the Host Institution;
6. Letter of Commitment of the Return Host Institution (not applicable for researcher applying for the incoming and reintegration scheme);
7. Two letters of recommendation.

The project proposal must be signed by the applicant/project leader, while the letter of commitment of the host institution and the return host institution must be electronically signed or signed and stamped by the authorised persons from the administering organizations.

The proposal must be submitted in electronic format (PDF) using the NEWFELPRO web application, which is available on the NEWFELPRO website, together with all relevant electronically signed or signed and stamped documents by 4 March 2014 at 16:00:00 CET.

Applicants/project leaders will receive a notice of successful submission by e-mail.