Who can apply for an MCRTN fellowship?
These rules are quite complex. They were not decided by us! If, after reading this page, you are still not sure whether you are eligible to apply, please contact the Administrative Assistant using the "Contact" page.
Disclaimer: This page is a summary of the MCRTN regulations regarding nationality and level of research experience of applicants, in order to save you having to read the full documentation yourself. It is not an official document, and does not carry any authority, but is made up of excerpts from 2 EU documents, the MCRTN Handbook and MCRTN Work Programme, written for Co-ordinators. Paragraphs in italics are excerpts from one of the two EU documents mentioned.
Nationality
In principle, you can apply for an RTN fellowship whatever your nationality. However, you need to be aware of the following:
For the purposes of the RTN, countries fall into one of 2 groups:
1.EU and Associated States (EU member states + Turkey, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland)
2.Third Countries (all other countries)
I am a national of an EU or associated country…
Because one of the aims of the RTN is to foster mobility,
- you cannot be appointed to an institution in your own country (the country of which you are a national)
- you cannot be appointed to an institution in any country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the 3 years prior to appointment.
e.g. You are Austrian, and have lived and worked in Romania for the last 12 months. So you cannot be appointed to an institution in either Austria (because of your nationality) or Romania (because you have recently lived there) as an RTN fellow, but you can be appointed to an institution elsewhere within the RTN.
I am a national of an EU or associated country, but I don’t live in Europe at present…
If you have lived in a Third Country for at least 4 out of the last 5 years, you can be appointed as a fellow in any institution in the RTN, even in your own country.
I’m a national of a Third Country…
People from Third Countries can be appointed, but there is a limit on how many we can appoint. So if you are from a Third Country, please do apply, but be aware that the RTN is restricted in how many Third Country people it can appoint.
I’m a national of a Third Country but I live in Europe…
If you have been based in Europe for at least 4 of the last 5 years as your main place of work/study, you are treated by the RTN as a national of the country/state where you have lived longest during this time. So the limit mentioned above would not apply to you. But the residency restrictions do apply: you cannot be appointed to an institution in your “own” EU country i.e. in the country that you are being treated as a national of.
Level of experience
Fellows appointed to the RTN are either Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) or Experienced Researchers (ERs).
“Early-stage researchers (ESRs) are defined as researchers in the first 4 years (full-time equivalent) of their research activity, including the period of research training.
The reference period to qualify for an early stage training activity:
- is counted from the diploma giving access to doctoral studies (the degree must entitle the holder to embark on doctoral studies, without having to acquire any further qualifications) in the country in which the diploma was obtained,
- covers the first 4 years of experience in research or the period until a doctoral degree is obtained, whichever is shorter.
Persons who have obtained a doctorate are ineligible for the early stage actions, independently of the time taken to acquire it.”
Example: A researcher has graduated with a first degree in biology in 2003 and would like to start his/her Ph.D. studies in 2004. He/she could benefit as an ESR within a RTN while being registered for his/her Ph.D. studies.
Example: A researcher has already been working as a researcher in industry for two years since graduating with his/her first degree in chemistry. He/she would be able to benefit from participation in a RTN as an ESR even without pursuing a Ph.D. degree.
Example: A researcher is in the process of writing up his/her Ph.D. after 4½ years of research and would like to apply for an appointment within a RTN. While he/she has not yet gained his/her doctorate, he/she would not be considered an ESR due to his/her level of experience.”
In summary, an Early Stage Researcher is someone who…
- does not have a PhD
- has fewer than 4 years’ worth of research experience
NB: you are not an ESR, even if
- you completed your PhD in less than 4 years
- you have not completed a PhD, but have been doing postgraduate research for more than 4 years
“Experienced researchers (ERs) are defined as i) researchers having at least 4 years of research experience (full-time equivalent) since gaining a university diploma giving them access to doctoral studies (the degree must entitle the holder to embark on doctoral studies, without having to acquire any further qualifications), in the country in which the degree/diploma was obtained or ii) researchers already in possession of a doctoral degree, independently of the time taken to acquire it.”
And, in addition:
“Researchers with more than 10 years of research experience (full-time equivalent), counting from the time the degree/diploma was obtained and giving access to embark on a doctorate in the country where it was awarded will not be eligible for selection.”
Example: Five years after obtaining his/her undergraduate degree, a researcher obtained his/her Ph.D. He/she took a career break of five-years for family reasons but would like to continue their research career. He/she is eligible to take part in a RTN as an experienced researcher.
Example: A researcher obtained his/her Ph.D. after 4 years and subsequently worked in research for an additional 7 years under three different postdoctoral positions. He/she would not be eligible to be appointed in a RTN.”
In summary…
An Experienced Researcher is:
- Someone who has between 4 and 10 years’ worth of research experience at the time of appointment OR
- Someone who has a PhD and not more than 10 years’ worth of research experience
NB
If you have more than 10 years of research experience (full-time equivalent), counting from the time the degree/diploma was obtained and giving access to embark on a doctorate in the country where it was awarded, you are not eligible to apply for an RTN fellowship.
The above rules apply regardless of the discipline your degrees and research experience are in. That is, ‘the experience of a researcher is considered to be of the same value independent of the discipline in which it was obtained’.
