Are you younger than 35, have completed (or will soon complete) a PhD, and your research is focused on organic, bioorganic or medicinal chemistry? If the answer is yes, then the Experientia Foundation is offering you a unique opportunity in the form of a grant to help finance a year-long post-doctoral fellowship or research stay at a prestigious foreign university of your choice. All you have to do is to come up with an original project, contact the research workplace of your dreams and subsequently submit a grant application by 15 March. The selected candidates will be invited to present their projects at a joint meeting of the Grant Committee and the Board of Trustees. The meeting is usually held at the end of May.
What must be included in the grant application?
An introduction to your project
provide an introduction to you organic, bioorganic, or medicinal chemistry research project (in English, and no longer than three to four standard pages).
Estimated budget
an itemized budget contanting the total financial support requested based on the essential living expenses as recommended by the responsible person at the host academic instituion (a template is avalaible on the Foundation´s website)
Structured CV
Your structured CV in English including information about Master´s and PhD thesis (title of the thesis, name of the supervisor, affiliation, brief summary of the content, in the length of 3 sentences)
Letter of Recommendation
a letter of recommendation from your educational supervisor.
(Please note that letters of recommendation are sent directly by your educational supervisor to the Experientia Foundation. All letters of recommendation (including foreign ones) must be delivered to the Board of Trustees at experientia@experientia.cz until 15 March)
Information about the relevant individual at the host institution
identification of the relevant individual whom you will be working under at the foreign university
(name, surname, workplace address, phone number, and email address).
Letter of invitation
Letter of invitation from the relevant individual whom you will be working under at the foreign university during your year-long research stay.
(a template is avalaible on the Foundation´s website)
Consideration of further funding
a brief consideration of the possibilities of further funding your internship in case you wish to extend it, including a list of possible sources of funding (eg local, university, national or international programs)
How should I submit my application?
Submit the complete written application, including all of the required attachments, by 15 March of the relevant year by email (as a PDF file) to the address experientia@experientia.cz. You will receive an email from us confirming receipt of your application and we will confirm receipt of recommendation letter of your supervisor, too.
How will my application be assessed?
In addition to looking at your study and professional results to date, we will assess chiefly the quality and originality of your project, as well as the scientific excellence of the workplace at the host institution of your choice. Your application will be assessed by the members of the Experientia Foundation’s Board of Trustees and by independent experts and by the Experientia Foundation Grant Committee. The selected candidates will be invited to present their projects at a joint meeting of the Grant Committee and the Board of Trustees.
How shall I prepare for the presentation of my project?
If you are invited to present your project at a joint meeting of the Grant Committee and the Board of Trustees (usually held at the end of May), this means you have advanced to the second round of the competition. You can choose presenting in person or online. You should send your project presentations (in ppt/pdf format) to the email experientia@experientia.cz no later than 2 days prior to the date of the meeting, confirming at the same time whether you will be attending in person or online. The expected length of your presentation will 10 minutes max. You should also be prepared to discuss your project briefly with the members of the Grant Committee and the Board.
When will I find out if I will receive a grant?
A final decision will be made by no later than 30 June of the relevant year.
What happens next if I am awarded a grant?
If our decision regarding your application is positive, we will conclude an Experientia Grant Award Agreement with you.
You will receive the grant in four installments as follows:
- The first installment, equal to 10% of the total grant amount, will be paid within ten days of the date the Experientia Grant Award Agreement is signed, no earlier than two months before the start day of your research stay.
- The second installment, equal to 40% of the total grant amount, will be paid within ten days of the start date of your research stay.
- The third installment, equal to 45% of the total grant amount, will be paid within ten days of the date on which your regular written report is approved by the Experientia Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
- The fourth and last installment, equal to the remaining 5% of the total grant amount, will be paid within ten days of the date on which your final written report is approved by the Experientia Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
You are obliged to send us a progress report after the first six months of your research stay, and a final report within three months of the end of your year-long research stay. Both written reports must be confirmed by your host at the foreign institution.
You are also obliged to specify the sponsorship of the Experientia Foundation in all published materials originating as a result of your research stay.
If you intend to extend your internship at given workplace, we recommend that you apply for other sources of funding during your internship abroad. In the event that you receive another source of funding during your internship abroad, you may use the unused funds after the end of another source of funding. In such a case, you should contact the Foundation’s Board of Trustees individually on the due dates of provided installments and submitted reports.
Are you still not sure whether to go for it? Maybe the stories of the scholars who have preceded you will convince you:
FAQ
What is the deadline for submitting my application?
Grant applications may be submitted until 15 March of every year.
May I submit an application after 15 March?
Yes, you may, but your application will not be assessed until next year. We therefore recommend that you obtain all of the required documents sufficiently in advance.
Are the supported research fields, i.e. organic, bioorganic, and medicinal chemistry, strictly defined?
Yes, they are. The Experientia Foundation supports young scientists only in these fields.
May I apply for a grant even if I will be older than 35 by 15 March?
Unfortunately, no. You cannot be over the age of 35 on 15 March.
May I submit my application via email?
Yes, you may, but it must include all of the required attachments, including the signed invitation. We thus recommend that you submit your application as a PDF file.
May I request an Experientia Foundation grant for a period longer than one year?
Unfortunately, no. The grant is meant to cover the costs associated with a research stay for a period of only one year.