ICUB (Research Institute of the University of Bucharest) Fellowship for Young Researchers

ICUB offers each year a number of postdoctoral fellowships for young researchers. These fellowships are awarded for a period which can vary from 3 to 12 months to young researchers with an excellent track-record. During the time of their stay in Bucharest, fellows will be full-time members of the academic community of ICUB. There is no deadline, the applications can be submitted throughout the entire academic year.

Who can apply
- Candidates within five years from their PhD (at the time of application) who have already proven their ability to work successfully as independent researchers. For researchers holding two PhDs, the PhD relevant to the research field of the application will be taken into account.
- The fellowships are mainly addressed to candidates not holding a permanent position in research or higher education and it involves working full-time at the ICUB.
- Candidates holding a permanent position in the University of Bucharest (teaching or research), or a temporary full-time position at the University of Bucharest, or in any other research institution (including other fellowships or grants) are not eligible. Candidates who have permanent positions in other institutions will have to prove that they are released from teaching or research duties for the time of their residence in Bucharest.

Fellowship terms
- Scientists and scholars of all nationalities and disciplines may apply online to the ICUB fellowship at any time.
- Stipend: 2500 lei/ month (= approx. 560 euro, exempt from taxes).
- Awards may include travel expenses for fellows from abroad (including one round air travel economy class) and a living allowance (up to 1200 lei/month).
- Fellows will be full members of the institute during their stay in Bucharest will be able to use the institute’s infrastructure and will take part in the academic life of ICUB.
- Fellows will benefit from logistic support in case they aim to apply for other grants and research programs.
- Fellows are expected to organize scientific events (workshops, conferences, symposia, etc.). ICUB will provide technical and logistic support for the organization.

The application submission system
Applications can be submitted at any time. The peer-review evaluation will take about 3 months after having received the complete set of documents and it will be followed by a panel meeting. The panel meets twice a year, in April/ May and October/ November.

The application form;
CV and list of publications;
Certification of PhD defense or copy of the PhD certificate;
Sample writing (maximum 3 published articles/ papers/ patents);
The name, e-mail address and phone numbers of three professors/ scholars who can write letters of recommendation for the candidate (the letters will be requested directly by the ICUB);
The research project (maximum 5 pages; bibliography counts separately);
For research projects involving experimental work or laboratory access, a preliminary agreement on behalf of the department chair or head of laboratory is needed.
Applications should be sent by e-mail to office@icub.unibuc.ro with attachments in pdf format.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Is the PhD title a requirement for the application?
A: Yes, the competition is only for postdoctoral researchers.
Q: If I have another fellowship, can I apply to this call?
A: Postdoctoral researchers who currently have another fellowship are not eligible to this call, unless the other fellowship ends by the time of signing the contract with the University of Bucharest.
Q: I am currently teaching part-time at the University of Bucharest ("plata cu ora"). Am I allowed to submit an application within the ICUB Fellowship for Young Researchers?
A: Yes, you can submit an application.
Q: Can independent researchers participate in this call?
A: Yes.
Q: What is the earliest date of the PhD for an application to be eligible?
A: In this competition, there is a limit of 5 years from the PhD, so the earliest date for obtaining the PhD is April 2011 (for the April/ May committee meeting). Only the candidates with their PhD awarded after that date are eligible to participate in this competition. Please note that the 5 years rule is calculated on the basis of the time of your application and the next committee meeting.
Q: Is it possible to get the IRH fellowship at the same time with other research fellowship/s in other institution/s?
A: No. We expect full commitment from the IRH fellows and we expect them to reside in Bucharest for the entire duration of their fellowships.